It should be understood that someone suffering from depression does not have the will to reach out to people
KARACHI: In a recent post on social media, actor Mohsin Abbas Haider mentioned that he was suffering from depression and was on the verge of committing suicide. The post read “Depression is all set to kill me soon,” he wrote in a now deleted post. “Just wanted to say thanks to the people who caused it.”
Upon seeing this post, many industry insiders like Ali Gul Pir, Osman Khalid Butt and Ayesha Omer, reached out to Mohsin offering a lending ear to help him deal with depression. However, while it is a good thing that people in Pakistan are openly talking about mental illness, it is also important that the issue is addressed in the right way.
It should be understood that someone suffering from depression does not have the will to reach out to people. So saying ‘I am here if you want to talk’, no matter how well-intentioned does little for the ailing person. Instead, people should reach out themselves and make sure that someone suffering from depression feels valued. Moreover, they should be encouraged to seek professional help.
Sarmad Anis
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2019.
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