Mental health in Pakistan: Where do we stand?
- Urooj Haider
- Oct 3, 2017
- 2 min read
What do you do when you catch flu, fever, cough, diarrhea, allergy, pneumonia or any other illness? Obviously, you visit a doctor. Listens to his advice and buy the medicine he recommends. Then what about mental illness? Do people treat it the same way they treat physical illness?
Well the answer is NO. Mental illness is the most neglected in Pakistan considering the number of people suffering from it. Dr.Ayesha Mian, chairperson of the department of psychiatry at the Aga Khan University (AKU) said, “Approximately 20 million children or 10pc of the population in our country need attention from mental health practitioners”.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 400 psychiatrists and 5 psychiatric hospitals exist within the entire country for a population exceeding 180 million. And there are only 3729 outpatient mental health services available in Pakistan. A report published by WHO tells that Pakistan’s policy regarding mental health was last revised in 2003 and never after that till now. These statistics show how less attention is given to mental health services in both government and private sector of Pakistan.
In our society mental health illness is almost a taboo topic. The stigmas attached to it back all the means to discourage people from visiting a psychologist or seek any mental therapy. A person who seeks mental help is immediately labeled ‘psycho’ by his/her very own social circle. And if he shares his mental condition with friends or family, the first thing he’s asked is to stop being ungrateful and start praying more to strengthen his faith. Such response from the society leaves no way for a person to seek help.
Many people have mental health concerns from time to time. But a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms are completely ignored. A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships.
Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. In most cases, symptoms can be managed with a combination of medications and talk therapy (psychotherapy).
It is a time we should start breaking stigmas and stereotypes attached with mental health issues and start raising awareness about it in our society. Because coping with a mental illness is extremely challenging and could risk ones life. Almost everyone faces mental unbalance in life at any point. But it’s important to learn about your mental condition to deal with it.
Consult your doctor or therapist even when you think you’re having a slight mental unbalance. They can provide you with information or may recommend classes; books or websites which would help you regain your mental balance. Always remember it’s never too late to seek help even when help is difficult to find like in Pakistan. But you’ll always find someone in your surroundings who can guide and help you out.
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