The Happy Pills

Salma Ahmed

Aha! Here come the happy pills. Let me just gulp that down and make the most of the life that I have been bestowed with. Oh, wait! Neither am I talking about the medicines prescribed by the doctor to cure someone of mental illness nor do my words reflect upon some serious mental disorder. I just want to talk about the day to day stress that each and every individual goes through in their day to day life. The happy pills or the serotonin boosters can vary from person to person and refer to the natural medicines that help to slacken off anxieties and to derive cognitive satisfaction.

The happy pills have become an ardent necessity to deal with stress so that it doesn’t get aggravated into something serious. But before that, let’s throw some light on “Depression”. Depression, a word so common yet still considered a stigma. People don’t talk about it for fear of being used, taunted or hurt and try hard not to put down the façade that they have created for themselves because the world is full of judgemental hypocrites. But in reality, everyone is stressed out in some way or the other. Some let it out while some prefer to bottle up their emotions, mostly due to societal pressure. They try to portray themselves as strong, confident souls who pay no heed to sentiments. Such people try to keep their composure no matter what they are going through. But deep down, they are constantly fighting a battle with their anxieties. The pent up feelings can manifest themselves in escapist behavior like excessive drinking, physical and mental illness, relationship problems, heart disease and may even lead to cancer, in severe cases.

So it is a no brainer to repress emotions too much. You can never fool your body, it knows that something is wrong and your gut gets affected leading to stomach cramps, constipation, bloating and diarrhoea. And the worst of it all, it will also knock years off your life. Trust me, everyone goes through this phase at least once in their lifetime. Some just try to act as the tough old boots, that’s it. So it is absolutely okay to talk about it or to seek help from someone rather than suppressing emotions and letting it take a toll on your health.

And yes, you yourself can also try to deal with it. By the way do you find yourself checking your smartphone time and again for any new notification; like the rat in the lab who waits to hear the bell chime? If yes, then it’s time to get yourself out of this deceitful loop and make proper use of your time. Social media can never be your happy pill; on the other hand, it is a major cause of depression. The more the likes in your uploads, the more the dopamine secretion and the better you feel. If likes are not up to the expected level, you get depressed. Social media platforms are just blocking the real emotions and making yourself vulnerable to be judged by others. People tend to disappear into the realm of likes and comments and push the feelings away. This addiction is similar to gambling. It makes you want more and more; not a sensible way to approach life, right? You’re just whiling away your precious time doing nothing meaningful.

So, stop being a mental slob! Your chosen methods will be your own happy pills to derive happiness. Let’s go through a few common happy pills that people generally opt for.

The list can go on and on. Try to know what excites you, whether getting enrolled for a new course to enhance your knowledge or simply indulging in hobbies you like and thus, create your own horizon of happy pills that suits you.

Now that you know about the happy pills, allow yourself to feel the emotions when they start to clobber you. So breathe in, breathe out and relax! Sea Feliz!!