The WHO defines Health " as a state of complete physical, mental and emotional well being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. " And yet we often find ourselves paying heed only to any of these domains in solitude. Oft neglected are the domains of mental and emotional well being or rather, the lack of it. As someone who is a fledgling in the study of Mental Health, I'd like to share my two pennies this World Mental Health Day. THE MENTAL ILLNESS PANDEMIC Mental illnesses have been known to humanity since time immemorial. Even the ancient Indian scholars described mental illnesses in the Charaka Samihita. Despite this, mental illnesses have been treated as perhaps being "not real" or "it's in your mind"! It was seen as something that a person who's fragile would develop. So you had to merely, "Man-up!" or "Grit it out"! But it's only off late that India is waking up to mental illness. Mental illness