FEMINISM AND MENTAL HEALTH

Feminisn and Mental Health

Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation and oppression in economic, political, sociological fields. This movement has worked for the degraded physical and mental state of women. Feminism has its roots in France when a French philosopher Charles Fourier coined the word and by the first half of 20^th century the ideologies of feminism reached Europe and U.S. Within the feminist activities we find two ideologies, the one which celebrate the difference and respect the other gender by retaining their identity while the other which regards this difference to the problem and thrive for equality.

Feminism and mental health are integrally connected. Women often suffered from mental illness like “depression”,”anxiety”,and “panic disorder” due to subjugation, poor mental support and patriarchy. Women are often considered crazy and this issue dates back in the 19^th century when the word “hysteria” was used to sum up any women’s health disorder, because hysteria seemed to be a gendered diagnosis as the doctors didn’t take women seriously. We can trace it in the works of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and mostly in Rochester’s Wife where Bertha Mason is diagnosed by her husband who locks her into a room and comforts her within those four walls. This work gave rise to Gilbert and Guber’s "The Mad Women in the Attic".

The most common illness anxiety affects most of the adults in the world. People, who live with depression worldwide specially women, experience twice as often as men. Stress disorder affects women more than men and the leading cause is Rape! Women experiencing higher rates of mental illness are particularly linked with the subjugation of women in daily life, that the feminist fight for. In a study published in the journal Sex Roles, researchers from the University of Missouri-Kansas and Georgia State University found out that there is a link between physical safety concerns and psychological distress. Often women subjected to mental or physical torture have tried to protect themselves by developing strategies of passivity, dissociation from body, rejecting the idea of being in a feminine role, try to become manly or self inflicted violence.

Feminism if thoroughly studied is not only about women, it is about the establishment of equality for both genders but through several ages and perspectives the idea has been distorted. Nowadays mostly this idea means protection of women oriented issue which involves subjugation of men. The original ideology is lost and men have started to grow hatred against feminism. Women have stated to misuse the idea for their own purpose. For example, they can accuse an innocent man for exploitation or molestation easily than the man who seeks to prove himself innocent. Mental health also pertains to men as well. Men who are raped also have higher rates of stress disorder and are more likely to develop schizophrenia than women. Today’s world is experiencing a wave of feminism and a parallel growth of misogynism due to misuse of feminism movement.

MENTAL ILLNESS IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Mental Illness is not an excuse for Sexual harassment

According to popular perception mental illness and violence go hand in hand. Contrary to this, research shows that mental illness survivors are more likely to be the victims and what we find nowadays are certain behavioural instincts and patterns that are enabled by patriarchal mindsets. Many of the accused do not even consider their actions as an act of abuse or harassment or violence and defend themselves by marking them as casual flirting, banter, poor judgement, mixed signals, provocation by the victim and so on.

Mental illness, for example schizophrenia makes a person dysfunctional in everyday life but predatory behaviour is just a manipulative behaviour. The kind of emotional manipulation and calculated behavioural patterns that are exerted by sexual abusers are not the kind of behaviour a person with serious mental illness would be capable of. Sexual misconduct is a calculated move, driven by sexual instincts into acts of violence against the victim. Sadaf Vidha, a Mumbai-based psychologist whose clients include survivors of gender-based violence says, “Think about it while reversing the roles – when women or minorities suffer from mental health issues, do we see them automatically abusing or assaulting other people?” In simple terms, mental illness may or may not exist in abusers but the abuse they inflict is behaviour and not a symptom, concluded by Nancy Erickson, an attorney and consultant on domestic violence and legal issues.

Mostly women are viewed as sexual objects and not human. Workplace harassment is a common one including in the list: education industry, civil service, banking industries, hospitality, marketing and fashion industry. Making a woman wear explicit clothing only to boost an industrial growth in sales and marketing is a cruel act of sexual harassment. Even public space is an area worth mentioning, trains, buses, subways, market are areas where people can be touched unpleasantly and intentionally, stalked, stared, or even forcibly exposed to another person’s genitalia. Objectification of women is a major source of sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment cases today are occurring at an alarming rate. Many cases aren’t reported because the women are afraid and are sometimes under threat. Sexual harassment whether inflicted upon a male or female, is a cruel act affecting the victim’s mental health leading them into depression, anxiety disorder.

