In the age we live in, proves how deeply we have normalized silence over struggle. Currently, we are living in a generation where nobody talks about the silent sufferings referred as mental illness. If a person is suffering from mental health issues, our society will label it as weakness. This is the biggest reason that people do not tell anyone about their silent sufferings. They prefer to endure the pain rather than sharing it. It is not the fault of the person, it is the flaw of our modern society. It is our mistake that we do not talk about such things.
Mental health is one of the most misunderstood and ignored realities of our generation. It is whispered behind closed doors, joked about on social media and dismissed on dinner tables. We live in a world where people say, “Speak up, tell us, you’re not alone”, but when someone finally does, the room finally goes silent. It is only when the damage is done, when someone breaks, disappears or worse then we suddenly start caring. The question is that why do we do that?
The truth is that society has built walls around us and our emotional pain. We are always taught to be silent at any cost even if one is breaking inside. They teach us to hide your pain, sadness, fears and anxiety but smile from outside. If someone says they are struggling through a storm, then they are often labelled as “dramatic”, “weak” or “attention seekers”. So people choose to stay quiet. They prioritize suffering in silence. They always act like they are okay but deep inside them there is a fire burning.
Most of the families will rush to hospital when there is a physical injury, a broken leg, high fever and a bleeding wound. But what about a broken spirit? A racing mind? A bleeding heart? In the end, nobody cares because mental pain is invisible and makes it easier to be ignored. That’s what the reality looks like.
In schools, we are taught a lot of things that includes formulas, history and grammar rules, but not how to deal with depression, addiction and self-harm. At home, we are told to be strong, but not how to heal. In society, success is cherished and sufferings are often overlooked. When the time passes, we finally note or recognize that someone needed help and then again we say “Why didn’t you tell us?” The answer is: They did in silence, they gave you hints, their behaviour changed and we were not listening to because we were busy in judging people. The truth is we see the signs but we choose to ignore them.
Sometimes, all a person can need is to be heard without being questioned. Yet, we wait until it is too late — until the pain and silence becomes permanent and the smiles disappear forever.
We all have built a society that teaches to hide the pain and show strength and to keep quiet when our minds are screaming for help. We expect people to speak up but never create a space safe enough for them to do so. And when someone finally tries to speak, we act surprised as if we never saw it in that person. The truth is that they were always giving us signs but we were not watching. They were fighting wars we couldn’t see.
It’s okay to admit that you’re not okay. It’s okay to ask for help
Oprah Winfrey
Mental illness affects a lot of lives. Because of mental instability, people become tired of their life and thus it results in self-harm thoughts. They are not one to be blamed. They were taught to be silent and they did. The world is developing a lot of things but the main and simple things are always left behind. A lot of people suffer silently because they fear the society and what will people say, what they will think about “me”. There should be a solution for this.
If we talk about Balochistan, in the high hills of Balochistan where silence often speaks louder than words, mental illness remains one of the most ignored and misunderstood issues. Behind the political problems, poverty and human right issues, there lies a deeper war which is fought inside the minds of its people. In a region where mental health is labelled as weakness or shame, people don’t talk about such things. It’s the people who keep depression inside them which later leads to self-harm thoughts. Even if someone tries to seek help where should they go?
There is a lack of proper facilities, only a few psychologists are expert in these work. The others don’t even give their duty properly. In most of the cases, they give the patients the medicines that are not suitable for them and even make them worse. This is also the reason people fear to seek help.
We need to realize that mental health is as much important as physical health. The government should provide basic facilities like proper hospitals with well-trained medical staff that can bring changes into the lives of people. There should be psychiatrists in every district to help the local people.
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