Why Mental Health Support Matters, Even When You Feel Fine

“Hey, where have you been all these days? Why did you stop coming for the morning walks? You look so weak… What happened? Hope all is well?"

These were the barrage of questions my morning-walk companions threw at me the moment they spotted me on Shimla’s familiar walking stretch—the Mall and Ridge. I was walking with a stick in one hand and a water bottle in the other, a few days after my two back-to-back surgeries at PGI, Chandigarh.

Their concern was genuine, as they wondered how my health could deteriorate so suddenly, despite my disciplined lifestyle, regular morning walks, and engaging in “brainstorming” conversations with fellow walkers and young fitness enthusiasts.

These were friends who had no idea of the storm I had weathered—the trauma that had shaken both my body and mind. Yet, there were others … those who came all the way to the hospital ward, waited anxiously outside the operation theater, and poured their hearts into giving me extraordinary emotional support and pouring out unshakable motivation.

My bosses at the Delhi office showed remarkable kindness, constantly checking on my well-being and offering their support in every possible way. Their concern truly touched me.

Am I battling a physical ailment… or is it my mental health dragging me into an abyss of extreme stress, depression, and anxiety?” I would often ask myself.

My daughter, a designer, cared for me silently, slipping out to the nearby market and returning with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, hoping it would help me overcome my anxieties. My son, a lawyer in Delhi, stood by me too, gently persuading me to watch uplifting movies on my laptop or listen to soothing bhajans, the early morning hours.

My appetite had collapsed, and sleep slipped away. In just a matter of days, I lost six to seven kilos. I felt too weak to stand straight, too shaky to walk. It was only later that the doctors discovered the cause: a severe sodium imbalance that had left me disoriented.

Yet, I realised the bigger battle wasn’t just physical. Healing my body was one thing; healing my mind was something entirely different. I often found myself spiraling into dark corners of my thoughts, wrestling with waves of anxiety and sudden, crushing bouts of depression.

My doctor, Santosh Kumar, a senior urologist at PGI Chandigarh, took a few informal counselling sessions, often trying his hand at astrology to predict my recovery. Gentlemen! Don't try to push yourself to stress too much. Come on, your problem has been tackled. You can go home, rest for a few days, and gradually start working again,” he advised.

Now, out of the hospital and slowly settling down to work—to write a piece on mental health issues in Himachal Pradesh—I happened to discuss the incidences of mental illness in the hills of Himachal Pradesh with a few experts. I met psychiatrists, mental health professionals, and heads of NGOs in the past two weeks.

“Factors contributing to mental health issues are not just related to genetics and environment; it could also include trauma, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, dejection, and loneliness. Substance abuse is a new emerging factor,” a practicing clinical psychologist told me.

Some mental health professionals shared devastating stories with me about people battling issues, including those in hospitals, those visiting outpatient departments (OPDs), and those who have been abandoned without caregivers. A few families are not taking their patients to hospitals due to social stigma, trusting faith healers, only to aggravate their conditions.

“There is an urgent importance in seeking professional help—therapists, psychiatrists, and even opting for alternative forms of treatment—medication, therapy, support groups,” said Sanjay Pathak, noted psychologist.

But there is no substitute for self-care practices to improve mental health, such as doing regular exercise, morning yoga, daily walks, keeping a positive mind, and eating a healthy diet. A support system of friends and family is a bonus point.

It is my endorsement for those passing through depression and anxiety and striving for freedom from mental illness.