SHILLONG: A random survey carried out by The Shillong Times recently on school and college students and young company executives in the city found that quite a few are battling depression of various forms. One young college student said, “This age can be rightly termed as the “Era of Great Depression.” The survey was carried out on students and executives under the age of 30.
Increased competitiveness and the shrinking job market seems to affect a great number of youth in the city. Some even said that “Meghalaya is the most unfriendly State for the youth. It offers nothing, no options.” Although technology has arrived at our doorsteps it has also brought in more competition as all are running for the same type of jobs.
School and college students feel that studies are taking a toll on them. Many graduates express a sense of hopelessness as they are not employable and are no skill-building institutes here. For those with jobs the complaint is they are not paid enough and cannot cope with inflation.
“Today the mantra is excellence. One has to have a good track record in studies, sports, extra curricular activities since all these actually count but what happens if we are incapable of excelling,” asked a student of class VIII. “Peer pressure has never been more acute. We all want to belong,” feels another student, who is vying for a top college through an education fair recently held in the city. All those spoken to were unanimous in stating that all-round pressure is having a cascading effect upon the youth.
A renowned counsellor in the city said depression has different signs and symptoms. Some become withdrawn and sad. Others flare up at the slightest provocation or become emotional wrecks. They lose interest in normal activities, there are changes in eating and sleeping habits; restlessness and agitation; feelings of worthlessness and guilt; lack of enthusiasm and motivation; fatigue or lack of energy; difficulty in concentrating on studies and thoughts of death or suicide. Today the young are obsessed about a well paid job. But there is a huge gap between aspiration and achievement. A company executive working in a private insurance company in the city said depression has become a common phenomenon among those chasing targets. “There are targets set by our parents who want to marry us off at a certain age; the office raises the bar all the time and wants us to bring more business every month. Some of the targets set are unrealistic. All this is taking a toll on us,” he rued.
Some young people have turned to yoga for peace of mind but not all go that way. An employee of a share trading firm here said that she continuously broods over her past and is unable to focus on her work. “I tried meditation, pranayam, medicines, psychology and even went on long leave but nothing works, ” she said.
A school teacher said there are some who cannot really come out their grief over the death of a friend, family member, divorce, etc. They repeatedly go back to a hoary past. “There are very few who can come out of these tragic situations. Some cannot come out of them at all unless they are treated”, the teacher observed.
A clinical psychologist, on condition of anonymity said that today family and kinship ties are breaking down. Add to this the job insecurity that many people have to live with and we have a very difficult situation, she said. She advised early morning and evening meditation to combat the modern challenges. She also said that mental health requires that people recognize it for what it is and seek treatment before it is too late.