MENTAL HEALTH IN INDIA: ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Mental health in India: Issues and concerns

Mental health crisis is a serious problem in India, as according to a report by the WHO, an estimated 56 million people suffering from depression and 38 million from anxiety disorders. Mental distress is a key reason why one student commits suicide every hour in the country.

However, the attitude of many Indians towards this problem isn’t helping.

According to The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF) and Kantar Public, a survey of 3,556 respondents from eight cities across India, an astonishing 47% could be categorised as being highly judgmental of people perceived as having a mental illness. Respondents belonging in this category were more likely to say that one should keep a safe distance from those who are depressed, or that talking to a mentally unhealthy person could affect the mental health of others. 26% were labelled as being afraid of the mentally ill. Interestingly, these two categories were mostly belonging to higher socio-economic backgrounds and were more educated compared to the 27% who were supportive of people with mental illnesses. These group were younger (aged between 18 and 24), with relatively lower educational levels, and came from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

A significant section of the respondent reported feeling fear, apathy, anger and even disgust at times despite most of them has shown sympathy for them.

The issue of the mental health in India remains significantly as people with mental illness mostly avoid discussing their mental concerns openly due to the fear of being tagged or judged. Moreover, some people believe that mental illness happens to the people who are ‘mentally weak’.

And for those who overcome the social taboo and do want to see a professional, there remains a problem too as in India, the population is over 1.3 billion whereas there are just 5,000 psychiatrists and less than 2,000 clinical psychologists. Mental health workforce in India include psychiatrists (0.0003%), nurses (0.00012%), psychologists (0.00007%) and social workers (0.00007%), which is hardly enough.

MENTAL HEALTH OF WOMEN IN INDIA

MENTAL HEALTH OF WOMEN IN INDIA

Gender roles impact identity in both man and woman. Gender differences are based in physical, physiological and psychological attributes. For centuries, the differences between men and women have been socially defined and distorted through a lens of sexism and this is where the concept of ‘patriarchy system’ comes. And most of the time women stay submissive in Indian society and this leads to poor mental health of women. The statistics indicates that there are profound differences of psychological distress and psychological disorders between men and women.

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL DISORDER?

The term ‘mental health’ basically describes a person’s cognitive or emotional well-being. This includes a person’s ability to enjoy life and achieve psychological resilience.

‘Mental disorder’ is a change in behavioral pattern of a person (causing distress) which is not expected as a part of normal development or culture.

COMMON REASONS BEHIND POOR MENTAL HEALTH OF WOMEN IN INDIA

·       Gender-based discrimination

·       Belonging from an economically under-developed family

·       Hormonal factors

·       Getting less attention from family

·       Always being compared with other male members of family

·       Pregnancy

·       Domestic violence

·       Abusive husband

·       Sexual or physical harassment

·       Being widowed or separated

·       Having low autonomy in decision making

·       Getting raped

·       Financial insecurity

·       Sexual trafficking

·       Public humiliation

·       Experiencing menopause

·       Cultural differences

·       Gender barriers

MOST COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS OF WOMEN IN INDIA

·       Anxiety disorders- A mental disorder that is characterized by significant feeling of anxiety and fear.

·       Depressive disorders- A serious mental disorder that negatively affects a person’s lifestyle.

·       Substance use disorder- This disorder takes away the ability to control a drug’s use.

·       Somatic symptom disorder- This disorder makes the person to extreme focus on physical symptoms.

·       Unipolar depressive disorder- Persistent sadness and showing least interest in outside stimuli.

Symptoms of depression, anxiety and other unspecified psychological distress are 2-3 times more common among women.

SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

·       Schizophrenia- A disorder that affects the person’s ability to feel, think and behave properly.

·        Bipolar disorder- A mental disorder marked by alternating period of elation and depression.

Though these disorders are less prevalent than common mental disorders, still the taboo associated with these diseases makes these chronic.

Currently India is world’s most depressive country and so are the women of India. When a woman is mentally ill the services are sought infrequent and late and the ill may get abandoned by her family. The only reason is the subject ‘mental illness’ is still ostracized in Indian society. Women go through a lot of thing in their entire life. All they need is proper support from their family to be mentally strong. All the social, economic, legal, infrastructural and environmental facts that hampers women’s mental condition needs to be fixed as soon as possible. 

