Mental HEALTH is the REAL WAELTH

> “Mental health problems don’t define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but, importantly, YOU ARE NOT THE RAIN.” — Matt Haig

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Well, the second wave is already in my country, Bangladesh. The number of affected people has been increasing rapidly. Two months ago the number of death was 10-15 but from last week the number is sky-high 90 to 100+. People are in grave danger. We all are taking various measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, including lock-down, social distancing, self-isolation, or quarantine. I don’t think these measures will help until people get mental support from the surrounding. People need all kinds of supports from monetary to mental.

Let me share with you a personal experience. One of my male colleagues shared his experience. He told me, during the COVID period he was getting so frustrated that his body pressure used to fluctuate very often. He works in the event & activation department in my office. We all know Govt. all around the world forbid any kind of outdoor activity. So, he was very depressed. He used to text me every day. Most of his text is about getting fired by the office. What will happen if this happens. He was getting thinner. His face getting darker day by day. His mental illness affects greatly his personal relationship with his wife. He used to get angry without any big issue. He shouted a lot with his wife. He also misbehaved with his parents. When he was telling me, I could see the tears which he was tried to hide. I know him for 5 years. He seems to be a strong guy. We shared a lot of personal things. We have a good relationship. When you spend 8/9 hours with a person every day for 5 years a bond will automatically create. He is 3/4 years senior to me. So, the age gap was not there too. He used to tell me his childhood memories, university experiences, previous office, etc. He & I love the same football team & player. So we often talk about this topic too. All these things I am saying because to me he was a jolly mind, friendly type person. But this man changes affects me very much. That’s the effect of COVID on human mental health.

Recently, I was watching a TV program where they mentioned many individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic developed psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety, stress, panic attacks, sleep problems, depression, and even self-harm. Furthermore, a study conducted among Bangladeshi home-quarantined students showed that 46.92% had depression, 33.28% had anxiety, and 28.5% had stress. Evidence suggests that the psychological problems that may arise following large-scale disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, can vary over time. WHO gave instructions on what to do during this difficult time we should follow that strictly otherwise we all have to suffer greatly in future.

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We already have many problems. This pandemic is creating additional mental health issues. Therefore, we all have to fight together to solve this problem. Authorities should consider this issue seriously so that in the future we can build this world a safer place.