Mental health awareness cannot stop at just saying that it matters. It also has to shape how we respond to people when something seems different
REBECCA COELHO
Ever year, on October 10, World Mental Health Day, there are conversations about reducing stigma, asking for help, and being there for others. But what happens when someone is actually struggling?
Words such as “crazy,” “mad,” “psycho,” and “lunatic” have been used to describe people whose behaviour was considered unusual, irrational, or outside what society expected. Over time, these words became insults rather than ways of understanding someone’s experience, and they are still used casually today. The problem is not only the words themselves. It is what happens when a person is reduced to a label instead of being seen as someone who may be struggling, sometimes because of the environment they are in.
Mental health is often easier to talk about when it stays general. It is easy to share a post saying that mental health matters, encourage people to reach out, or talk about removing stigma. The more challenging question is what happens when someone actually needs support.
If a friend has a panic attack, what happens? If someone starts withdrawing because everything feels overwhelming, do people check in or assume they are avoiding everyone? If someone feels like a burden and stops reaching out, does anyone notice? If a person cannot focus, struggles to meet people, or finds daily tasks difficult, are they given space to explain what is happening, or are they automatically judged?
A person who becomes unusually quiet at work may be labelled uninterested. A student who stops participating in class may be called lazy. A friend who repeatedly cancels plans may be seen as distant. These behaviours may have many explanations, including stress, anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, or simply needing some space. We cannot know the reason from the behaviour alone.
It is also easy to be there for a friend when things are going well. You can spend time together, talk about your week, discuss relationships, laugh about something that happened, or make plans for the weekend. But being there when that same friend is struggling, unable to focus, overwhelmed, or going through a crisis can require something very different.
The same applies within families. A child who suddenly throws a tantrum over a meal may not necessarily be reacting only to the food. Maybe something happened at school, they are overwhelmed, tired, or struggling to communicate what they are feeling. This does not mean every tantrum has a hidden psychological cause. It means that looking beyond the immediate behaviour can sometimes help us respond more effectively.
Sometimes parents may also hesitate when it comes to seeking professional help because they are afraid their child will be given a diagnosis or a label. But a diagnosis does not have to define a person. For some people, finally having a name for what they are experiencing can bring understanding. It can help them realise that they are not alone, that others experience similar difficulties, and that what they are going through can be understood and supported.
At the same time, not every difficult behaviour needs a diagnosis. A child can be having a difficult day without having a disorder. A teenager wanting privacy does not automatically mean something is wrong. Context, duration, intensity, and the impact on a person’s life all play a role.
Even behaviours such as constantly scrolling through a phone can be more complicated than they appear. Doom-scrolling, for example, can sometimes become a way of escaping uncomfortable thoughts, regulating emotions, or switching off when someone feels overwhelmed. That does not mean every person who spends a lot of time on their phone is struggling psychologically, or that the behaviour should automatically be understood as an addiction. Context is important.
Mental health awareness involves recognising diagnoses when they are relevant, while also remembering that a person is more than a diagnosis. It involves becoming curious about behaviour rather than immediately judging it. Instead of asking, “What is wrong with you?” we can ask, “Is something going on?”
Mental health awareness is not about analysing everyone around us or finding a psychological explanation for every action. It is about recognising that behaviour is often more complex than what we can see on the surface.
Support can start with noticing a change, asking a question, and giving someone enough space to share what they are going through.
(The writer is an assistant professor in M.A. Wellness Counselling at Nirmala Institute of Education)
