Depression is a lifestyle disease..
With so many diseases that we love to have (lifestyle) we need to understand that we, ourselves, are to be blamed for depression also. Man is not used to success coming in fits and start. Take financial success. Most of us are happy starting at a salary of 1 and retiring at a salary of 60 at retirement.
We do not know how to exercise. Exercise is not natural at all. The hunter gatherer lived a nice life, but did not exercise. He chased and out ran a deer to get it as food. He killed the Sambhar and carried it home along with his friends. He did not need to exercise.
We are complete jokers. We (I mean Indians) loved looking WEST for all the inspiration. We forgot that the Brits STOLE a lot from our education, BUT we still copy from those jokers who gave us all the lifestyle diseases. We have diabetes, stress, and of course depression. We killed the joint family, and now they tell us that depression is caused by solitude. We are an amazing lot, are we not.
Now take the case of Pratyusha Banerjee. She did earn money and fame. However money and fame are like a treadmill. You need to know when to shut it off and get off the bloody machine.
Take the case of Vinod Kambli he retired at the age of 23 – I am sure any clinical psychiatrist would have told you he needs help. The Board did not provide it. Sad. Physical injury is visible, mental injury is not. I seriously do not know why the Indian cricket team does not have (did not have when Kambli needed it) ‘mental’ health helplines. Look at the number of talented kids who cannot make it to the Indian team. People like Gautam Gambhir with such a short career life are at least lucky that they are making tons of money in the IPL.
Most of us cannot manage money got in a lumpsum. Let us assume Vinod Kambli had earned Rs. 5 crores by the age of 23. Who is to tell him that his ‘earning’ career was over? Or tell that to Shreesanth? It is not easy.
Many Nafisa Josephs, Silk Smitha, Pratyushas will be sacrificed in the financial and fame treadmills. Success is intoxicating, and addicting. The worst thing about addiction is that you need more and more of the same thing. Exactly how many boys and girls in corporate India keep running. Who is to tell them that at age 45 they will neither have a job nor friends, if he/she does not pause at 35 and take stock of what is happening in life.
I went to a doc recently, he said ‘Subra you need to get your Life/work balance better – go an do some work 🙂
read this
Depression is A Disease of Civilization: Hunter-Gatherers Hold the Key to the Cure
Sivakumar
Excellent. Now corporate india has moved to another level, will show sundar pitchai or satya nadella and say they can be a CEO of multinationals and they can aspire and now they will try to run more with out knowing the implications of life..
rajesh Narang
Subha, you hit the nail on head. Often for corporate success we sacrifice personal relationships, goals. Corporate life ends sooner than most people plan. Then u realise the broken relationships matter.
saravan
Well said. but people will realise only at 35+ age…in the corporate world people are loosing health and family. even people are postponing the marriage and later paying to fertility center to get baby. Money should be treated like food and water when u need it then only use it..dont over consume it by loosing health and lifestyle live a balanced life. Kudos to Great man Subra…my day starts with ur blog subra keep doing.
Mukul
Nice subra. I usually wake up in the morning and reflect on my actions in the day, with happiness as a goal.