"You might think I'm silent
But there's a war going on in my head
Every breath I take is violent
I'm trying to stay grounded instead
I need my mind to stop
To give me peace for just one second
Just stop the screaming thoughts
Over and over, it's a menace"
It's okay to not be okay. It's okay to be a little afraid. It's okay to feel like you've lost life's meaning. It's okay to feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's okay.
The existing social stigma on mental health needs to be abolished. People believe that emotional exhaustion, hopelessness, worthlessness, and feelings of being lost is a part of life. They say that it's a phase we go through and it'll be alright. The mind behaves like a battlefield where ruthless thoughts are being fired from end to end. Happy thoughts are like rain in a desert. Countless cries are often gone unheard, countless lives are pushed back into the shadows and precious lives are lost without hope. In today's society, if one speaks about it, they are being shamed. People visualize it as a sign of weakness, a cry for attention and a dramatic pretense. They are being laughed and pointed fingers at. The social ideology is so that visiting a therapist or a session with a counselor needs to be conducted like a secret undercover operation. Being mentally ill does not make these lives any lesser. It just happens that they need a little guidance and help from another. Don't we all sometimes? These hopeless entities have fought their battles alone for so long, that they've lost all their strength to fight any longer. It's time we speak up, shed light and help someone. It's time to open up about the so-called 'let's keep it a secret ' and save these lives from standing on the edge. It's time we educate each other.
To the fighters, keep fighting. Don't give up. You're stronger than you know. For every sunset, an entire sky is waiting to shine. You're not alone. I hear you, I see you, I understand you, I BELIEVE YOU.
"So hold on tight
Till you see the sunlight
Promise you only
Just a little while longer"
Vindya Senanayake
ENU2021
