End Taboo Around Depression, Get Help, Says Arvind Swamy

The stigma around mental health issues continues to pervade the society, ironically though, given that by the year 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depression is estimated to be the second most common health problem in the world.

Because of the unjustified stigma that still exists, a large percentage of those who experience depression are not treated.

Actor Arvind Swamy, known for his stellar performance in Mani Ratnam's award-winning film Roja, took to twitter to inform his followers and fellow countrymen that India is one of the most depressed country in the world according to WHO reports and that 36% of our population is suffering from depression.

He also urged people to end the taboo and stigma surrounding mental health and be unabashedly unapologetic about seeking help for it.

Despite various efforts by social advocates, celebrities and mental health practitioners to eradicate this social dilemma by spreading awareness on how therapy and counselling can play a pivotal role, the message has still not percolated down with the greater population.

"When it comes to obtaining treatment for medical ailments as benign as the common cold, people don’t think twice about running to the doctor, or the acupuncturist, and spending the money on treatments to feel better. So, why do so many who suffer from depression continue to hesitate, despite all of the treatment options available?" says psychologist Aruna Broota.

Along with externalized stigma toward those with mental health issues, there also comes internalized stigma or self-shame. This makes the experience of mental health issues all the more devastating often it is the internalized shame that inhibits people from acknowledging psychological problems and receiving treatment, since many see it as a sign of being weak or damaged in some form.