- Let’s get real and deal with it
A year back, I travelled for the first time to Swat, also known as heaven on earth, for my research project about the status of IDPs rehabilitation after Operation Rah-e-Rast. After 10 hours of constant travel, I was glad and sad at the same time. Glad because I was travelling to Swat first time, and sad because I saw the condition of the people who left their houses only because of terrorism which they were facing in Swat by Tharik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) .
First day, I travelled to Buner with my student and met his uncle who was the leader of Aman Laskar in 2009. He also fought against the Taliban and received Tamgha e Shujat by President Asif Ali Zardari, for bravery and constant support for his people. He said that was surprised to know that I had travelled 500km from Lahore to Buner for my research paper. He appreciated my effort and shared all details about the Talibanisation and operations with me. While answering my questions, he said that the most difficult time was when the situation was out of control and army launched operation Rah e Rast. “After some days we had to leave our homes, something that was really hard for all of us.”
As a result of these terrorist attacks, people have suffered a lot. There are three type of losses which I observed there. A lot of people died because of terrorist insurgencies. A lot of injuries also took place. Last, people suffered psychologically which made me question why psychological problems have always been neglected in our country?
In our society psychological suffering is badly neglected without any reason. No one wants to share if they have mental health issues. Because of this trend in our society people avoid talking about mental sickness and psychological issues. In my view the only reason behind the ignorance of this major issue is the negative notions associated with psychological and mental problems. It has become a social taboo, and no one wants his or her psychological and mental problems to be known publically or discussed openly.
Openly endorsing psychological suffering as a curable disease can change the social outlook towards it
Keeping this issue in mind, I interviewed a girl in Buner who shared her ordeal with me. She said it was becoming more challenging for them as the days progressed. She recalled that they could not have a sound sleep because of terror. It affected her badly. When she moved to Islamabad, the horror of attacks still remained in her mind although she knew she was secure. For two months she remained anxious and perturbed. Then, she started taking sleeping pills to get rid of those perturbing memories that haunted her.
While interviewing the wife of a person who lost his leg in a blast in Lahore, I learnt that after this incident she faced severe depression, but refused to consult a psychologist for help. Why did she refuse? The only reason which I could know was that perhaps her in-laws would not approve of her seeking professional help because of their lack of awareness. Unfortunately, in our society mental sickness is not given due attention and significance as compared to other diseases and ailments.
In 2011, as a result of Breivik attack, 2,736 cases of trauma and stress related disorders were recorded in psychiatric hospitals in Denmark. The attack not only spread fear in Norway but also in neighbouring Denmark. PTSD is the mental health condition that is triggered by witnessing or experiencing. A lot of people are suffering from PTSD across the world, particularly in Pakistan.
According to Ms Rabia Zafar, a clinical psychologist and the founder of Psych Line, which is a platform for Free Online Counseling in Pakistan, people are not aware of mental health it has been ignored since ages which is the biggest dilemma of our nation. Different stigmas are attached with it. However, with the passage of time people are becoming aware of its importance.
Coming towards the people with PTSD, especially after terrorist attacks, it is very important for the person to have proper therapeutic sessions. Also, to keep in mind that healing takes time. Do not expect to recover in a day or two of therapy. The Pakistan army instituted rehabilitation centers when terrorism and violence were at their peak. The centers were built in Quetta, Swat, Peshawar and the then Bajaur Agency in a bid to rehabilitate the people who were involved with the militants. At the Swat Sabawoon Rehabilitation Center, they are focusing on the rehab of those who were involved in militancy. They work on ex-militants to bring them back to normal life. After the APS attack in Peshawar, army took the responsibility to rehabilitate the families of the martyred.
In Pakistan, a lot of terrorist attacks took place in Lahore. After the attacks the government only took responsibility of those who died in the incident or got injured. They gave them aid to compensate their loss. However, the survivors never made a headline. The government officials had never talked about the persons who faced trauma as a result of these attacks. Keeping in mind the mindset of Pakistani society about mental health, it is a neglected facet.
So far we do not have any dedicated public sector rehabilitation center for the people who faced PTSD after terrorist attack. To sum up, mental health is an important but tabooed issue. Government should urgently develop rehabilitation centers for those people who still suffer from their post-terrorist attack depression, although currently the frequency of such attacks has reduced. Openly endorsing psychological suffering as a curable disease can change the social outlook towards it. It would be the right step towards developing a pragmatic way of healing the society.
