As an IT student, I spend my days debugging code and optimising hardware. However, a recent interview with a clinical psychologist in Lahore led me away from the logic of processors to the ‘internal wiring’ of the human mind.
Our conversation revealed a startling reality: while we are the most digitally connected generation, we are experiencing a profound “system failure” in mental health.
The psychologist highlighted that youth today spend upwards of 15 hours on screens, leading to a communication gap where we’ve forgotten how to process emotions verbally. This digital saturation, combined with the toxic comparison culture fostered by parents, is “killing” individuality before it even develops.
What struck me most was the biological reality of these struggles. In our society, we often misdiagnose clinical conditions like schizophrenia as the evil eye or spiritual failings. This superstition delays life-saving clinical intervention. The expert noted that mental health is a biological reality, not a lack of faith.
As someone from Quetta, I see how these stigmas are even more deeply rooted in our local communities. We must stop fearing “what people will say” and start viewing therapy not as a “quick fix” pill, but as essential maintenance for the human heart.
We can program computers to follow logic, but the human mind requires an empathetic, clinical touch to stay “online”. I hope this encourages the readers to prioritise their mental peace before the pressure becomes an irreversible crisis.
Rabia Khawaja
Quetta
