These Pakistanis Seeking Therapy Opened Up About How Helpful It Truly Is

By Sajeer Shaikh | 24 Jan, 2018

Mental health awareness is, fortunately, spreading in Pakistan. However, people still tend to be a bit iffy when discussing therapy, or how productive therapy can be in actuality. Therefore, we reached out to a few people who are seeking professional help to explain why it’s actually a pretty great idea.

 

Sarah Kazmi,* a 27-year-old struggling with clinical depression for the past five years, talks about how her therapist helps her with each passing session:

“When I was 22, I realized that I was having trouble in many areas of life. My grades were slipping. I had no interest in meeting people. I was basically pushing people away. This went on for about three years. A LOT had gone wrong in the meantime. I had to repeat a few courses. My social circle was pretty much non-existent. But the absolute worst was staying up at night, staring at the ceiling, not being able to pin down the gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach.”

Source: irishtimes.com

“After taking a few online tests – all of which suggested I was battling depression in some form – I decided to consult a real therapist.”

“Now, you have to understand. I come from a conservative family. My mother knows I’m going to a therapist. My father still doesn’t know. He would be pretty mad if he found out. Unfortunately, seeking out a therapist is still considered shameful in my family. However, going to a therapist was the best decision I ever made.”

“The fact that it’s all confidential makes me feel a lot safer. Moreover, I’m not shooting in the dark for answers. I have plausible answers and theories about why I was miserable. I have solutions. And that, for me, is a huge win.”

Source: sadrunner.com

Next, 23-year-old Ahmad Jamil* explained how therapy has benefitted him:

“It’s hard enough for people to understand the importance of therapy in Pakistan. It’s harder to digest the concept where a man seeks professional help. Boy, was I berated for my decision. And not just by people who I thought were friends. My own family called me names.”

“It was a tough decision to make, but I suppose all the opposition made me want to go to a therapist even more. And it’s helped a lot, too. I’m able to understand where my anxiety may stem from. I have better control over episodes of anxiety attacks. I think therapy is like a key that opens the door to your mind. You walk in, explore where the faults are and work through them. I really wish it wasn’t a demonized process.”

Source: Shutterstock

Shizah Hamid*, a 31-year-old single mother, also explains how going to a therapist helped her become a better mother:

“I’m not proud of the phase in my life where I was admittedly a bad mother to my daughter. My husband’s affair and the consequent divorce, coupled with raising a young girl all by myself was too much. I went on a downward spiral. I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of. But failing my daughter hit me the hardest. I was already miserable and the taanas kept coming anyway. Since I didn’t have anything to lose, I went to a therapist.”

Source: newyorkfamilies.org

“I can feel things getting better. Of course, it’s not like a magic trick. Things don’t heal overnight. Everything takes time.”

“I realized that to fix everything else, I needed to work on myself. And I am. My relationship with my daughter has improved. Moreover, I’ve learned how to block out the bullshit I don’t need to hear. It’s liberating – being able to make a decision yourself and follow through with it.”

Source: greatist.com

Therapy isn’t limited to any age group, either. Which is why 17-year-old Fatima Shaikh* also had a story to share:

“I didn’t think I was someone who would ever need to seek professional help. I’ve always managed things on my own. I don’t rely on anyone else. However, what started off as a psychology project for school eventually materialized into definite therapy sessions. I’ve been able to recover repressed memories that explain why I’m so closed off. It’s like being reintroduced to yourself, really.”

Source: ox.ac.uk

From these stories, it’s evident that therapy can help you heal. Or at least traverse the path that leads to healing. Now that we have stepped into a new year, let us hope we leave notions of therapeutic help being evil behind. Your mental health is and always will be important. Help yourself by taking the first step towards betterment.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

 

For more content that makes you aware of the world around you, follow Wajood on Facebook.

 


Cover image via: fatherly.com

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