There are numerous unseen dangers currently looming unharnessed around us. The outbreak of COVID-19 causing a global pandemic, and wreaking havoc all over the world, can be counted as a clear example of that. The outbreak could finally be reined in when all the major scientific laboratories rushed to develop vaccinations.
Though it is true that the identification and confirmation of the disease and its outbreak took some time and came only after it had spread across multiple borders, fortunately, the required measures were immediately put in place once the outbreak was confirmed. But Rahul Maharaj, a highly esteemed commentator on mental health matters, believes not all outbreaks are instantly identified.
“Suicides take 800,000 lives annually, a number that is 3 times higher than the deaths caused by COVID-19. Yet, we see little to no effort from relevant authorities on holistically addressing the looming predicament,” says Rahul.
Suicide is on a constant rise, and the sheer numbers by which it has taken the world are unequivocally worrying. But that is not the end of the story. Suicide is merely the result of an illness that continues to grow but isn’t identified by society as a whole.
According to experts, suicide is caused by depression, isolation, hopelessness, stress, and a blend of negative emotions such as sadness, shame, guilt, fear, etc. These factors cause intolerable psychological pain to an extent where death feels like the only escape. The person going through such a grueling state doesn’t always appear to be ill. There have been instances where people were really cheerful a few hours before ending their life.
But there are also people who don’t necessarily contemplate suicide as an ultimate escape. Instead, they self-harm through cuts with knives, bumping their head against the wall, hard pinching, and other hurtful means to mitigate the internal pain that might be caused by some traumatic experience. Or, they just go silent, sitting with their words pressed underneath their pain.
You see, one can never be sure of who is under the influence of these chaotic thoughts. This is why mental illness is difficult to identify because most people choose to stay quiet. Against this abominable and alarming backdrop, there’s no wonder why people like Rahul Maharaj are seen as angels for the services they are rendering to the community.
Rahul is a mental health advocate who runs his own show, Your Life Experiences With Rah, on issues pertaining to mental health and how to overcome them. The show is dedicated to people who successfully fought or are currently fighting their mental illnesses. The motive is to spread positivity all around and help people come out of their mental discomfort by sharing their stories. Other than that, Rahul also offers free meditation sessions on his social media.
“The United States, whom I call my ‘second mother’ is facing an unseen danger. As per surveys, there are 53 million people suffering from some sort of mental illness. Let me tell you how dangerous it is – these stats mean that every 5th person in your friendzone or family is bearing an unexplainable pain, something that maybe they fear to even talk about!” says Rahul.
Rahul’s approach may not be a holistic one, but his show is winning on most counts. It is loved by many people around the world, it has changed multiple lives and narratives of people toward life. The show is still spreading positivity after four years of its inception – a few more Rahuls and we might start heading in the right direction!
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