As part of our series – Mind Matters – Actress Soni Razdan Talking about normalizing the conversation around mental health, how parents can help children solve mental health problems: Ware that Shaheen is depressed, I have started to feel. Something wrong. About a year before she really opened me, I asked her, what do you need, Shaheen? You have to say freely. Do not hesitate. I really shot in the dark because I didn’t know what depression was and what it felt. There was no conversation about mental health when I grew up.
Soni Razdanafter this conversation, Shaheen died a year before telling me that she needs help. She said, I’m not as happy as I want. I can stay in a better stage and I think I need help to go there. It is not only sadness or a useless or lazy feeling or no motivation – it’s much more serious than that. She could not stop crying; She did not want to leave the room and just wanted to stay in the bathroom. I was shocked and trembled. Such things are scary for parents. But I kept reassuring her that there was a problem and we would go to the doctor for treatment. We immediately consult an expert.
Soni Razdan and his daughter Shaheen Bhatt The treatment of mental health problems is not ‘a size suitable for all’. There are experiments and errors in the process and countless relevant coping mechanisms. You must find the right for you, and in the process, you refer to different experts when they provide different views, advice and help. Mental health is a journey of discovery. Realizing that you are suffering from a disease and seeking help to deal with it is just the beginning of that journey.
It’s hard to see Shaheen passing a lot. The fact that I could not take away her pain would disappoint me like a mother. I don’t know that she has suicide thoughts, and the fact that she takes too much time to convey her feelings to me that broke my heart. While we are in a more peaceful space, the journey is not easy. Shaheen had to go through his own struggle to find the right treatment. I am just an active parent and give her the support she needs. Today, I am a lot more comfortable because Shaheen conveyed it to others and shared her story.
My advice to my parents is that if your child says they are not good, don’t take it lightly. Do not tell your children that all will be fine tomorrow or they are just creating a noise or they need to relax and feel will disappear. Do not overlook or confuse depression signs with mood changes related to puberty. Take your child to the doctor immediately. It may be nothing, but it is likely that it may be what they are dealing with emotions and need help. We, as parents, must create a space and environment where our children feel comfortable opening us. Mental illness is not a taboo and should not be ashamed of talking about it, or seeking help.
