It’s time to openly talk about mental health before more Cornells and Zakis succumb to its suffering
KARACHI: The news of the demise of Pakistan’s guitar maestro Amir Zaki has cast a pall of gloom over the country. At the age of 49, Zaki was suffering from a prolonged illness, reported to be depression and bipolar disorder that cost his life. Just a month ago news of musician Chris Cornell committing suicide also shook the world, and Cornell too was silently suffering from depression.
In a society less accepting of mental illnesses, Cornell and Zaki dealt with their own demons alone and projected a ‘happy’ persona, more accepting by our societal standards. Even after their deaths, as we mourn their demise and tributes pour in for them through words or music, we only manage to highlight their triumphs, only subtly mentioning their losses, writing about their mental disorder as a single chapter of their life rather than the ocean that engulfed their lives. For Cornell, many were startled after learning about his chronic depression that took his life as his happy persona didn’t meet with our stereotype of someone suffering from depression. And for Zaki, his companions knew about his failing health, his unhappiness and later his detachment from his music, but couldn’t help him cope.
After his sudden demise, perhaps, it’s time to openly talk about mental health before more Cornells and Zakis succumb to its suffering alone.
Ijaz Khalid
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2017.
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