In Pakistan, mental health has remained a topic of discussion since the most recent couple of years. The frequency has expanded immensely due to emerging weakness, terrorism, economical problems, political instability, joblessness and disturbance of the social texture.
It has been 72 years since this country attained its independence in 1947 and we have progressed about 20%; any other country could have done wonders in this time span. Although the situation is improving but not in the required pace; Pakistan still has a very low rate in psychiatrists as most of them are drained by the first-world western countries where the lifestyle is unquestionably better, and after experiencing that no one comes back to serve our nation. A very large number of Pakistani psychiatrists reside in United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It’s almost as if we have become some sort of a psychiatrists exporting machine.
The existing psychiatrists are not given enough resources or space to attain some sort of mental stability in this region. The hospitals do not take the intake/admission or the exit/discharge criteria seriously, there aren’t any separate spaces for subspecialties, there aren’t any suitable places for a long stay, there aren’t any discussions between psychiatrists and family consultants, there aren’t any appropriate rehabilitation services, and there isn’t even proper advertisement available for their services.
There also isn’t any awareness regarding mental health. There are not enough resources, especially in this country, where being mentally ill is seen as a stigma. According to Al Jazeera, Pakistan has one of the lowest mental illness patient-to-doctor ratios in the world; it has only 380 trained psychiatrists — meaning that there is roughly one psychiatrist available per half-million people.
It seems that we are still far behind in accomplishing the standard criteria and to progress the current state, some stages are crucial. To attain any sort of development in psychiatric education, it is significant to focus on the theme of behavioral sciences, create an applicable undergraduate training program, and educate the society about it.
Therefore, I want to contribute to advancement with this blog; it will play out as a journey towards different kinds of mental illnesses and how to identify them for people who don’t view it as critical issue and for those who are seeking help but don’t have the sources or money to gain it. The blog will serve as a voice for those struggling with something as common as depression or anxiety or something as critical as Bipolar Disorder. It may prove beneficial for them as they may recognize the symptoms, overcome the stigma, gain the support of their families and start looking for medical help. There are numerous of people going through this and fighting with their inner demons, and this blog might make them realize they’re not so alone in this world as others go through this and there is a proper treatment for it.
A guide to mental stability 
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