Kinjal Jain

No, it is not just something that happens to menopausal women or exclusive to younger women who experience Premenstrual syndrome unlike what sitcoms would have you believe. Everyone experiences mood swings, even men. So what are mood swings? It’s pretty self explanatory, it is the abrupt change in mood or emotional state. You may experience immense joy in one moment and then be filled with crippling sadness the next. The wild tide that you feel like you are on will be filled with different emotions like anger, happiness, self pity, resentment which can make you confused and disoriented. Mood swings could be the light changes in mood that you can ignore otherwise or the type that is quite worrying and is associated with other mood disorders like bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder and personality disorders. If you do experience mood swings, do not diagnose yourself with the above mentioned mental disorders as your hormones play big role in this too. Moodiness can be a very annoying thing for women who is going through PMS or Menopause. Even women who are pregnant are reported to be moody during the gestation period. Since men are less likely go through the hormonal cycle like women do, they may have a different reason for their mood swings such as Drug or alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet, stress, diabetes, thyroid disorders or even certain medications. When your mood swing starts to obstruct your life it’s a sign that you need to take a good look at your health, both mental and physical. If listening to cheerful music, going for a walk or dietary changes is simply not working for you, it’s time to make an appointment with a mental health professional.

It was in 2018 that the existence of gay people became “allowed” or legal in India. Even though the law of the nation changed, the minds of the people remains closed as a clam. There are many countries all over the world who condemn and persecute a community of people for just being born the way they are. People in the LGBTQ+ community face prejudice, hostility and blind violence that is thrown their way for no valid reason and crimes committed against these sexual minorities are often overlooked and swept under the rug, especially in conservative countries. In a society where same sex marriages seem like a distant dream and their basic right to life is threatened,the psychological ramifications must not come as a surprise. Lesbian women are twice as more likely and gay men are thrice as more likely to have depression compared to heterosexual individuals. Since many of the members feel the need to hide themselves so as to not invite bullying or any sort of discrimination towards them, they tend to isolate themselves, feel guilty and hopeless. Substance abuse, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety are the most common mental illnesses that can be seen in the community. They are also more at risk of suicide due to the above mention factors. Transgender people are more likely to think about and attempt suicide than heterosexual people, gay individuals, lesbian individuals and bisexual individuals. The stressors for transgender individuals are a bit more different since along with being a minority they also do not identify with their biological sex. The mind of an individual who has experienced homophobia, trans-phobia, alienation from their society are very much at risk for mental illnesses that can become fatal if not properly treated. Acceptance, understanding and empathy is something we all need to learn. It is not fair or justifiable that millions of people have to suppress their sexual and gender identity, fear for their lives every single day,  become prey to blind hatred and suffer physically and psychologically for being born a certain way or loving a certain someone.