This week You! talks to two professionals in a bid to find out why going to a psychologist/psychiatrist is still considered a taboo in our society...
This week You! talks to two professionals in a bid to find out why going to a psychologist/psychiatrist is still considered a taboo in our society...
Safia is a 36-year-old divorcee and a mother of two. Her husband divorced her almost five years ago leaving her devastated. Her daughters were four and two years old at that time. Safia's world had crumbled right before her eyes; she felt betrayed and couldn't comprehend what wrong she had done to deserve this. A banker by profession, Safia decided to get hold of her life and concentrate on her daughters and career. She started with her day-to-day routine but felt tired and worthless all the time and found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her profession as well as looking after her kids and household chores. She knew she was suffering from depression but kept on ignoring it. After discussing her situation with some of her close friends, Safia decided to consult a qualified psychologist for her condition. It was found out that she was suffering from 'Major Depressive Disorder' and the psychologist advised her to have counselling sessions for a few weeks to cure her depression. Even though, her friends were supportive of her decision, Safia's parents disapproved of her idea of consulting a psychologist. They were scared that other family members and the society in general would call her crazy just because she was seeking help for her disorder by going to a professional. Her parents were more concerned about what people would say rather than the well-being of their daughter and the pain she was going through. * Today Safia is still suffering silently because of her parents' stubbornness and their unnecessary fears. Had they been enlightened, she would have lived a happy life without depression.
Another case is of Alina, a 24-year-old, who suffers from a disability called bipolar disorder, a mental condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression. As a teenager, she used to hallucinate and see aliens. Her parents, who belong to an educated family, thought that she was possessed by 'jinns' and going to 'pirs' and following rituals would solve her problem. However, nothing seemed to work and her hallucinations kept on growing. Finally, Alina's first cousin took her to a psychiatrist to see what was causing the hallucinations. When the family members came to know they made a fuss over it and due to the taboo attached to seeing a psychiatrist, Alina was forbidden to leave the house and was only restricted to her room. Her condition worsened and she tried committing suicide. *In Alina's case too, it is her parents who are responsible for her deteriorating condition.
This is not only about Safia and Alina, there are hundreds and thousands of girls like them who are suffering silently and are a victim of negligence. Actually, we are an ignorant society where going to a psychologist or psychiatrist for psychological illnesses like depression, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder etc. is considered a taboo. The main reason being, a person with a psychological disorder can be labelled as mad or crazy. If a girl has some mental problem and she is willing to seek professional help, the parents usually stop her because they are scared that their daughter will not get good proposals if anyone finds out she has consulted a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Regarding the stigma attached to it, Dr Faisal Mamsa, a renowned general psychiatrist who has studied and trained in USA, says, "A few years ago people did not believe in psychiatry - the study and treatment of mental illness, emotional disturbance and abnormal behaviour. Also psychiatry was equated to 'madness'. It was due to the lack of awareness that nobody wanted to label their loved one 'crazy'."
"In our part of the world most of us focus on physical ailments and are ready to pay hefty amounts of money for their cure. When it comes to mental illnesses, people tend to ignore and hide it. They waste a lot of time worrying about what other members of the society might think about the loved one who is suffering from a psychological issue or what if any one sees them sitting outside a psychiatrist's office. This hinders the treatment and the condition worsens," he adds.
According to Dr Mamsa, in the last 15 years the field of psychology has progressed in leaps and bounds, so there is no harm in consulting a professional if one is suffering any mental illness. "Now safer medications with no serious side effects have been introduced and some are in the pipeline. Non-medicinal treatment of depression has been introduced, surgical implants are used to control depression, new modalities have been introduced to treat schizophrenia and some old modalities like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure, is now much more safer and commonly used," explains Dr Mamsa.
A study by WHO shows that in developing countries like Pakistan, one per cent of the population suffers from severe and 10 per cent from mild mental disorders. Scientific studies by WHO also show that two fifths - 40 per cent - of total disabilities at global scale are due to mental illnesses effecting human functionality. Various researches conducted by Global Burden of Disease (GBD) show that the mental illnesses constitute 10.5% of GBD, which may rise up to 15% in the year 2020. Unfortunately, in our part of the world people do not talk about mental illnesses. Such patients who seek help are considered as social outcasts.
Dr Amena Zehra Ali, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Karachi, explains, "Seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist is still culturally unacceptable because people take mental disorders negatively, thinking that it has something to do with insanity. They are unaware about various disorders like schizophrenia that can lead to serious health issues if not treated on time. Many think that if someone in the family has anxiety disorder then the offspring will also suffer from the same ailment. So, it is imperative to create awareness among people and educate them about the importance of mental health."
Regarding the lack of awareness, Dr Amena shares, "There are many who do not even know the difference between a psychologist and psychiatrist. Basically, psychologists focus extensively on psychotherapy and treating emotional and mental suffering in patients with behavioural intervention. Psychiatrists on the other hand are trained medical doctors. They can prescribe medications, and they spend much of their time with patients on medication management as a course of treatment. If you have depression or anxiety a psychologist can help you through counselling, however if you are suffering from psychosis or schizophrenia then a psychiatrist will prescribe medications along with counselling sessions."
According to Dr Amena, in our society depression and anxiety disorders are the most common. "Women, men and even children suffer from these two conditions. Most women after giving birth go into post partum depression; men on the other hand have anxiety attacks due to work related stress and children usually become depressed because of their studies," she informs.
"In this day and age it is very important to understand that the taboo associated with psychiatry doesn't mean that the patient is losing his/her mind. For every ailment we go to a doctor and get proper treatment, then why shouldn't we consult a psychologist or psychiatrist for any psychological disorder? Your mental health is also as vital as your physical health and if the condition is not dealt with on time it can get severe," stresses Dr Amena.
Even though, there is still a long way to go till our society breaks free from this frowned-on cultural norm, some positive changes can be seen as people are now ready to talk about their mental issues."Thanks to the media and internet things have changed a lot, today a common man is aware about psychiatry. People have started consulting professionals for their disorders. Even spiritual leaders refer patients to psychiatrists. We are nowhere close to the west but yes we have become much more aware of mental illnesses. This is definitely a positive sign and hopefully in the future we will break free from the shackles of this taboo," concludes Dr Mamsa.