The fundamental need for a girl is education and this has to be started from the early childhood. It is a family’s responsibility to educate a girl child, make her strong enough to fight exploitation and injustice, aware her of what is wrong and what is right, what is acceptable and what is not, make her understand how desperately a girl need economic independence and support her through the course of the time. 

ELDERLY DEPRESSION

ELDERLY DEPRESSION

When we think about aging and health, we commonly associate getting older with physical ailments like arthritis, vision loss, and mobility problems. A less talked-about health risk that increases with age is depression. In fact, depression is the second most prevalent neuropsychiatric disorder in later life. Depression is a common problem among older adults, but it is not a normal part of aging. In fact, studies show that most older adults feel satisfied with their lives, despite having more illnesses or physical problems. However, important life changes that happen as we get older may cause feelings of uneasiness, stress, and sadness.Unfortunately, all too many depressed older adults fail to recognize the symptoms of depression, or don’t take the necessary steps about it.

REASONS THAT CAUSES ELDERLY DEPRESSION TO BE OVERLOOKED

• One may assume that one has good reason to be down or that depression is just part of aging.
• One may be isolated or with a few around to notice his/her distress.
• You may not realize that your physical complaints are signs of depression.
• One may be reluctant to talk with others.

Over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder (excluding headache disorders).

TYPES OF DISORDERS	% OF PEOPLE EFFECTED
DEMENTIA	5%
DEPRESSION	7%
ANXIETY DISORDERS	3.80%
SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEMS	1%
DEATHS FROM SELF HARM	4%

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION IN OLDER ADULTS

·         Sadness or feelings of despair

·         Unexplained or aggravated aches and pains

·         Loss of interest in socializing or hobbies

·         Weight loss or loss of appetite

·         Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness

·         Lack of motivation and energy

·         Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, oversleeping, or daytime sleepiness)

·         Loss of self-worth (worries about being a burden, feelings of worthlessness or self￾loathing)

·         Disturbed movement or speech

·         Increased use of alcohol or other drugs

·         Fixation on death; thoughts of suicide

·         memory problem

DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS

·         Major depression involves severe symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. An episode can occur only once in a person’s lifetime, but more often, a person has several episodes.

·         Persistent depressive disorder is a depressed mood that lasts for at least 2 years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for 2 years to be considered persistent depressive disorder.

·         Other forms of depression include psychotic depression, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder.

CAUSES AND RISK FACTORS OF DEPRESSION

1. Genes—People with a family history of depression may be more likely to develop it than those whose families do not have the illness.

2. Personal history—Older adults who had depression when they were younger are more at risk for developing depression in late life than those who did not have the illness earlier in life.

3. Brain chemistry—People with depression may have different brain chemistry than those without the illness.

4. Stress—Loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or any stressful situation may trigger depression.

5 .Health problems – Illness and disability; chronic or severe pain; cognitive decline.

damage to your body image due to surgery or sickness.

6. Loneliness and isolation – Living alone; a dwindling social circle due to deaths or

relocation; decreased mobility due to illness or a loss of driving privileges.

7. Reduced sense of purpose – Feelings of purposelessness or loss of identity due to

retirement or physical limitations on activities you used to enjoy.

8. Fears – Fear of death or dying; anxiety over financial problems or health issues.

9. Recent bereavements – The death of friends, family members, and pets; the loss of a

spouse or partner.

THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION 

• Psychotherapy, also called "talk therapy," can help people with depression. Some treatments are short-term, lasting 10 to 20 weeks; others are longer, depending on the person's needs.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy is one type of talk therapy used to treat depression. It focuses on helping people change negative thinking and any behaviors that may be making depression worse.
• Interpersonal therapy can help an individual understand and work through troubled relationships that may cause the depression or make it worse.

Other types of talk therapy, like problem-solving therapy, can be helpful for people with depression.

MEDICATIONS FOR DEPRESSION 

Antidepressants are medicines that treat depression. There are many different types of antidepressants. They may help improve the way your brain uses certain chemicals that control mood or stress. Antidepressants take time, usually 2 to 4 weeks, to work.

