Get Talking

Bob, (not real name), was a brilliant third year university student studying medicine. Normal in every respect, he was diligent with his studies and not given to excesses in any form. Nothing seemed amiss until one fateful morning when Bob started shouting uncontrollably and exhibiting some irrational behaviour without any apparent cause. He was eventually calmed down, referred to the emergency unit of a hospital and later taken into the psychiatric ward. Sadly, Bob never made a full recovery and had to drop out of medical school. This is a true story. 

This is a story that might resonate with some of us, especially students. The pressures of study, social life, societal pressure, peer pressure and increasingly, social media pressure, can and ofte times have debilitating effects on our mental health. For the older ones in our society, the pressures of finances, parenting, social conformity and even religion can have equally debilitating effects on our sense of wellbeing. These pressures respect no age and the consequences can vary from depression, anxiety, severe mood swings, substance abuse, physical ailments, and in extreme cases, suicide to name just a few.