KARACHI: Pakistan is one of those countries in the world where stress, anxiety and depression are at highest level. Having 200 million population, one out of three are suffering from these curable diseases, these are the words shared by Dr Iqbal Afridi, the President of Pakistan Psychiatric Society and the Head of Department of Psychiatry at Jinnah Post Medical Complex with The News on the occasion of World Health Day, being celebrated worldwide today, April 07.
According to Dr Afridi, the upbringing of a child in our society creates a hurdle specially in boys. When a child start crying his parents say, “Boys don't cry, be a man and other such statements. And when a child become adult, he doesn't share his stress to any one and become a severe depression patient.”
Dr Afridi further added that depression is just like cough, fever disease but our society doesn't take it as a normal disease.
According to Dr Seemin Jamali, the executive director of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, the symptoms of depression is laziness, Lethargic, non activities, daily routine massively distributed and etc.
WORLD Health Day, celebrated on 7th April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO), provides a unique opportunity to mobilise action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
The theme of 2017 World Health Day campaign is “depression - let's talk”.
According to health expert, depression affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, in all countries. It causes mental anguish and impacts on people's ability to carry out even the simplest everyday tasks, with sometimes devastating consequences for relationships with family and friends and the ability to earn a living. At worst, depression can lead to suicide, now the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-old people.
According to Dr Iqbal Afridi, depression is highly curable disease and today we have different therapies and medicines to cope up the disease.
According to World Health Organisation, depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. According to the latest estimates from WHO, more than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015. Lack of support for people with mental disorders, coupled with a fear of stigma, prevent many from accessing the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.
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