The shocking death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput through suicide has once again highlighted that depression is something that needs to be taken very seriously. People can be depressed due to various reasons. The most prominent among them is making an individual feel worthless.

Here are 8 ways in which the society makes an individual feel like a loser without any fault of his or hers:

— It starts from childhood itself when parents compare their child’s marks with their cousins’ and neighbors’. In case their son or daughter has fared much worse than other children, he or she is made to feel like a loser. Remember, wounds inflicted during childhood take the longest time to heal, which ultimately turns into depression.

— When an individual chooses an off-beat course like Arts, he or she is considered a loser because becoming doctors and engineers is a must when it comes to gaining respect from the society. It has happened with me and my brother when a family friend once asked my mother, “How did you even allow your kids to pursue Arts?” It was as if the two of us chose to become underworld gangsters.

— Similarly, if you pursue a creative field as a profession and are even doing well in it, you are still looked down upon by the samaaj. Indirect remarks will be made. And asking your salary in front of others gives them a different kind of a high.

— I guess I don’t need to explain much about how people are judged based on their physical attributes, including skin colors and they are made to feel like losers which slowly leads them to self-guilt and depression. Matrimonial ads are the best place to know how deep-rooted this mentality is.

— The question of marriage is the biggest menace in our samaaj. In case you are 30 and unmarried, you are a criminal. As simple as that. More so, if you are a girl. The society will look down upon you as if you don’t deserve to live if you are unmarried at this age.

At times people think that a person hasn’t got married even after crossing 30 because he or she has some problem. Firstly, it’s an individual’s personal issue and none of your business. Secondly, if he or she has a problem, is that a crime?

— When unmarried people are being looked down upon, you can well imagine how a divorcee is made to feel in our society. There are plenty of cases where a person has no other choice but to opt for divorce. But instead of understanding his or her problem, the person is made to feel like a criminal, especially girls, which thereby leads to depression.

For example, a friend of mine who is highly educated considers divorcees as ‘second hand maal’ and feels it is normal to say so.  

— If you thought getting married will gain you acceptance from the samaaj, you are grossly mistaken. This is followed by the stage where people look at you with suspicion if you haven’t become a parent even after few years of marriage. The thought of either the husband or wife having a ‘problem’ will creep up again and you will be made to feel guilty. Giving support is out of question.  

In case you decide not to have kids, which is a couple’s personal decision, you are considered lunatic.

— Being jobless is another crime. In case you leave a job without having another offer simply because the work and work culture was affecting you mentally, very few would understand that. In fact, even if you are laid off for no fault of yours, you are still made to feel guilty.

The tragedy is that society doesn’t even realize that they are inflicting pain on an individual through, what they believe, is ‘general talk and questioning.’ They have no idea that this slowly leads to a person feeling worthless, which is the starting point of being depressed.

Additional reading:

Why people in their 30s should stop believing they are 70