Getting the right help to people living with common mental disorders

This is the story of Mutualu who has mental health problems. Like many, many other people in India have. She worries about things she would normally not be concerned about. She has difficulties with concentration, and can easily get very angry. She finds daily life a struggle.

People with mental health issues normally don’t tell anyone about their problems. And this is also the case for Mutualu. She keeps the problems to herself because she is afraid that people would judge her. In her loneliness, she considers taking her own life.

It is this time in Mutualu’s life that an ASHA comes to her house. And this visit changes everything for Mutualu. After asking a lot of questions the ASHA is the first to find out that Mutualu has mental health issues. She tells her that her problems are very very common. Everybody can get them. Rich and poor.

Mutualu’s mental health problems can be more manageable if she just gets the right help. The ASHA tells her not to consult fake doctors or those who practice witchcraft. Instead, she should seek help from a mental health professional. The ASHA, therefore, arranges a consultation with a doctor.

The doctor diagnoses Mutualu as having depression and develops a treatment plan. He also talks with her about what she can do in her life to feel better. One of the things the doctor tells her is to not to run away from her problems but to face them instead. Therefore she has to tell her closest friends and family about it. He said you should eat well, stop thinking and be with everyone.

By following the advice of the doctor, Mutualu is now on the way to recovery. problems.

If you have mental health problems, please seek help - consult a mental health professional - and talk to your family and friends