The Kashmir Monitor
By Aabid Turabi
People who are suffering from any kind of depression, bipolar need not to be treated only by Quran. Though Quran heals, we shouldn’t limit ourselves. As there are any other health conditions so are mental health conditions and these should be treated like those. Quran says ???????????????????????????????????????
“And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing (Surah Al-Isra, Verse 82:).”
We as Muslims have this in our faith. But do we limit people suffering from depression only to the meridian of faith. Critical thinking has been emphasized. Prophet Mohammad PBUH once guided eight people of the tribe of UKil to drink urine and milk of camels as medicine (Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 52, Number 261 :).
This is the fact that we need medicine and Allah is the one who provided us with avenues.
Moreover falling into depression or a mental condition where you need someone’s help is not a crime nor is a mystical concept. Islam doesn’t guarantee you that you wouldn’t fall prey to any such thing rather it shows there is a way out.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) faced intense hardship throughout his lifetime, but at one point he got severely depressed when Allah stopped sending revelations on him for about 6 months; and for the solace of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Allah SWT sent Surah Duha, where our beloved Prophet PBUH was reminded of the favours of our Lord.
This means depression is not a myth that will be cured by itself. If our Prophet PBUH needed Allah to guide him out of this who are you and me to be able to cope it ourselves.
And when you live in a conflict zone you are prone to the circumstances. If you reading this article and thinking it is some other people I’m talking about you are wrong. This is you and me.
Due to continuing conflict in Kashmir during the last 18 years there has been a phenomenal increase in psychiatric morbidity. The results reveal that the prevalence of depression is 55.72%. The prevalence is highest (66.67%) in the 15 to 25 years age group, followed by 65.33% in the 26 to 35 years age group. The difference in the prevalence of depression among males and females is significant. Depression is much higher in rural areas (84.73%) as compared to urban areas (15.26%). In rural areas the prevalence of depression among females is higher (93.10%) as compared to males (6.8%).{Syed Amin, AW Khan International journal of health sciences 3 (2), 213, 2009}
Effects of the post traumatic mental health condition.
People who can’t cope with these conditions end up losing hope. And losing hope is not good, not in Islam. We should have a balance between fear and hope of Allah.
Suicide is not permitted in Islam and depression leads to suicidal thoughts.
They age in which we need to make our career and be productive is also the age we are more likely to fall into depression. Depression decreases productivity.
We get isolated and this isolation gets wider day after day. We are unable to express ourselves.
Depression leads a way to other serious mental conditions that is a reason why we need to tackle it at the early stage.
Cure:
Believe in yourself that you are strong enough to cope with the stress.
Eat a good healthy diet.
Follow a good sleep pattern with night hours for sleep and day hours for work.
Keep yourself a good hobby and give some time in your day to recreational work.
If you still feel you are unable to cope with this and it is affecting your normal daily living then visits a neurologist/psychologist.
And believe; ??????????????????????????????
And when I am sick, then He restores me to health (Surah Ash-Shuara, Verse 80)
(The writer is a Nursing Student, College of Nursing GMC Srinagar.
