Mumbai protests: Experts warn of trauma, insomnia and anxiety among students

Over the past three months since the July 20 NEETrelated protest the cityrsquos youth have seen and participated in at least five protests While many characterised Mumbairsquos protests as calmer than those seen in the national capital the youth did face police detentions with nearly 300 Mumbaikars being detained in the October 11 protestsIn such cases one may be coping with anxiety panic attacks sleepless nights and desensitisation among other things as per experts One such case was seen on Sunday where a man detained by the police at Tardeo faced what many described as a panic attack and had to be taken to the hospitalOne Cockroach Janta Party CJP member said that their friend has begun seeking medical help for her mental health after she started receiving calls from the police before the October protest ldquoShe didnrsquot even plan on attending the October protests but the authorities reached out to her because she took part in the NEET protestsrdquo explained Kunal Karmerkar Thane coordinator of CJPA detainee is taken to the hospital after he started convulsing on the floor on Tardeo police station on October 11 PicBy Special Arrangementmidday spoke with mental health experts to understand the reasons why students are taking to the streets more and more and what could be the repercussions of thisPsychological insightldquoStudents today are living in an age of uncertainty Moreover this age group is idealistic and looks forward to changing the worldrdquo explained Dr Dayal Mirchandani a psychiatristEven when certain students may not attend a protest they may feel the impact of it because they identify with the age group explained Dr Mirchandani ldquoViolence from the police and other authority figures could lead to PTSD posttraumatic stress disorder secondhand PTSD insomnia changes in behaviour and even a change in their voting patterns Witnessing a serious accident can cause trauma secondary trauma or vicarious trauma even if you were not physically hurt yourself In such cases it is crucial to seek help from professionalsrdquo he addedldquoSpeaking to close friends expressing your emotions and as difficult as they may be distancing yourself from triggering situations can help in the moment It is still crucial to seek professional helprdquo he addedDr Naazneen Ladak psychiatristlsquoDonrsquot bring kidsrsquoSeeing brutality in general can also lead to aggressive behaviour while youngsters may also face cases of anxiety and panic say expertsMumbaibased psychiatrist Dr Naazneen Ladak explained that breathwork grounding techniques like counting backwards talking to close friends and holding ice can all be temporary sources of relief It is however very essential to seek professional helpDuring these protests many parents also brought their aged five to 10 to understand the movement ldquoWhile the parents may be hoping to instil values within their kids such young children may not understand the full picture If young children were to witness violence during the protests they may understand the lsquowhatrsquo and not understand the lsquowhyrsquo of the scenariordquo said Dr LadakIt is best to avoid bringing very young children to these protests she explained ldquoJust like movies have an age bar bringing extra information can break their theory of confidence as they are too young to relate to why they are just seeing such actionsrdquo she addedDr Harish Shetty psychiatrist at Dr LH Hiranandani hospital explained that the youth of the country are focused on building their future within the current framework ldquoThe protests have come as a relief for students who live in an angstdriven city It is a way for them to express their anger and anxieties but have also become a site of voyeurism for manyrdquo he saidHard solutionsDr Shetty added ldquoThe youth will have to look at hard solutions on a consistent basis instead of outbursts Anxiety and panic attacks can be a result of these protests and students should seek help from a professional if they face these symptomsrdquoJuly20Day NEET protest was held was heldHelpful helplinesAnkaheeAll days of the week4 pm to 10 pm8655486966iCALLMonday to Saturday10 am to 8 pm9152987821Hitguj HelplineAvailable round the clock022 24131212