Tales of Fatigue and Recovery: A Guide to Mental Health

Author's name: Dr. Nabil Al-Qat

One in four people living around you may suffer from a mental health disorder. This person may be a member of your family, a neighbor, a person who lives with you in the same neighborhood, or a classmate with you at school, university, work, or a club. In other words, 100 million people in the Arab world, and 20 million in Egyptian society, suffer from some kind of mental health disorder. Nearly half of these suffer from depression, and most of them do not receive specialized mental health care, especially if they live in societies that lack basic mental health care, like ours. A girl who is quick to anger is accused of being "ill-mannered," and the one who cuts her skin with a razor is accused of being "possessed." A boy who takes drugs is called "spoiled," and a man who is socially isolated or afraid to leave the house is accused of being weak. Consequently, suffering continues to plague these people's lives, because those with mental health disorders are often treated in ways that exacerbate their suffering. These conditions may include failure to acknowledge their mental health disorder, blaming them for it, or neglecting them because of it. Sometimes, this can even lead to persecution, causing them to cause problems for themselves or those around them.