Emotional Comfort- The Power of Asking

An acquaintance committed suicide, I and everybody around me wondered why do they even do such things. If it’s a friend’s suicide or a relative’s or any xyz, it’s sad, very sad that you don’t even wish to hear a news like that again

She killed herself. No, she wasn’t a loser! She wasn’t a coward! She wasn’t any strong adjective that we use! She was lost in the world of sorrow. The pain of seeing her life in a pit of sorrow broke her inch by inch. She couldn’t believe she could come out of the gloomy pit. Though she knew she had people around to help her, she hesitated. Something held her back, she was humiliated. Slowly she shut all the hopes one by one and surrendered. She decided. She killed herself.

Every time you hear about a suicide your mind reflexes with various emotions. Anger, disgust, pity, sadness and what not. More often it is just sorrow.

Why do you feel sad? Why do you even care about all the people in the world you don’t know? Because you believe somewhere someone could have helped them heal. Maybe their friends, family, the person himself or you. But why is it that the depressed hesitates to ask for help? Why do you, I or anyone think too much before asking for help or any emotional comfort from someone? Why do we term it as weak when it is one of the wisest things to do?

We live in a world where asking help is a question of someone’s integrity. Society defines with various negative phrases! We are cultured to believe it. Maybe we believe in it too much.

If a friend walked up to you and asked, “Can you help me, I am emotionally weak.” Would you deny? No! I don’t think you would. If you are ready to help someone there are hundreds of people to help you. It’s a simple way how it works- when you do a good thing you are bound to get something great in return.

How easy it would have been if people asked us at ease to help them, without ego or without any discomfort. I am sure there are people like you and I who want to help.

How I  wish, I could phone the girl who killed herself. Tell her I can help her out, my friends can help her out and everyone around her can help her out. I wish the society made it easy for her to ASK.

If you happened to read this article. Ask yourself if you hesitate to seek emotional comfort? If you do maybe it’s time to rethink and value mental health. Try to explain emotions rather than expressing it. Talk, listen and talk more about your emotions. There are people who genuinely care.

To all the millions of people out there suffering and seeking for help let’s make it easy. Hopefully, one day we see the world where shame is not in seeking help but shame is in denying to help.

Here is an inspiring TED Talk by Amy Morin explaining her story,

 

 

6 thoughts on “Emotional Comfort- The Power of Asking”

  1. I somehow feel in the depression of the moment some people take the extreme step. It is not that (often) they don’t have help but just that they didn’t have it that very instant.

    Better to go for counselling and seek help right-away if you are feeling the symptoms.

    If we see somebody giving up, better jump in and help.

  2. I very well agree with Mani’s thoughts Vinay. Some who have a little weak heart needn’t necessarily be cowards and if given ample emotional support they can definitely conquer all hurdles.

  3. I don’t ever believe that those who commit suicide are coward. They just feel sad, just feel they are walking towards a dead end. I feel sad, every time I hear such a news. A little emotional support can save a life…we should always remember this.

  4. Preethi Ananthanarasimhan

    I guess most times its not a one time help, a depressed person seeks. True they need help- but from whom? and for how long? Sometimes I wonder if it is not help they need from a single person or support from series of people in many different ways and constant support- mind you. And not everybody are willing to extend that kind of support – especially not knowing what the inner battle that somebody is struggling. Its probably insensitivity on most people’s part that we fail to see that fight. it could be as simple as not teasing somebody for one of their weakest touchy points-that nobody is aware of. To the way somebody looks at them. The little annoying things people do that bother them that nobody is willing to change for their sake. I guess ultimately they’re fighting their own demon inside and help from outside is unlikely to comfort them? And i think we’ll never know for sure who and how anyone could have helped them.. And how many ”sets of people” in somebody’s life are really willing to do tiny little things for somebody ‘everyday’ just to make them feel a little more comfortable?

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