“Don’t ever question the value of volunteers. Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers, the Titanic was built by professionals.”-Dave GlynnMr. Ram was 17 years old and far away from home in boarding school when he lost his father to a chronic illness. He was aware that his father was unwell but was not informed by his family about the rapidly declining condition. Ram was not informed about his father’s death for almost two months because the family knew he had important examinations to take in the upcoming months. When he was eventually told about his father’s passing, he was in shock, was angry at the family for keeping him in the dark, and felt they made decisions on his behalf, leaving him feeling lonely and abandoned in his grief. His mother and elders in the family told him, “Don’t cry like this; you are the man in this house, and you have to be strong.” Six years later, he is seen changing multiple jobs and facing rejection, which leaves him struggling to cope and confused about how he should be feeling as a man.Cancer burden continues to grow day by day worldwide, with an increased number of newly diagnosed cases and deaths each year. “Don’t ever question the value of volunteers. Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers, the Titanic was built by professionals.”-Dave GlynnMr. Ram was 17 years old and far away from home in boarding school when he lost his father to a chronic illness. He was aware that his father was unwell but was not informed by his family about the rapidly declining condition. Ram was not informed about his father’s death for almost two months because the family knew he had important examinations to take in the upcoming months. When he was eventually told about his father’s passing, he was in shock, was angry at the family for keeping him in the dark, and felt they made decisions on his behalf, leaving him feeling lonely and abandoned in his grief. His mother and elders in the family told him, “Don’t cry like this; you are the man in this house, and you have to be strong.” Six years later, he is seen changing multiple jobs and facing rejection, which leaves him struggling to cope and confused about how he should be feeling as a man. Mr. Ram was 17 years old and far away from home in boarding school when he lost his father to a chronic illness. He was aware that his father was unwell but was not informed by his family about the rapidly declining condition. Ram was not informed about his father’s death for almost two months because the family knew he had important examinations to take in the upcoming months. When he was eventually told about his father’s passing, he was in shock, was angry at the family for keeping him in the dark, and felt they made decisions on his behalf, leaving him feeling lonely and abandoned in his grief. His mother and elders in the family told him, “Don’t cry like this; you are the man in this house, and you have to be strong.” Six years later, he is seen changing multiple jobs and facing rejection, which leaves him struggling to cope and confused about how he should be feeling as a man.Cancer burden continues to grow day by day worldwide, with an increased number of newly diagnosed cases and deaths each year.
In a world overflowing with challenges, societal injustice, outbreak of sudden disease, mental and physical health issues, it is evident that we all carry our own baggage. While some may succumb to these difficult times, others discover their strength and view these moments as inspiration to take action. Volunteering is one such way to discover ourselves and focus our attention on more productive avenues.This story about Ram is about his difficult life experiences and how these experiences have shaped him over the years. Today, Ram is 36 years old and married with two children. When he came in for a session, he narrated how he has coped by reminding himself that life goes on and that it was his responsibility to hold himself accountable for all that took place, which involved his family and career. He feels he should possess strong masculine traits to lead a good life, but he also mentioned that it is just what people around him and society expect. The myriad of unresolved questions and emotions of grief from back then has culminated in him asking, “Is it forever that I have to prove to be masculine enough and mask my feelings and losses as a person just to prove to others I am strong?” A significant proportion of such individuals at any stage of the disease trajectory suffer social, emotional, and psychological distress due to stigma related to cancer, diagnosis and treatment side-effects, survivorship issues etc. Therefore, psychological distress needs to be assessed on a regular basis to understand the reason and severity of the problem in order to help the individuals. In a world overflowing with challenges, societal injustice, outbreak of sudden disease, mental and physical health issues, it is evident that we all carry our own baggage. While some may succumb to these difficult times, others discover their strength and view these moments