Mental health talk should be added to the common day-to-day conversations
ISLAMABAD: Mental health is an issue that is often neglected or sidelined in Pakistan due to the stigma that comes with it. People are urged to ‘talk it out’, but in reality it is much harder than it seems. People who muster the courage to talk about mental issues are marginalised. This is due to the lack of education and awareness. Children from an early age are taught to ignore their issues, while depression is ignored by referring to it as merely a “phase”. There are approximately 500 million reported cases of mental illness but due to the lack of professional help these cases are not taken up. There aren’t a lot of trained psychologists in Pakistan. Even in this day and age, when mental health is undoubtedly a growing issue, opting for psychology as a major is considered to be underwhelming. It’s high time that the state, as well as the people of Pakistan, took mental illness seriously. Schools must start enlightening students on the issues and the coping mechanisms. This should be added to the common day-to-day conversations. People need to raise their voice against this.
Maryam Haider
Published in The Express Tribune, November 22nd, 2019.
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