The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2022, which eliminates penalty for attempted suicide, was passed by President Dr. Arif Alvi on Friday.
According to a statement made by the President House, Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, which deals with punishing suicide attempts, will be repealed.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-introduced the legislation (JUI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam opposed the bill.
Suicide or attempted suicide was a crime in Pakistan under Section 325 of the Penal Code, and it was sanctioned by a year in prison, a fine, or both.
صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے فوجداری قوانین (ترمیمی) بل 2022 کی توثیق کر دی
بل کے ذریعے پاکستان پینل کوڈ 1860 میں خودکشی کی کوشش کی سزا سے متعلق سیکشن 325 کو ختم کیا گیا ہے
صدر مملکت نے بیرونی سرمایہ کاری ( فروغ و تحفظ) ترمیمی بل 2022 کی بھی توثیق کی pic.twitter.com/OZOa2XHGG4
According to public health experts, approximately 75 per cent of Pakistanis suffer from various mental health problems. The majority of Pakistanis, according to Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy (HSA) Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, are either sad or under stress.
According to public health experts, approximately 75 per cent of Pakistanis suffer from various mental health problems. The majority of Pakistanis, according to Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy (HSA) Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, are either sad or under stress. Public health experts and intellectuals have portrayed a bleak picture of Pakistanis’ mental state.
Prof Shahzad Ali Khan, while addressing the launch of the 24th Thematic Calendar by Jahan-i-Maseeha Adbi Forum (JMAF), said that the majority of the population is suffering from different mental health disorders including depression and anxiety. He continued by adding that the majority of young people in Pakistan, view everyone as corrupt and incompetent, despite the fact that similar problems, such as inflation, unemployment, and recession, affect young people everywhere.
“Initially, teachers and academia of our society were targeted and they were defamed. Later, character assassination of physicians and healthcare professionals was carried out and the same treatment was meted out to politicians,” he added.
Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said that he has gone into depression after witnessing the situation of his constituency.
“The conditions are so bad in my constituency that I am thinking from the past two to three days that I should make a big decision. I am thinking of making a decision against myself. I can not bear to see any of this. I am at the extreme end of my depression, I can do anything,” said Rasheed while speaking in ARY News programme, 11th Hour.
Speaking with journalist Waseem Badami, Rasheed said, “I am sorry to say, I love our army and our institutions but this is the first time I have disassociated myself from them. I am not in a position to tell them that whatever is happening, it is need of the hour that the respect and dignity of the institutions do not get insulted.”
سوچ رہا ہوں اپنے خلاف کوئی فیصلہ کرلوں۔ دیکھا نہیں جا رہا۔۔ ڈپریشن کی آخری حد پر ہوں۔۔ کچھ بھی کر سکتا ہوں۔۔ شیخ رشید کے بقول وہ لوگوں کے حالات خراب ہونے پر ُانتہائی دلبرداشتہ ہیں۔۔#11thHourpic.twitter.com/ctGc57vuQZ
“I am saying this with a lot of honesty, no one will be able to stop this fire. Neither Imran Khan will be able to stop it nor Sheikh Rasheed. The army will get respect in abundance, if they conduct fair and free elections and give power to the one winning the elections,” stated Rasheed.
Badami interjected and asked, “So you think this hasn’t happened before? “Not in my opinion”, responded Rasheed.
World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year. The theme for World Mental Health Day 2022 is, “Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority”.
In 1992, the World Federation for Mental Health began observing the day. Raising awareness of mental health concerns and mobilising support for mental health are the goals of World Mental Health Day.
Here is a list of five things you should not say casually about mental health:
“Pagal ho?” (Are you crazy)
Calling someone Pagal or crazy is not right. They might be going through a tough period that we do not know is affecting them and to what extent. Calling them crazy can further aggravate their mental health.
“Mujhe OCD ho rahi hai” (This is triggering my OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is real, and the condition can hinder the life of the patient. Casually self-diagnosing yourself with OCD and equating personal obsession of cleanliness with OCD is not funny. If anything, it’s nothing less than insulting and dismissive to those who are actually plagued by the real-life symptoms of the disorder.
“It’s all in your head”.
Contrary to popular belief, depression is not the same as sadness. It is, in fact, a very serious mental illness. Telling someone that their mental health is not a genuine disease and it’s all in their head reinforces the misconception — that a person with a mental illness is somehow being dramatic and would feel better if only they could stop thinking about it.
“I have gone through the same thing“
If someone is going through something, saying that you have gone through the same thing is not helpful. Even if our intention is to help them, this phrase can be perceived wrongly and it can make them feel that they are not being heard.
The internet giant, Google has introduced a suicide hotline one box for Pakistan, which allows users to connect immediately with a suicide helpline at the top of the search results page.
The hotline termed ‘Umang Pakistan’ will now be displayed to anyone in Pakistan seeking suicide-related queries such as “suicide-support” and “how can I commit suicide”.
