The world is now facing an unexampled mental health crisis. Technology advances and global connectivity deepens. Yet humanity finds itself increasingly disconnected from what truly matters — ourselves.
Stress, anxiety, and depression have become the defining ailments of our time. Economic upheavals, technological revolutions, and societal changes aside, the rise of mental illnesses has become the order of the day as a silent epidemic. Millions struggle with emotional turbulence that feels almost impossible to handle.
Sharon Salzberg This idea of mental illness is not new. Its prominence has shifted from physical diseases like heart attacks to invisible ailments, ones that are hard to measure, diagnose, or even recognise. Mental health issues are challenging to detect as they do not manifest outwardly.
The complexity lies in the fact that people, even the most successful, are silently suffering from stress and anxiety, often without awareness. Dr Sunil Kariyakarawana, Buddhist Chaplain to British Armed Forces, points out the humanity’s alienation from itself is at the heart of the problem. What makes this crisis particularly dangerous is its invisibility.
Unlike physical diseases that manifest through symptoms and are treated with clear medical protocols, mental health issues can hide behind smiles, success, or a calm exterior. The busiest, most successful individuals can often be the ones suffering the most inside, plagued by an internal storm they may not even recognise..