Talk

Talk

Hear voices in the dead silence

See faces in persistent darkness

Slipping in and out of reality

Finding solace:

In an alternate world of possibility.

Living on the edge or maybe not,

Sitting on the fence over endless thoughts,

What is and what it is ought.

Seeing through the ebb and flow

Cannot take it easy, nice and slow.

Loneliness creeps in at night,

You just cringe and hide,

Vexed if you would go ahead or lean instead,

Stare at the wrinkled forehead,

Think about the grim road ahead.

Living inside a cocoon, Am I losing my mind?

How do I stop nurturing this fragile mind?

Why does everyone seem so unkind?

Their lives abound in joy,

I indulge in my mundane ploy.

Feel like an alien,

In your own living room

Swing between hope and gloom.

Blowing hot and cold

Time to break free and be a little bold.

A pat on the back,

At times cutting a slack.

Not gauging and judging,

Demeaning, deriding or condemning,

In shallow waters, someone could be drowning.

All you need is a helping hand,

All you wish is someone to understand.

A wee bit of kindness and empathy.

Not to be confused with sympathy!

Tell someone today, that he matters,

And you long for his endless chatter,

Tell someone she means the world to you,

And you would like her to smile like you do

That life is precious and not everyone is lucky,

To live a full life, see the seasons change and days go by-

Be patient, listen to him intently,

Pause! Look at her affectionately.

Do not dismiss the rants as rigmarole,

You could be healing a hurting soul.

Truth be told -

Suicide does not kill, sadness does,

Talk! And it could save a life.

This is an earnest attempt and an appeal for support towards the much-stigmatized Bi-Polar Disorder prevalent amongst patients all over the world who struggle to live a normal life every day. A Mental Condition such as this impacts everyone distinctly and leaves most crippled with a mind that is unstable varying between extreme moods swings affecting behavioural patterns, social interactions, relationships owing to the severe bouts of manic episodes oscillating between high energy levels or irritable behaviour that renders even the most basic daily functions difficult to perform. This is as much a challenge for the caregivers, the partners, spouses, family, friends, professional aides, facilitators and enablers who play a vital role in a patient's everyday struggles.

Today on World Bipolar day I wish to extend my Bonhomie and support towards people who are fighting this terrible disorder. An invisible illness If not addressed through Medicines, Therapy or professional help the exacerbation in mental illness is often rapid and can go unnoticed resulting in fatal outcomes, irrational thoughts sometimes even leading to suicide.

Brings to mind the legendary Artist Sir Vincent Van Gogh who was posthumously diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder and unfortunately lost his life to this terrible disease at the age of 37. World Bipolar Day commemorates the birth of Van Gogh on March 30. His remarkable work of art in the form of famous paintings bears testimony to his hugely creative ingenuity. There are hosts of renowned personalities who have left their indelible mark in the pages of history but lesser known about the state of mind they lived with while still taking a place of pride in their own fields. That being said this by no means undermines the millions of ordinary people who are still afloat and gasping for life support as far as their mental health is concerned. The vision of WBD is to bring world awareness to bipolar disorders and eliminate social stigma. Through international collaboration, the goal of World Bipolar Day is to bring the world population information about bipolar disorders that will educate and improve sensitivity towards the illness.

Owing to this piece of writing, I take the liberty of coupling Depression with Bipolar though these are two separate Medical Conditionsbut few commonalities exists between both. Depression is a silent killer and this piece is based on the lives of various people, their experience in fighting this condition, life occurrences and incidents that are a regular phenomenon in a patient's life. However, this poem and the lead up to the thoughts is in no way aimed at stigmatization rather it is intended to generate awareness, kindness and a little bit of support to honour the life and its value thereof. A beautiful life is a life filled with good memories and experiences; Let us make it worth living for.

With a glimmer of hope, I would like to conclude with a message for the ones who are often shrouded in endless misery and anxiety, susceptible to inflicting self-harm and struggle through clouded, conflicting thoughts at times almost overwhelming and somehow want to give in to a weak moment and have been down the dark road at least once in their lifetime … "Let us give life a chance, Death can wait!"

The poem has been written by Sushmita Baruah and can be reached at- Sushmita.baruah@gmail.com