Madam Prema would sometimes wonder why she felt this way.
For the past 30 years, she had been operating her own coffee shop in the town centre.
She recalled how they ran the place – just her and her husband. Later, they did reasonably well enough to hire several workers. It was a bittersweet memory.
Just like millions of others affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Madam Prema was not spared.
Her shop managed to withstand the initial onslaught. But after a few Movement Control Orders, it was getting hard to survive.
“I know it’s the symbol of our hard work, dear, but maybe it’s time for us to rest now,” her husband told her.
Not only was her husband her personal advisor, he was also her teammate, in marriage and in business.
“I guess so, but it is so hard,” she replied softly, holding back her tears.
She used the money from the business to raise her three children who have now succeeded in their respective careers.
Her firstborn is an IT engineer, while her second works at a prestigious motorsports company. Her youngest is undergoing internship in New Zealand, and has been offered to work in the same company, soon.
Others wondered what Madam Prema’s concerns were. They have no more loans to pay, and their children are able to survive on their own.
Both she and her husband are able to pay their expenses from the savings they accumulated over the years.
But they will not understand the struggles that Madam Prema had to go through.
At this age, she felt like a total failure. She avoided social gatherings, including weddings and school reunions, just so that people wouldn’t ask her about her coffee shop business or what her daily routine was.
Her husband noticed she couldn’t sleep on most nights, staring at the light in their bedroom, unsure of what was really going on in her mind.
Even though she didn’t think of ending her life or harming herself, she couldn’t deny that it made her sad when the past haunted her in her dreams. She began to lose interest in almost everything.
She had spent 30 years of her life doing the same thing, day in and day out, and she had loved it. It was all she knew. And when it was snatched from her without her consent, she felt as though not only was she losing her business; she was losing her identity, too.
* * *
Some psychiatry or mental health diagnoses can be so severe, at the same time apparent, that even those without mental health or medical backgrounds can see that the symptoms exhibited by psychiatry patients, are abnormal.
However, there are also other diagnoses that are very subtle; so subtle that we think that they are just a part of getting through things in our lives.
What Madam Prema experienced may not have been an obvious red flag, telling her to reach out for treatment, but it doesn’t mean she should not.
Spouses, family members, and close friends may be able to sense these changes better, especially when those near and dear are going through a difficult period in their lives.
Even though we may not know the right thing to do to treat them, we can always give them suggestions on seeking help, when needed.
It is true that it’s part of life to face struggles, tribulations, and challenges. But it doesn’t mean we should normalise not getting help.
Seeking help for our mental health is not a weakness. It just makes us understand ourselves better.
So, embrace it.
Make that decision for the sake of your own health, for your mental health.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
