Psychological Problem in Pakistan

 Psychological Problem in Pakistan

 By: Shoaib Mirza
www.facebook.com/mypsychologymagazine

Psychological problems include illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders. With advancement in all fields, the field of psychology has also come a long way. With the increase in the daily stressors, the mental health is affected. There is an increase in the cases of psychological distress.

‘Distress’ refers to a patient’s state of discomfort, which is felt due to some illness. It might be acute or chronic. It is the discomfort, the patient feels during and after treatment (Ridner, 2004). Psychological distress includes sadness, frustration, anxiety, and a number of other negative mood states.
Negative mood state may be of multiple ways and the levels of severity for a particular problem vary from person to person. It may be transient or persistent. It is a normal reaction towards any trauma/adversity or towards any psychiatric problem.

Various stressors and medical or psychological illnesses are prominent factors for causing distress. When severe psychological distress becomes problematic, affecting the daily functioning (e.g. school, work, self- help etc.) of the individual. In less severe cases, the individual can cope well with the stress by taking proper rest, taking a break and indulging in constructive regular physical exercises.

Psychological distress is a serious problem for both the individual and the society. According to the viewpoint of scholars, for the creation of an ideal society, the individuals of the society must be free of anxiety, depression, irritability, and fears. The psychological distress may be healthy when it is not affecting the person’s life and when it is motivating for the person to take challenges. It becomes problematic for both the individual and the society when it prevails for a long period (Eid&Diener, 2004).

However, with the increase in the problems faced by people, yet many people of Pakistan are unaware of it and consider being mentally ill as a great stigma. When given the suggestion that the person needs psychological help, she/he denies any kind of problem. On the contrary, he considers the helping person as insane.

Moreover, there have been such cases when someone seeks help from a psychologist she/he is looked down upon. The taboo of being mentally unhealthy remains with him throughout his life. That is why such acts are largely discouraged in Pakistan. People think that clinical psychologists are mental people and make fun of them..

Overall, we can conclude that clinical psychologists are just people trying to help the others facing problems in everyday life due to any kind of stress that they are unable to cope with. In addition, people should be aware of and be able to accept the existence of psychological problems.

It is not a crime to take help from another person. People should be able to ask for help when they need it. From the Islamic point of view, it is a moral obligation to help oneself and to live a better and satisfied life.