MENTAL ILLNES
Even today, in a world filled with progress and science, mental health remains one of the most misunderstood issues in our society. When someone starts showing signs of mental or emotional distress, such as mood swings, panic attacks, anxiety, or disconnection from reality, the first reaction in many families is not concern or care. Instead, people often jump to superstitions. They say things like, “It’s the evil eye,” “A spirit has taken over,” or “Someone has done black magic.”But the truth is: mental illness is real, and it is medical. It is not a matter of spirits or supernatural forces. And the longer we keep treating it as such, the more we delay the healing of those who suffer silently.I witnessed a heartbreaking case that clearly reflects this problem. A young man was experiencing sudden attacks, emotional outbursts, disconnection, and confusion. His family initially did the right thing byconsulting a doctor.After proper diagnosis, it was confirmed that he was suffering from depression. With prescribed medication, his condition began to improve. The attacks reduced and only occurred once or twice a year. But instead of trusting the treatment, his family started losing faith.They began asking, “If he’s taking medicines, why is this still happening?” Doubt replaced understanding. Instead of continuing medical care, they turned to a spiritual healer, a peer. The peer told them the boy was under a “saya” (shadow) or affected by someone’s “nazar” (evil eye). He gave them taweez (amulets), some blessed water, and told them to return in a week. He assured them things would get better. But nothing changed.Still, the family held on to the spiritual explanation. They stopped giving importance to the doctor’s advice. Every time the boy had an episode, they would perform rituals and make him drink amulet water, believing this would cure him. What they failed to understand was that the boy was not haunted. He was hurting.What he truly needed during those attacks was not loud rituals or forceful prayers. He needed a calm and quiet environment, someone to sit beside him without judgment, and the reassurance that his illness was not his fault. He needed fresh air, emotional support, space to breathe, and most importantly, consistency in medical treatment. But instead, his condition was made worse by noise, fear, and superstition.
Unfortunately, this is not just one story. It is a reflection of what happens in many households, especially in communities where mental health is a taboo subject. The moment someone behaves differently, we stop looking at them as human and start treating them as “possessed” or “cursed.” In doing so, we ignore their pain and isolate them even more.
The problem lies in our mindset. We accept physical illnesses without shame, but the moment someone’s mind suffers, we panic, we hide it, and we look for magical solutions. In reality, mental illness is just as normal and just as serious as any physical illness. It requires care, professional treatment, therapy, and sometimes medication. No amount of taweez or rituals can replace proper psychological support.We must understand that blaming the evil eye or black magic doesn’t solve anything. It only increases the delay in getting real help. It also creates guilt in the patient, as if their suffering is something shameful. This approach breaks a person from the inside. It makes them feel weak, unloved, and isolated.It is time we shift this mindset. We must educate ourselves and those around us. We need to normalize conversations about mental health, talk openly about depression, anxiety, and trauma, and support people in seeking help from psychologists, counselors, and psychiatrists. These professionals are trained to heal, not through fear, but through care.The mind, just like the body, can fall ill. It deserves to heal with dignity, not with taweez and blessed water. Let’s stop turning away from those who are suffering. Let’s be present, informed, and kind.Because in the end, mental illness is not a curse. It is a cry for help. Instead of blaming the evil eye, we must begin to understand the pain, respond with empathy, and offer real support.
(Author is LLM Scholar at University of Kashmir and can be mailed at: [email protected])
