How to tackle pre-wedding blues

Business Standard: As most brides-to-be aspire for a fairytale wedding, they often neglect the stress and anxiety that comes along with it. Don't get too consumed and do take care of your mental health, experts suggest.

Shreyasi Ghosh, Content Head, The Wedding Brigade and Saket Nath Tiwari, Psychiatrist, National Mental Health Programme, Ghaziabad, have shared their thoughts on importance of mental health -- whether you're a bride-to-be with a pre-existing mental health disorder or one with a serious case of pre-wedding blues:

* Accept your condition: As in the case of every other problem, even with depression, acceptance is the first step towards getting better. Even if your first reaction to your diagnosis is denial, know that acceptance is extremely empowering. It prepares you for your next step towards recovery. Acceptance, however, does not mean resignation to your problem. It means understanding you have special needs and finding those to better equip yourself to feel calmer and happier.

* Talk to people you trust: Remember when you were little and thought there was a monster under your bed? You would tell your parents. After every bad breakup, you would call up your best friend and share. Just like that, you need to share your mental health struggles with a few trusted loved ones. There shouldn't be a stigma attached to this at all. If you are stressed about wedding planning, if you are struggling with daily anxiety or are just generally unwell, your loved ones deserve to know so that they can help you.

* Confide in your partner: Remember, this is a person who has promised to be with you in sickness and in health -- and mental health counts as well. If you're going to share a life together, you owe it to him/her to explain your condition. You can always trust your spouse to understand your condition, offer you unconditional emotional support and love you nonetheless. Trust us, your relationship will be all the better for it. BS