Episode 6: Anxiety/Depression VS religion/spirituality - Making logical sense out of mental health.

If i can choose only one thing to help people understand mental health, I will want people to know this. 

The normal reaction/advice that I get when people know that I have GAD is that they ask me to turn to God. They ask me to pray more. They ask me to read Quran more. I don't and will never disagree to this. It is true. Asking God SHOULD BE the FIRST LINE TREATMENT TO ALL SICKNESS. 

Consider this example:

Situation 1

X: Babe, i think my depression is not normal la. It interferes with my daily life already. I'm not able to work and focus, I am always anxious, I have panic attacks, I have unexplained body aches and whats worst I lose interest in everything I used to enjoy. I don't even enjoy playing with my kids. Sometimes, I even have death wishes. 

Y: You kena banyak baca Quran. Bangun solat malam mintak Allah tenangkan hati you dan bagi you jalan macam mana nak sihat balik. 

Situation 2

X: I just went for check up, doctor confirmed I am diabetic. My sugar reading is above 10 already. No wonder I always feel shaky, trembling and depressed. 

Y: You kena banyak baca Quran. Bangun solat malam mintak Allah tenangkan hati you dan bagi you jalan macam mana nak sihat balik. 

For situation 2, isn't it awkward if person Y respond the same? Usually we will advice them to cut on carbohydrates and cholesterol, exercise moderately, get medications and eat on time right? It is because we understand and believe that diabetes is caused by lack of insulin. 

Many people DO NOT AWARE that hormonal imbalance can cause anxiety and depression just as much as lack of insulin can cause diabetes. 

Diabetes is a legit sickness. 

What makes society think mental illness is not?

Just as diabetes patients needs treatment, an anxiety/depression patient also needs specific treatment.

A diabetes patients who does not want to take medications may consider lifestyle modifications. An anxiety/depression patient may choose CBT or psychotherapy.

A diabetes patients needs to take anti-diabetic meds or insulin, an anxiety/depression patient needs to take anti-depressant. 

I get bothered if people think that anxiety/depression should just be treated spiritually. 

If your parents/family members have diabetes, will you just consider spiritual and alternative treatments or do you combine all possibilities with the hope one of it can make that person healthy and happy? 

BUT EVERYONE HAVE ANXIETY AND FEEL DEPRESSED AT SOME POINT OF THEIR LIFE. IT IS NORMAL. I BACA QURAN TERUS LEGA. ---> it means what you experienced was not a disorder. 

Do you know, normal people if they eat a lot macam masa raya ke their sugar might spike up to 8-10 mmol/L? But it will go back to normal and they wont be affected. 

Do you know that if a diabetic eat a lot just as much as you do masa raya their sugar might spike up to above 16mmol/L and they might need to be taken to emergency because of hyperglycaemia?

See the point? Everyone have anxiety and might feel sad. But to a patient, it is not the same as what normal people feel. It is impossible to know if you don't have it. The best thing to do is be aware, be sensitive, never assume that your anxiety and depression is the same with those suffering from a DISORDER. 

Hope this entry will help educate and make the public more aware of mental illness. In conjunction with Mental Health Day every year in October.