HOW TO PREVENT DEPRESSION

Staying in touch with friends and family and letting them know when someone is feeling sad is most important. Regular exercise helps to prevent depression or following your hobby helps too. Being physically fit and eating a balanced diet may help avoid illnesses that can bring on disability or depression.

Depression, especially in middle-aged or older adults, can co-occur with other serious medical illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Depression can make these conditions worse and vice versa. Sometimes medications taken for these physical illnesses may cause side effects that contribute to depression. A doctor experienced in treating these complicated illnesses can help work out the best treatment strategy.

Older people face special physical and mental health challenges which need to be recognized. And depression is not a flaw in anyone’s character. It is a serious mental illness that needs to be treated without losing valuable times of someone’s life.

HOW INDIA PERCEIVES DEPRESSION AND INDIA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT?

HOW INDIA PERCEIVES DEPRESSION 

AND 

INDIA’S  ATTITUDE TOWARDS IT?

We are quite accustomed with sadness, feeling down, having a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities and sometimes we face a difficult time to overcome all these and if these feelings persist for a long time and gets in the way of our life and relationships then that can be called as depression. The sad reality is that more than 300 million people are falling prey to it. The number of people with common mental disorders globally is going up day by day.

HOW DOES DEPRESSION AFFECT YOUR BODY?

Depression forces the body and the brain into a death trap. Usually, the brain is equipped of handling stressful situations by releasing a high level of dopamine which makes the person to stay normal. When extreme depression hits our brain it messes up our hormonal function that makes us harder to cope up with the situation.  Extreme negativity reduces our brain’s functioning power and cognitive skills and helplessness, hopelessness along with nervousness grab us. It interferes with our sleep schedule and appetite. It also causes headaches and drains out our body energy. Some depressed people are tend to stop taking care of themselves and gradually they develop various sicknesses.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is the most common illness worldwide and the leading cause of disability. It is also the major contributor to suicide deaths. Worldwide, depression increased by 18 per cent from 2005 to 2015. Leaving USA and China behind, now India is the most depressed country in the world.  The maximum cases of anxiety, schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders are found in India and 6.5% of the population is suffering from it and surprisingly most of them are unreported. This goes on to prove that there is a huge gap between patients and mental health care professionals and the ratio is 1 doctor for every 1,00,000 patients. And in India suicide is one of the biggest causes of death in the age group of 15-24.The average suicide rate in India is 10.9 for every lakh people.

WHY IS INDIA THE MOST DEPRESSED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?

IGNORANCE about one’s mental condition is one of the biggest reasons in our country. People in India perceive mental diseases as something ridiculous. And due to this societal stigma people who are suffering from some form of mental illness, have less courage to talk about their problem and even if the person does he/she is bound to get mocked.

LACK OF SOCIAL AWARENESS about depression is another reason why India is the most depressed country in the world. People are less aware of the fact that mental illness can too be dangerous. We have to accept that mental illness is just like any other illness and should be treated accordingly.

In our country due to STIGMA and IGNORANCE depression and mental sickness is still not talked about openly and often it is confused with ‘madness’ and considered a taboo topic. The way people treat mental patients in India make their condition worse.

It is hard to know when depression strikes. Everyone feels ‘blue’ from time to time. Depression is a real illness that can develop at any age. If it is left undiagnosed and untreated, depression can cause many problems, especially in adolescent cases. The consequences of not taking care of adolescent’s mental health conditions extend to adulthood, damaging both physical and mental health and limiting opportunities to lead fulfilling lives as adults.

“DEPRESSION!” This word has taken more lives than any other weapons in the world. Depression leads to loss of identity and eventually it takes the person to the path of death. Almost every day we hear someone has committed suicide due to depression. Currently India is confronting a mental health crisis. People must stop stigmatizing and judging someone who is facing this situation and they should offer support by connecting and talking to the patients. Government sector, NGOs and healthcare sector must take the initiative to aware people about mental illnesses and this should not be restricted only to ‘World Mental Health Day’. There is extreme shortage of mental health care practitioners in India and government and private sectors and NGOs must try to correct the current ratio of patients and doctors. This is high time we start taking depression and other mental illness seriously, otherwise it would soon turn into an epidemic in India.