There is little doubt that Pakistani dramas are excelling when it comes to highlighting social issues. After ‘Dar Se Jati hai Sila’ exposing sexual abuse within families, hit serial ‘Ishq Zahe Naseeb’ laid bare before the audience the often hushed issue of mental health.
The drama centers around a psychological illness that is rarely ever talked about in our society: split personality disorder. In ‘Ishq Zahe Naseeb’ you see a male character Sameer, who suffers from this psychological condition but hides it from others.
Sameer, a successful businessman, looks fine and eats fine, but yet is affected by a psychological disorder that no one has ever noticed. His childhood is miserable: his mother leaves him, his stepmother turns back on him, he is left all alone. Half of his childhood is spent in the house basement leaving him terribly scarred. His suffering eventually leads him to attempt suicide but luckily he survives.
His split personality hidden and untreated leads to his ruin. Such life altering mental disorders are hardly ever recognized by people in our society. Mental heath issues remain a taboo. People prefer see to altered behavior in their loved ones as the result of black magic or the work of ghosts and demons. Consequently, patients remain untreated and tormented.
Mental illnesses consist of behavioral patterns that cause significant distress and impact day to day functioning. In our society if a man is diagnosed with a physical illness he is deemed sick and thus to be sympathized with. However, a person battling against mental disorders is usually subjected to labels such as ‘attention seeker’ or advised to turn to religion as a cure.
‘Ishq Zahe Naseeb’ makes a brave attempt to undo these cruel social norms by highlighting mental health issues in our society and their consequences if left untreated. The audience is forced to see Sameer’s split personality as an illness. Addressing psychological issues is mandatory for they not only affect a person individually but also impact those around them. This is a message ‘Ishq Zahe Naseeb’ drives home with Sameer’s abuse of his wife who is unaware of his mental condition.
Mental health awareness has always been a constant struggle in Pakistan because as a society we are more concerned about what people will say rather than what the doctor will diagnose; we are afraid of being judged, discriminated, and neglected. Across Pakistan, discrimination towards individuals with mental diseases is easily discernible. People are often unwilling to socialize with someone who suffers from a psychiatric illness which is why most of those suffering choose to remain quiet.
Raising awareness is the key to curbing the ever rising misery and suicide rates. ‘Ishq Zahe Naseeb’ has taken the first step towards this. The next step must be ours: to openly discuss mental health in our homes and reach out to support those in distress.
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