Thoughts to Words

The desert’s sunny sky stretched the Monday blues grounding it to the pores of the sand. Sparse vegetation crawling back into the soil in withered avatars folding hands to plead for space in their motherland. A man in his maroon turban, white robe and boots made with crepe rubber soles and leather to protect his feet from the heat paid a visit to this low spirited place. From his left arm hung the handle of his bag that was sack like and a tad bit dusty in nature. Trampling the sand with confusion from head to toe and chewing the nail on his right thumb till the skin beneath reddened he took multiple strides but within a range of few metres. A dandelion appeared as snow in the blazing sun and asked, “What brings you here Sir?” The man shared that he was sent to the desert by his King in search of a cactus. He was tensed because there was no sign of monsoon and feared being punished by the King if he went back empty handed. The man decided not to give up and put his patience to wres

Scalding tea, proceeding apace, mint absorbed evenly. Sparrows chirping in unison, porcelain skies saluting commandos. Black roses bracing candour; veneration an earning negating outworn customs. Cleopatra's handpicked gems, marching on in one direction, sharpened arrowheads reciting the Iliad of anti-war. ©songbriti

"Emotional pain lasts for 10 to 20 minutes, anything longer is actually self inflicted by over thinking, making things worse." This "psychological fact" was posted by a social media page yesterday. You may correct me if the fact is mentioned in any reputed journal related to mental health. I would then happily accept my fault and apologise to you. Talking about Overthinking and its relation to mental illness, is it so hard to understand that no survivor of a mental illness wants to overthink deliberately. Mental illnesses like anxiety disorders have symptoms such as excessive worrying and according to the National Institute of Mental Health (which is a reliable, valid and renowned source) it is a fact that the risk factors of this includes both genetic and environmental factors. It would be great if self proclaimed psychologists/psychiatrists/counsellors on social media understand that mental illnesses like Depression, Anxiety and Phobias are not self-inflicted.

The month of Mental Health Awareness came to an end last week. Putting your alarm on snooze after this? Please don't. This is a movement with a global welfare perspective and it needs your support to grow. The awareness campaigns on mental health and mental illnesses by various organisations both on and off social media reached out to a section of the population which is great but reaching out to every human being is the larger objective. The baby steps we take now are the roots of the foundation for tomorrow. Understanding the person next to you, encouraging emotional hygiene, sharing your awareness with fellow citizens, normalising mental healthcare services is a few starters we need to work on. When winter is the season in town, you wear warm clothes to protect yourself from catching a cold. Agree? Winters will come and go but mental health is not seasonal, it is a permanent part of our lives. The month of May is the ship which will be back next year but...O Captain! My Captain!

Wilful shots fired, highest bid in town, acrimony defending, summer of cold shoulders. Plated trophies, stocking up on consolation; idée fixe— indigestion of chest-thumping. Masterstroke of wisdom, picked to counteract. Silence in a Smile, a creature of choice. Patronizing a victory, nixed by visionary, ad interim— hip hip hooray. ©songbriti