The implementation of this special service will aid worried Pakistanis in recovering from whatsoever hardship they are enduring. The hotline will assist stressed individuals and provide solutions to alleviate the anxiety that they are currently encountering.
Suicide ratio in Pakistan
Umang is a mental health helpline recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) that provides support to Pakistanis who are contemplating or planning suicide due to any reason.
The relationship between Umang and Google, according to Google, intends to help address Pakistan’s growing suicide rate. Keeping in view WHO estimates, Pakistan has between 130,000 and 270,000 attempted suicide cases per year.
Meanwhile, Google Trends shows that topics like “anxiety,” “depression,” and “suicide” all spiked in the 2020-21 era in the country, according to the internet company.
This search update is currently available on both desktop and mobile devices, including Android and iOS, and here’s how it appears in the google search:
Star comedian Kapil Sharma made his OTT debut recently through his Netflix special Kapil Sharma: I’m Not Done Yet. The hour-long comedy special saw the Kis Kis Ko Pyar Karoon actor enthrall audiences with anecdotes from his life, jokes about politics and Bollywood, and some heart-touching moments too.
He candidly talked about his own struggles with depression and alcoholism on the show. Kapil talked about his experiences with therapy when he found himself depressed. “We always believe that depression is something that happens outside (abroad). It doesn’t happen here,” he said, highlighting the lack of awareness about mental health issues in the country. Kapil talked about the time when he had stopped smiling and nothing appealed to him anymore.
The Firangi hero spoke about the darkest phase in his life and said that he restricted himself to his room when he was depressed. He added that he used to drink alcohol, sit in room with his dog and watch Netflix’s Narcos. Kapil also spoke about engaging with fights with people on Twitter, following which articles were published about him.The Firangi star stressed on the importance of seeking help if someone is in depression and said that people are still not aware about such issues.Sharing details about his conversation with a therapist, Kapil said, “She couldn’t believe that I could be depressed. She asked me about how I am feeling. I said I don’t feel like doing anything and I am not enjoying things. So, she quipped, ‘Aap duniya ko hasate hai, main nhi manti’ (You make the world laugh, I don’t believe this).”
Kapil, who is known for his wits, revealed that he quickly replied, “Ma’am, aap kitni khoobsurat hai, aap bhi mujhe achi nhi lag rahi (Ma’am, you’re so beautiful but, I’m not enjoying sitting across you either).”He added, “She turned serious and said- oh my God you’re in severe depression.”
“Mera kisse baat karne ka man nahi karta tha. Mein apne kamre mein band rehta tha aur Narcos dekhta tha.Mein raat ko nashe mein bathke Narcos dekhta that.” (I did not feel like talking to anyone. I would sit in my room with my dog, drink a few glasses of alcohol and watch Narcos in a locked room)
The comedian further revealed how seeking help for mental health illness is important and how these issues are still a taboo in India. Kapil was involved in an ugly spat with Sunil Grover in the past. His tweets during those times had gone crazy viral.
Earlier in September 2021, opened about his battle with depression at Fever FM’s Bounce Back Bharat Fest and said that he did not understand mental illnesses. He even added saying that his mother who hails from a small village did not know anything about mental illness and depression. ‘So at that moment, you don’t feel that anything will change because all things seem negative at that time. Don’t know what kind of chemical gets released in your brain that doesn’t allow you to think positively. But my family gave me strength at the time, especially my wife, Ginni. She knew everything about what was happening in my life. No one else did’, shared the comedian.
“Paper walon ka bhala ho jinhone likha ‘Kapil Sharma hue depression ka shikaar’. Mujhe pata chala, accha, ye hai mujhe.”
The Firangi star even said that his wife Ginni motivated him to get back to work and gave him all the strength. Kapil said, ‘Ginni stayed with me like a strong pillar. She is a big strength for me in my life. She told me that the public loves me and that I should go back to work. ‘Restart your show, you will feel good’’.
There were reports in Indian media of Kapil arriving late for shoots and canceling shows were reported in 2017. Moreover, several reports were saying that Kapil used to make celebs wait. During the same time, Kapil had a fallout with his co-star Sunil Grover and within no time his career dipped.
Actor Zahid Ahmed has talked about the importance of mental health in an Instagram post.
The Daldal star took to his Instagram story to share a picture with the text, “Mental Health is probably, the same as cancer if not worse. Strikes in stealth and is destructive,” the post read.
The Mein Na Janoo hero stated in an interview earlier, “I use social media as much as I need to.” He said he mostly uses Instagram. “I am well aware of the importance of speak with thoughtfulness. So, I try not to make any statement that would cause me to be mentioned in issues other than my work,” he said.
According to the actor, “If someone wants too much fame, then they would make statements without thoughtfully. If someone isn’t looking for publicity, then he would speak thoughtfully.” Ahmed continued, “There are all kinds of artists in the industry. Some people like to be in the news, while some people don’t, they have their own preferences.”
