Anam Tanoli’s death has raised many questions regarding just how much importance we’re giving mental health in Pakistan. Various celebrities have spoken out regarding the harrowing death that was allegedly triggered by cyberbullying and social media trolls, and have urged Pakistanis to not sweep matters like depression under the rug. PTI presidential nominee Dr. Arif Alvi called for a 24/7 helpline for members of the public suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, and celebrities such as Mawra Hocane, Ushna Shah, and Imran Abbas have also spoken out about the realness of mental health.
Last night, Momina Mustehsan took to social media to talk about Anam’s death and shared her own battles with depression
The singer has always been very vocal about her struggles with the mental illness and has shared her harrowing experiences of overcoming it and how it is a continual inner feud. Momina posted a picture of when she was suffering severe depression and emphasized the importance of mental health on par with ‘physical health.’ She dedicated her post to Anam in an open letter, asking for forgiveness for the world not reaching out to her in time, and was ‘sorry [she] had to give up.’ The singer talked about bullying and how detrimental it can be and how ultimately it can be the sole cause to take one’s life.
The singer then followed the open letter to Anam with another post dedicated to everyone who might be a silent sufferer of depression
‘I’ve spoken about dealing with depression in the past and overcoming it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t still have moments of weakness’ Momina revealed. She was wonderfully optimistic in her words as she stressed that we all have bad days, but we mustn’t give up on ourselves. She said how we can’t let ‘anyone else’s opinion define [us] or become [our] reality.’