- Zara Noor Abbas, a Pakistani actor, addressed the issue of depression on her Instagram page in response to the tragic suicide of Maulana Tariq Jameel’s son, Asim Jameel. She emphasized the reality of depression as an illness and the importance of acknowledging and addressing it.
- Zara highlighted that depression can affect anyone, even in the family of a religious scholar like Maulana Tariq Jameel, challenging the myths and taboos associated with the condition.
- Zara’s advocacy for mental health awareness is significant in Pakistan, where mental health remains a taboo subject. The country faces a shortage of mental health professionals despite a high demand for psychiatric assistance, emphasizing the need for reforms in this area.
Actor Zara Noor Abbas has taken to her Instagram page to express her thoughts on depression, especially at a time when the nation mourned the tragic death of renowned scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel’s son Asim Jameel.
On Sunday (Oct 29), news broke out about Asim’s death in the Talamba area in Khanewal, Punjab. Sources privy to the matter said that Asim had died by suicide.
After the Maulana confirmed the news, people took to their social media accounts to express their grief and sorrow over the untimely passing of a young man.
Many actors also shared stories and expressed their deep sorrow!
Zara Noor Abbas on Depression
Zara Noor Abbas took the opportunity to highlight how depression affects people indiscriminately. She emphasized that “depression is real like any other illness” and that people must acknowledge and take it seriously.
For years have people in Pakistan ignored the debilitating effects of depression and other medical conditions like stress and anxiety and put the onus on people suffering from the disease to get their act together.
The Sunday episode however confirms that most people are willing to talk about it and break the taboos attached to the term ‘suicide’. Asim’s older brother also talked about his brother’s illness and how his condition deteriorated over the last six months.
“In the Home of a Religious Scholar” Myths surrounding depression also see the disease as a result of a person moving away from religious teachings. Zara cited the example of the Maulana’s son to explain that the disease can happen to anyone – in the house of a religious scholar too. She also encouraged people who have their hidden battles to confront to seek help.
Zara on Her Mental Health
This is not the first time that Zara has used her platform to spread awareness regarding mental health. Back in 2020, during a podcast with RJ and VJ Dino Ali, Zara opened up about her mental health journey.
She said, “Some days I was happy, but there were some days I just didn’t want to get out of bed.”
State of Mental Health in Pakistan
Zara’s timely awareness post is commendable for the reason that mental health is still a taboo subject in most parts of Pakistan. According to WHO estimates, around 24 million people in the country need psychiatric assistance. However, the country has only 500 psychiatrists, which shows that it needs to introduce some timely reforms to help people deal with their mental health problems.
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