Written by: Hala Syed
Posted on: November 22, 2018 | 
| 中文
The team behind Project Hope
Depression’s most insidious and self-perpetuating symptom is that it makes you feel alone. Knowing that you are not alone may not be a cure, but it certainly is a relief. Hence, the most inspiring aspect of the “Project Hope” support group launch, held at The Second Floor (T2F), Karachi, was that so many people attended it.
Practically every single hand was raised when the audience was asked if they had suffered from some form of mental illness. Stories of personal struggle, courage and resilience were told through a panel discussion, a music performance and a heartfelt monologue, giving a human face to a global epidemic that is often reduced to statistics. Hearing that one in five people suffer from mental illness, does not have the same impact as coming face to face with a real person’s inner turmoil.
As we learnt from the panel at the Project Hope launch, including public influencers Khalid Malik and Ahsan Bari, success is no panacea for depression. By being vulnerable enough to share their journeys, they are living proof that a healthy life is possible, no matter how low you have felt.
“I felt anxiety and depression before I had the words to identify them,” said Dreen Anwar, the founder of Anxiety Anonymous, an online awareness mental health Facebook group that has allowed people to connect and share their experiences and anxieties. The group is now branching out, and seeking solutions with weekly support sessions, in the form of Project Hope, where one can express their feelings without fear of judgement by learning coping mechanisms from each other.
Personally, at the lowest points of my depression, I would lie in bed and could not muster the energy to get up. Mundane everyday things felt like a struggle that I could never overcome. Without the vocabulary to explain what was happening inside my own head, I felt isolated from the world. When I finally realized that other people went through similar experiences, I was able to stop blaming myself and understand that depression is not who you are, but an illness that happens to you.
The sessions are an opportunity to be heard but also to listen. The articulate Varah Mussavir, who spoke at length, noted that many of the people she has encountered simply need to speak their heart out to a kind ear. Those with clinical issues may seek professional therapy and medication, but all of us need personal connections.
Alongside the four popular public influencers: Khalid Malik, Ahsan Bari, Varah Mussavir and Yousuf Bashir Qureshi-YBQ, the panel also included two certified experts in the fields of Medicine and Pyschotherapy, Sana Zehra & Imran Majeed, who touched upon common misconceptions relating to symptoms and treatments.
While any addition to the public mental health conversation is helpful, it is equally important to be responsible and structured in our approach. The organizers promoted the event as a space for people with questions about anxiety and depression, and failed to properly address them. Instead, they indulged the celebrity panellists who rambled in their conversation, which prompted one frustrated audience member to burst out, “How does any of this help with anxiety?”
Despite the hiccups, this is a necessary and timely initiative that can slowly help people who have felt silenced. Where there is conversation, there is hope. The weekly support group meetings sound promising, as they will likely involve a more intimate setting, where participants can freely share their thoughts, and eventually participate in therapeutic events and life coaching. These weekly sessions will be held every Thursday at The Second Floor (T2F) and are open to anyone who wishes to attend.
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