as inspiration to take action. Volunteering is one such way to discover ourselves and focus our attention on more productive avenues.This story about Ram is about his difficult life experiences and how these experiences have shaped him over the years. Today, Ram is 36 years old and married with two children. When he came in for a session, he narrated how he has coped by reminding himself that life goes on and that it was his responsibility to hold himself accountable for all that took place, which involved his family and career. He feels he should possess strong masculine traits to lead a good life, but he also mentioned that it is just what people around him and society expect. The myriad of unresolved questions and emotions of grief from back then has culminated in him asking, “Is it forever that I have to prove to be masculine enough and mask my feelings and losses as a person just to prove to others I am strong?” This story about Ram is about his difficult life experiences and how these experiences have shaped him over the years. Today, Ram is 36 years old and married with two children. When he came in for a session, he narrated how he has coped by reminding himself that life goes on and that it was his responsibility to hold himself accountable for all that took place, which involved his family and career. He feels he should possess strong masculine traits to lead a good life, but he also mentioned that it is just what people around him and society expect. The myriad of unresolved questions and emotions of grief from back then has culminated in him asking, “Is it forever that I have to prove to be masculine enough and mask my feelings and losses as a person just to prove to others I am strong?” A significant proportion of such individuals at any stage of the disease trajectory suffer social, emotional, and psychological distress due to stigma related to cancer, diagnosis and treatment side-effects, survivorship issues etc. Therefore, psychological distress needs to be assessed on a regular basis to understand the reason and severity of the problem in order to help the individuals.
I have been volunteering in many different ways from childhood and it has added valuable dimension to my personality. My experiences with volunteering know no boundaries – it transcends borders, cultures, and languages. It has also aided me in building trust and confidence between societies.In the grandeur of life, the cry “Gone but not forgotten” is a voice that speaks to every heart. But for men, facing the complexities of bereavement is a challenge of its own. In a culture that thrives on stoicism, navigating grief is a path less traveled. It is a walk of unspoken struggles and a journey fraught with societal expectations. This blog explores the complexities of men’s mental health in relation to bereavement and explores why it is so important to break the silence and create a healing culture.Distress is an unpleasant experience of a physical, mental, social, or spiritual nature. It can make it difficult for someone to cope with having cancer, its symptoms, treatment, both curative as well as side effects. This affects their survivorship and hence it impacts the entire family. Distress affect one across the range of experience. It varies from mild to severe, which includes sadness, fear, and helplessness with intensity. I have been volunteering in many different ways from childhood and it has added valuable dimension to my personality. My experiences with volunteering know no boundaries – it transcends borders, cultures, and languages. It has also aided me in building trust and confidence between societies.In the grandeur of life, the cry “Gone but not forgotten” is a voice that speaks to every heart. But for men, facing the complexities of bereavement is a challenge of its own. In a culture that thrives on stoicism, navigating grief is a path less traveled. It is a walk of unspoken struggles and a journey fraught with societal expectations. This blog explores the complexities of men’s mental health in relation to bereavement and explores why it is so important to break the silence and create a healing culture. In the grandeur of life, the cry “Gone but not forgotten” is a voice that speaks to every heart. But for men, facing the complexities of bereavement is a challenge of its own. In a culture that thrives on stoicism, navigating grief is a path less traveled. It is a walk of unspoken struggles and a journey fraught with societal expectations. This blog explores the complexities of men’s mental health in relation to bereavement and explores why it is so important to break the silence and create a healing culture.Distress is an unpleasant experience of a physical, mental, social, or spiritual nature. It can make it difficult for someone to cope with having cancer, its symptoms, treatment, both curative as well as side effects. This affects their survivorship and hence it impacts the entire family. Distress affect one across the range of experience. It varies from mild to severe, which includes sadness, fear, and helplessness with intensity.
