“LOUG KIA KAHENGE”
I am sure a majority of us have encountered these words in our daily lives, have had them thrown at us to invalidate our feelings time and time again. Furthermore, the saddest part is that these words are often spewed at us by our loved ones.
Imagine going up to your parents and asking them to take you to a therapist or a counselor. I think you can imagine the responses you’d get. “Pagal ho kya? Kyun zaroorat hai therapist ki? Alhamdullilah bilkul theek ho tum.” Furthermore, herein lies the whole issue; the idea that only those who are suffering from extreme mental illnesses such as schizophrenia should seek mental help. However, despite going for therapy, people living with mental illnesses are looked down upon, as if they can somehow magically fix themselves but choose not to do so.
Therapy: A Highly Stigmatized notion
Therapy, as we all know, is considered taboo in our “wonderful” society (cue the eye roll). Moreover, in our society, even talking about mental health issues is highly stigmatized. You are either completely fine or you’re completely mad. THERE IS NO IN BETWEEN. I won’t bore you with the statistics of how many people suffer from anxiety and depression. It’s quite obvious that that number is very high and alarming. Yet no one seems to care, because calling out for help is apparently a sign of weakness. This notion has been ingrained in our brains from the very beginning. We have been molded into these people with seemingly tough exteriors; people who can go through disaster over disaster and still hold it all in somehow. However, it’s all a façade.
In this sorry society, no matter how desperately you need an outlet to voice out everything that’s killing you on the inside- you just can’t. Moreover, you’ve never been allowed to let yourself believe your concerns and feelings are valid. You’ve always been silenced. If not by those who are the closest to you, then by the voices in your head. You’ve been taught time and time again that the real strength lies in silently bearing it all until you can’t.
You’re Not Alone In This
It does seem like a hard pill to swallow, but we all need help at times. Some of us need it more than others. There is no shame in admitting that, or at least there shouldn’t be any. We all need someone to reach out to. It’s a slow and painful process and it’s not easy coming out of your shell and allowing your weaknesses to be seen. However, it sure is a sign of strength. Just because someone out there in the world might have it worse than you do, does not by any chance mean that your pain and struggles are invalid. We all have a different tolerance capacity.
A reminder to all those who are bearing it silently because they can’t voice it out. It’s perfectly fine to not be okay. It’s okay to open up at times and let it all out. I hope it gets better for you. And in case if any of you want to talk to professional therapists, I hope the link down below helps:
One thought on “Taboo In Pakistan Against Therapy”
so true. tells about the reality of the society we live im