Mental Health Treatment Should Not Wait Until Families Reach Breaking Point: Dr Balbir Singh
Stress-Related Disorders Can Affect Daily Life, Work And Relationships: Dr Gagandeep Sekhon, MD Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist, Civil Hospital Barnala
CHANDIGARH, September 17:
We have a strange habit of treating stress as a personality trait. She worries too much. He overthinks. They are going through a difficult phase. But stress can become a health problem. The challenge is recognising when ordinary worry has crossed that line.
Neurotic and stress-related disorders are not simply everyday stress. They involve clinically significant patterns of anxiety, fear, distress or physical symptoms that can interfere with everyday life. They include anxiety disorders, phobic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is recognised as one of the most common psychiatric disorders worldwide, affecting around 5% of people who meet the diagnostic criteria. Yet this may be only the tip of the iceberg, as many people do not seek treatment because of stigma and barriers to access.
Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) recognises mental health within its Mental Disorders category. For neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders, the package is classified as a Regular Procedure.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Mental-health treatment should not have to wait until a family reaches a financial or emotional breaking point.”
Dr Balbir Singh has stressed that mental health deserves the same priority as physical health and that financial barriers should not stop people from seeking care. “Including mental-health treatment under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is intended to make care more accessible and encourage people to seek help earlier,” he added.
Dr Gagandeep Sekhon, MD Psychiatry, Consultant Psychiatrist, Civil Hospital Barnala, said, “Mental health concerns are often ignored until they begin to interfere with daily functioning, by which time they are harder to manage.” He said the 18–45 age group is particularly important because people in this phase are building careers, managing relationships and handling financial responsibilities.
When the mind refuses to switch off
Think of stress as an alarm system. It should ring when there is danger and quieten when the danger passes. Dr Gagandeep Sekhon added, “With a stress-related disorder, the alarm becomes the problem. A person may experience persistent worry, fear, irritability, difficulty concentrating, disturbed sleep or a constant sense of being on edge. Anxiety can also become physical, causing palpitations, sweating, trembling, nausea and muscle tension.” The WHO also notes that anxiety disorders can interfere with family life, education and work.
Then there is another, less understood phenomenon: the body can become the language of psychological distress. “Somatoform disorders involve physical symptoms that persist even when investigations do not fully explain their severity. Symptoms may include pain, heaviness or bloating,” informed Dr Gagandeep Sekhon.
This is why telling someone “it’s all in your head” misses the point. The symptoms are real. The connection between mind and body is real.
Sometimes, it is one major event—it could be bereavement, separation, illness, financial upheaval or another profound life change. At other times, it is cumulative: months of workplace pressure, family responsibilities, uncertainty and poor sleep can gradually push someone beyond their ability to cope.
Making timely healthcare accessible can matter in such situations, and the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) can help eligible families access covered treatment without letting the cost of care become another layer of worry.