While I initially believed, I was giving back to the society, I soon realized that i was the one benefiting from volunteering. It liberated my soul, I became more willing to take responsibility, did engaging work, gained new skills, made new friends, felt more confident than ever, improved my mental health, reduced stress and more importantly, it gave meaning to my life. Simultaneously, Sadhguru’s words echoed into my ears, “To volunteer is to become willing. To be willing beyond personal choices is the way to liberation”. It cemented my understanding of benefits of volunteering when I recently stumbled on the fact that approximately 77% of the volunteers have acknowledged to have improved mental health from the time they began doing so. Discrimination based on mental health has a detrimental effect on access to mental health care, help-seeking behavior, and the first treatment for people with mental struggles or illnesses, resulting in higher rates of disease and deathEveryone with cancer has some level of distress at some point of time. Not only the patient but their caregivers too experience some level of distress during and after the course of illness, Moreover, distress extends along the continuum, ranging from common normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness, and fear to problems that can become disabling, such as depression, anxiety, panic, social isolation, and existential and spiritual issues. While I initially believed, I was giving back to the society, I soon realized that i was the one benefiting from volunteering. It liberated my soul, I became more willing to take responsibility, did engaging work, gained new skills, made new friends, felt more confident than ever, improved my mental health, reduced stress and more importantly, it gave meaning to my life. Simultaneously, Sadhguru’s words echoed into my ears, “To volunteer is to become willing. To be willing beyond personal choices is the way to liberation”. It cemented my understanding of benefits of volunteering when I recently stumbled on the fact that approximately 77% of the volunteers have acknowledged to have improved mental health from the time they began doing so. Discrimination based on mental health has a detrimental effect on access to mental health care, help-seeking behavior, and the first treatment for people with mental struggles or illnesses, resulting in higher rates of disease and death Discrimination based on mental health has a detrimental effect on access to mental health care, help-seeking behavior, and the first treatment for people with mental struggles or illnesses, resulting in higher rates of disease and deathEveryone with cancer has some level of distress at some point of time. Not only the patient but their caregivers too experience some level of distress during and after the course of illness, Moreover, distress extends along the continuum, ranging from common normal feelings of vulnerability, sadness, and fear to problems that can become disabling, such as depression, anxiety, panic, social isolation, and existential and spiritual issues.
As per United Nations Volunteers program, around 60% of the volunteers in India, are below the age of 30. Approximately 40% of Indians engage in some form of volunteering. As the world confronts increasing challenges, younger volunteers are often the first to step forward, positioning youth volunteers at the forefront during crises and emergencies. This allows them to bring their unique skill sets to the organisation. NGO’s have always benefitted from the experiences brought by the senior volunteers, no matter how big or small. In today’s world, time is the most precious thing to gift or donate. Corporate and the working individuals set an example by donating their time and resources, no matter how busy they may be. To quote the quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “Volunteers do not necessarily have time, they just have the heart.” Grief is a complex emotion, and it can be difficult for many people to express it in a way that is appropriate for them. For many men, grief can be difficult to express because they have been taught to suppress their emotions. This can lead to delayed or unresolved grief. Society including mental health professionals must recognize and respect different ways in which grief can be expressed through providing a safe space to share and process these unique difficult feelings.Vital signs like body temperature, pulse or heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate are four physical vital signs that are routinely measured to best described as a patient’s physical status. Pain is designated as the 5th vital sign as being very common symptom in cancer, and distress being highly prevalent in cancer, is designated as the 6th vital sign. As per United Nations Volunteers program, around 60% of the volunteers in India, are below the age of 30. Approximately 40% of Indians engage in some form of volunteering. As the world confronts increasing challenges, younger volunteers are often the first to step forward, positioning youth volunteers at the forefront during crises and emergencies. This allows them to bring their unique skill sets to the organisation. NGO’s have always benefitted from the experiences brought by the senior volunteers, no matter how big or small. In today’s world, time is the most precious thing to gift or donate. Corporate and the working individuals set an example by donating their time and resources, no matter how busy they may be. To quote the quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “Volunteers do not necessarily have time, they just have the heart.” Grief is a complex emotion, and it can be difficult for many people to express it in a way that is appropriate for them. For many men, grief can be difficult to express because they have been taught to suppress their emotions. This can lead to delayed or unresolved grief. Society including mental health professionals must recognize and respect different ways in which grief can be expressed through providing a safe space to share and process these unique difficult feelings. Grief is a complex emotion, and it can be difficult for many people to express it in a way that is appropriate for them. For many men, grief can be difficult to express because they have been taught to suppress their emotions. This can lead to delayed or unresolved grief. Society including mental health professionals must recognize and respect different ways in which grief can be expressed through providing a safe space to share and process these unique difficult feelings.Vital signs like body temperature, pulse or heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate are four physical vital signs that are routinely measured to best described as a patient’s physical status. Pain is designated as the 5th vital sign as being very common symptom in cancer, and distress being highly prevalent in cancer, is designated as the 6th vital sign.
