THERAPY NO TABOO FOR CITY’S YOUTH
A growing number of youngsters are turning to mental health experts to deal with depression, anxiety
Actors Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan’s recently-released Dear Zindagi openly spoke about seeking therapy for mental well-being. And it’s not just in films, in real life, too, a lot of youngsters in the Capital are coming out to seek help from psychologists.
Talking about the trend, Nikita Jain, a psychotherapist at Ambedkar University says, “The stigma of seeking therapy still exists among parents but youngsters are confidently approaching therapists for help.” In fact, the number of youngsters seeking help for their mental issues has been rising so steadily that there aren’t enough therapists to cater to them, adds Jain.
A case in point is Sanya, 23, who decided to seek therapy when she realised she couldn’t handle her anxiety and depression issues. “My family has no idea that I am seeking therapy. It was my independent decision. I have been facing this problem for the last 2-3 years,” she says. Sanya adds that she didn’t want to go for therapy initially. For Chitra, 27, the decision to seek therapy was taken when she realised she wanted someone to understand her thoughts. “For me, it was about having a shoulder to lean on emotionally, while I concentrated on my career,” she says.
The most common issues that the young lot between the age group of 16 to 24 years faces are anxiety, low self esteem, depression, and relationship issues.
However, experts say youngsters face problems of financing the therapy sessions. “Most of them depend on their parents to finance their therapy, who are still resistant towards the concept. Some youngsters pay out of their own pockets,” says Pulkit Sharma, clinical psychologist.
(Some names have been changed)