ABOUT SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH

By: Rabia Saad, Karachi, Pakistan

There are new debates around non-western perspectives related to mental health issues. These debates have become important because in South Asian countries, particularly in Pakistan, there are segments of people who either completely negate mental health as a problem or selectively acknowledge it. As part of my academic research, when I floated the idea of mental health grievances in our society, one of the research participants instantaneously called it a ‘foreign’ and ‘imposed’ idea.

A number of international universities are now studying South Asian perspectives in order to initiate the process of inclusion. I believe that this inclusion will not be simple because the major problem is how South Asian minds identify and recognize mental health issues in the first place.

A majority of uninformed minds only see the signs of extreme craziness, extreme sadness or extreme anger. What is not visible as mental health problems are the wrong life decisions, distasteful choices in practical life matters, passive attitude towards a productive life or even a reactive attitude (not proactive). Rather, these problems are labeled through various forms of blame game and not simply approached as mental disturbance.

Depression and anxiety are unfortunately considered an imported idea in South Asian perspective. What is not publicly visible is the growing tendency of young people seeking therapies. Reportedly, they are doing so without informing their families at home, or their social circles. Evolved media messages have helped in reducing the stigma of seeking help for mental health issues, but its scale is still negligible. So the problem becomes, that even those who are going to the therapists cannot fully approach the solution because they cannot talk about their suffering within close family or friends circle. Where should people get the support system from?

For writing this article I talked to one of my colleagues who held a view that the decline of the joint family system was responsible for this growing isolation in families. He says that earlier, within joint family systems, when people had a chance to quarrel over minor or major family matters, they were able to vent their feelings. Today, people are not able to vent. And the more they hold on to their emotions, the more these emotions play with their mind.

He further added that many therapists have even experimented by making their patients go through simulation activities where they have to confront situations. By doing so, they are made to realize that the situation which they were trying to avoid has already happened to them and they have been able to overcome it. It helps in building mental strength rather than being more vulnerable.

But as a matter of fact, this colleague was contradicted by another colleague, according to whom this comparison with earlier joint family systems is nothing more than baseless nostalgia. There has always been at least one person in the family who carried all signs of disturbed mental health but the family structure protected those attitudes, thus only adding to the stigma.

Multiple generations of South Asian families have been affected by leading a life or being a part of a life that got messed up by wrong individuals, and family decisions, stubborn attitudes, extreme anger, domestic violence, jobless and strained financial situations, etc. Unfortunately, as a society we are content in choosing to become a social burden but find it difficult to work out accessible options of seeking medical help for soothing our minds.

With active social media discourse, the conversation is changing and people are talking about the practicality of mental health help. The only need is to own the causes which are not born in the west but within the four walls of our homes.

Once the ideas will stop being foreign or alien, we will begin to benefit from the solutions.

Cover Photo by Eberhard on Unsplash