The Panacea

We all know what a great writer Virginia Woolf was and I absolutely loved her ‘A Room of One’s Own’, but not many of us know how she conquered her severe depression that she had fallen into after her beloved brother Thoby died in 1906. I will come to that later, for now I would love to share with you all a real story of one of my friends who suffered from obesity. Now, most of you must be by this time thinking that I am writing some medical journal but these separate mosaics will soon give you a clear and coherent picture of what I wish so earnestly to convey. So, the obesity of that girl took a toll on her confidence and she started to avoid social gatherings like plague. This made her have more junk and this cycle made her even more overweight. Now, being a close friend I knew what was at the root of this issue. It was not weight; the problem was deeper and obesity issues were mild tremors of a constant quake going on inside, silently. She had had a bitter breakup and was feeling cheated and used. On top of that, she could not even discuss this matter with anyone as this would have fuelled nasty gossip. Then, she decided upon a solution that cleansed her mind and body and now, after two years, she is out of her weight issues as she has conquered her inner frustration.

Remember the movie ‘Pinjar’ in which a helpless Puro’s story and her rapist Rashid’s love for her moved us. The movie was based on a novel by the same name by well known writer Amrita Pritam but not many of us know that she had lost her mother at a very young age and fell into depression but the way she overcame it put her in the club of Woolf and my friend. By now you must have guessed- the panacea I have been talking about is writing. Woolf overcame her depression by writing and produced literary gems like ‘Mrs. Dalloway’, ‘Waves’ and ‘To the Lighthouse’. There are many writers as well as common people who have won over their inner demons by pouring it all in their writing and that is why every worthy piece of writing has its origin in some pain.

There is also a very clear link of obesity and depression, for people who are sullen and unhappy within especially tend to over eat junk and sweets in order to spike their energy levels and mood, and this junk creates havoc for the body in long run. Later, after few months when they realize how deteriorated and shapeless their body has become, they fall even deeper into the pit of darkness. This cycle can claim lives too; suicides because of depression are common. Medical researches claim that more that 60% of all diseases are psychosomatic, that is, physical disorders stemming from emotions and manifesting themselves in deadly ways like TB, Cancer and the like.

So, Virginia Woolf and Amrita Pritam made diamonds of the dirt life threw at them and their shine still allures readers the world over. If you suffer from any such thing like a bitter breakup, some old abuse, some relationship trauma or an unfulfilled desire, it is far better to vent all emotions in a personal journal rather than telling the whole world about it and create further troubles or inevitably become an object of unwanted sympathy.