Every year on 5th December, International Volunteers Day, serves as a reminder that volunteering is not just one-day celebration but a lifelong commitment to making the world a better place. This year’s theme, “the collective action: if everyone did”, encourages us to recognise the impact of individual contributions when combined with the efforts of others. Grief is a complex emotion, and it can be difficult for many people to express it in a way that is appropriate for them. For many men, grief can be difficult to express because they have been taught to suppress their emotions. This can lead to delayed or unresolved grief. Society including mental health professionals must recognize and respect different ways in which grief can be expressed through providing a safe space to share and process these unique difficult feelings.Vital signs like body temperature, pulse or heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate are four physical vital signs that are routinely measured to best described as a patient’s physical status. Pain is designated as the 5th vital sign as being very common symptom in cancer, and distress being highly prevalent in cancer, is designated as the 6th vital sign. As per United Nations Volunteers program, around 60% of the volunteers in India, are below the age of 30. Approximately 40% of Indians engage in some form of volunteering. As the world confronts increasing challenges, younger volunteers are often the first to step forward, positioning youth volunteers at the forefront during crises and emergencies. This allows them to bring their unique skill sets to the organisation. NGO’s have always benefitted from the experiences brought by the senior volunteers, no matter how big or small. In today’s world, time is the most precious thing to gift or donate. Corporate and the working individuals set an example by donating their time and resources, no matter how busy they may be. To quote the quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “Volunteers do not necessarily have time, they just have the heart.” Grief is a complex emotion, and it can be difficult for many people to express it in a way that is appropriate for them. For many men, grief can be difficult to express because they have been taught to suppress their emotions. This can lead to delayed or unresolved grief. Society including mental health professionals must recognize and respect different ways in which grief can be expressed through providing a safe space to share and process these unique difficult feelings. Grief is a complex emotion, and it can be difficult for many people to express it in a way that is appropriate for them. For many men, grief can be difficult to express because they have been taught to suppress their emotions. This can lead to delayed or unresolved grief. Society including mental health professionals must recognize and respect different ways in which grief can be expressed through providing a safe space to share and process these unique difficult feelings.Vital signs like body temperature, pulse or heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate are four physical vital signs that are routinely measured to best described as a patient’s physical status. Pain is designated as the 5th vital sign as being very common symptom in cancer, and distress being highly prevalent in cancer, is designated as the 6th vital sign.
On this special day, Karunashraya takes the opportunity to recognize and applaud the millions of volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time, skills, energy, and resources to make the world a better place to live. Let’s stand with volunteers- Everywhere! Together, we can build a more compassionate, inclusive, and sustainable world. Masculine standards are the social norms and behaviors that men and manhood must adhere to within a cultural context. Failing to adhere to these strict masculine standards can exacerbate depression and anxiety, substance abuse, increased health risks, dating and interpersonal intimacy problems, interpersonal violence issues, stigma around seeking help, and an increase in general psychological distress.Forty percent of patients diagnosed with cancer experience significant level of distress. However fewer than 10% of patients are identified and referred for appropriate psychosocial support. Screening for distress is important for every patient at the appropriate time, and this needs to be managed by health professionals with the required expertise.
Author: Shilpi Agrawal
Volunteer at Bangalore Hospice Trust – Karunashraya Volunteer at Bangalore Hospice Trust – Karunashraya Psycho oncologist & Lead counselling services
Bagchi Karunashraya Palliative Care Center
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