On the work front, Zahid Ahmed will soon be seen in Saba Qamar starrer Ghabrana Nai Hai. The movie also features Syed Jibran. It will be released on Eidulfitr 2022.
Hania Aamir, who has often opened up about her fears and insecurities, has penned yet another heartfelt note about her struggles saying that she doesn’t want to be a star who is unapproachable.
Expressing her thoughts on social media, Hania said: “When I took this picture, I was completely shattered inside. I would recite the kalma all the time hoping Allah would give me sabr to deal with the hurt I was feeling. Tears were ready to stream even in this picture and I was keeping it together as a front.”
“I know I express too much on Instagram and let you guys in on what a part of my private life is about but just bear with it because I feel this is how it should be,” she added.
The actor further said: “I don’t think I’m from a generation that believes a celebrity needs to be ‘unapproachable’ to be a star! Actually the quite opposite.”
Explaining her words, Hania said: “A star in my eyes is the one who is compassionate and vulnerable and scared and emotional and brave and knows what being famous means. Someone who knows the importance of their platform, someone who appreciates their followers their blessings and knows the fact that they can use their voice and influence lives for the better.”
“That’s the star I want to be,” she added, urging everyone to be kind to those around them and “most importantly, be kind to your own selves.”
Earlier, Hania had written a detailed note on the importance of self-love and urged people to be kind to each other and accept difference of opinion.
“I pride myself on being the person that I am today,” Hania had said. “Yes, I make the most of each day. Yes, I speak my mind. Yes, you might think I’m too much. I am. I am all of these things. I am extra. Extra. I love more. Laugh more. Feel more. Every emotion is heightened and that is the person that I am.”
In a recent podcast with Mark Nicholas, Indian captain Virat Kohli opened up about his battle with depression. Virat’s performance was disastrous during India’s 2014 tour of England. He only scored 134 runs in five Tests, which made him feel like the “loneliest guy in the world”.
Talking about suffering from depression, Kohli said, “I did. It’s not a great feeling when you wake up knowing that you won’t be able to score any runs, and I think all batsmen have felt that at some stage or the other, where you’re not in control of anything at all. And I just couldn’t understand at all how to get over it.”
Looking back at his difficult phase, the Indian captain said, “I think that when you look back at a very difficult phase, you realise that you had to go through that phase fully to be able to understand what’s wrong and rectify it and move forward, and just open yourself up for change, accept that there are things that are going wrong. But that was a phase where I literally couldn’t do anything to overturn what I was going through and it was tough.”
He continued, “I felt like I was the loneliest guy in the world. And that’s what happens, you can really push yourself into a downward spiral, where you feel like you’re going further down with each day that passes. But when things turn around, you feel that maybe I was being too harsh on myself, I was putting myself down way more than what was required for me to change. So now I understand with years passing by, that there’s a line that needs to be drawn and beyond that line, if you’re going downwards, it’s absolutely not required.”
Kohli also revealed how Sachin Tendulkar’s advice helped him. “I did have a chat with him about the mental side of things as well and the thing that he told me was, in cricket what he experienced was if you are going through a strong negative feeling and if that is coming into your system regularly, it is best to let it pass. If you start fighting that feeling, it grows stronger. So, that is the advice I took on board and my mindset really opened up from then on.”
During the podcast, Virat also praised his wife Anushka Sharma by calling her his, “Pillar of Strength” and added that no one understands him better than her.
Last month, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli welcomed their baby girl,Vamika.
Yashma Gill, who has been lauded for her recent performance in Pyar Ke Sadkay, opened up about her own battle with depression and said though that she has talked about this before, she will “keep talking about it till it doesn’t become normal”.
“As someone who has had first-hand experience of depression, panic attacks and anxiety so severe that it sometimes became derealisation, I can’t stress enough at the importance of reaching out and seeking help,” wrote the actor.
She continued: “Please stop labelling someone’s depression as just a phase or sadness. Sadness and depression are two different emotional states with depression being way more difficult to carry your life with – it’s dark, hollow, emotionally debilitating and can take a toll on your logical thinking leaving u feeling hopeless.”
Gill further said that there were times when she felt that the pain was so severe that she felt like giving up. However, her belief and faith kept her going and with that belief in Allah, she decided not to give up and reached out for help.
“Despite the fear of being called mentally challenged, a psycho or someone that can just not be labelled normal (which are all such shameful terms to give to anyone suffering from the illness of an organ called brain just like other organs can get infected it can too) I started taking therapy,” shared the actor, adding that when therapy hit a wall for her, she opted for medication which helped her recover from depression.
Yashma asserted that “just like other organs in our body that can get infected, the brain is an organ too and can get infected so there is nothing abnormal in that. What’s abnormal is for anyone to not worry about taking care of it or getting it treated like the rest of the organs.”
She concluded by requesting her followers and those reading her note to be kind and empathetic towards each other and not to hurt anyone.
