When you’re sick, you go to a doctor, right? But when it comes to mental health, why do people not go to a therapist? The answer is stigma attached to the concept. We see so many people, especially in the Asian community talking about how when they told their parents about how they felt, the first thing that they were told was to drink water and pray. Can prayers help to deal with what it going on inside your head? They might give you the strength to cope up with them, but certainly isn’t a permanent fix. In some households, even talking about issues like depression, anxiety and stress is impossible. The amount of ignorance that revolves around mental issues is the reason why people end up not going to therapists because they know how the society is going to react. That is why, if we talk about a country like Pakistan, we see students committing suicide and leaving behind notes that clearly show that they needed help but nobody understood what they’re going through.

“Log kia kahengay” (what will the people say), is something that has consumes us to such extent that when making basic decisions about what to wear, the thought of what others might say crosses our mind. This is a serious issue in our Asian, more especially Pakistani community where people take in account how the society would react to their decisions. People let go of opportunities that could’ve been a stepping stone to a bright future because of this. The standards that our society has set are so irrational, yet it would take years for them to change. Were those “people” there for you when you were crying yourself to sleep every night? Were those “people” that matter so much, there for you when you were having suicidal thoughts because you couldn’t handle things anymore, when nothing made sense? Did they check up on you when you lied in your bed for days because you didn’t feel like getting up and felt worthless? The answer is NO. These people don’t understand your struggles and honestly they don’t care. They will talk about you even when you’re gone. So please don’t take them in any account when making decisions about your life, more specifically about mental health, because it is the most important part of your existence. Take that step, make an appointment because as I’ve mentioned earlier “You matter”.

Another reason for not going to a therapist is how costly the sessions can get. People would rather spend thousands on clothes that they would wear once and other luxurious items, but when it comes to mental wellness; people shy away or ignore it and try to rationalize their behavior by blaming the therapists for charging too much. I this how little you think of yourself? How can you enjoy all those things in life when you can’t enjoy life as a whole? Compromised mental health affects one’s routine, the little things that they once enjoyed and loved don’t matter anymore, and they don’t care about their favorite color or their favorite ice cream flavor. Life is colorless. Investing in the objects is useless; one should invest in self to that they can have the opportunity to enjoy their belongings.

People believe that therapists or counselors won’t be able to help them, because they don’t know them. They won’t understand their struggles and everything would be meaningless at the end. “How can they help me?” is a question that is raised every time someone is suggested to seek counseling. The simple and easy answer is, “it is their job to understand you, to help you and they have more knowledge about what is going on with you because they have in-depth knowledge about human psyche”. You just have to trust them and open up to them. You will better. Pukaar is an organization that has an amazing team of psychologists who will help you through your struggles, contact them.

Written by: Izza Raza