Why do we pretend mental illness doesn’t exist

However, this lady was persistent and I allowed this scenario to repeat itself a few more times before I confronted the elephant in the room.

I recalled one of our indirect interactions which occurred as I walked past her in her unfazed state, perched on a bench obliviously watching the traffic and public blur past.

“I like her shoes. They’re very pretty. I like her shoes,” she repeated over and over until I exited her field of vision which signalled the return of the cacophonous singing.

I, for the first time, allowed myself to confront what I had seen and acknowledged the mental state of the woman.

An uncomfortable series of knots settled in my stomach; a signal to suggest something was wrong. What was wrong was my reaction.

A distressing realisation dawned on me. I was embarrassed; a feeling that stemmed from the environment that raised me, an environment that didn’t tell me how I should feel or how I should act.

This train of thought led me to analyse the bitter truths associated with the perception of mental illness within our communities and how we react or more accurately how we don’t react to it. There has been a long associated taboo with mental illness, to the point where just the mere mention reduces lively conversation into an incoherent blend of mumbling and apologetic discourse before the topic of conversation is swiftly redirected.

By deflecting from the issue we can almost pretend mental illness doesn’t exist or is akin to a phase endured and ultimately overcome.

However, by doing so we only serve to perpetuate this stigma associated with mental disorders - a result of severe short sightedness and stuttered education.

Mental illness is an umbrella term for a huge subset of disorders which can be generally defined as an abnormal psychological state diagnosed by a deviance in ‘normal’ personality or behavioural traits.

It encompasses recognised illnesses such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression etc. as well as afflictions that Islam specifically recognises.

This includes possession of the mind by means of jinn which in the extreme can corrupt the heart and mind of the stricken.

Both are recognised in Islam, yet certain sections of our Muslim communities tend to place greater emphasis on possession or sihr (black magic), as the sole reason for any such deviances in mental states.

There is less sympathy for the western definition of mental illness - often looked upon with sneering inferiority, almost as if they are non-existent products of the imagination.

There are many reasons why the western classification of mental health is disregarded with the overwhelming attitude stemming from a twisted interpretation which runs along the lines of ‘How can a person suffer from these ailments when they have Islam?’.

However, a dangerous oversight with this line of argument is not realising that trials are sent in all shapes and forms and mental illness whether that be possession or depression is recognised in Islam and should not be overlooked as fleeting emotional states.

Being a Muslim does not grant instant immunity to these afflictions and we must not be blind to the extent of their effects.

There is an ideology amongst our elders which has been inherited by successive generations that mental illness is a product of the West.

It is disregarded in its potential as a genuine condition, or its ability to rival physical illness in its need for urgent medical attention.

By negating its validity as a condition we only serve to exacerbate the stigma which in turn negatively impacts upon the sufferer.

The disease of the mind is already in a state of great fragility so by downplaying its existence, the sufferer increases his burden by attributing all fault to him.

We cannot underestimate the impact of the stigmatising mind-set that interferes with an already troubled mental state. These attitudes prevent individuals in our society from actively seeking the required treatment thus compounding their emotional vulnerability. Mental illness is real. It can destroy a human being by threatening to seep into the heart, clouding judgement and action.

By not acknowledging it we commit a disservice to not only those afflicted but to Islam and the practice of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who through his talks and actions demonstrated the importance of not exiling the most vulnerable.

‘Atā ibn Abu-Rabāh reports that once ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās said to him: “Would you like me to point out to you a woman who will be in heaven?” ‘Atā said: “Yes.” Ibn ‘Abbās said: “This black woman came once to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: ‘I suffer from severe epilepsy and parts of my body get exposed. Will you please pray to Allah for me?’.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: ‘The choice is yours. You may wish to endure it with patience and have admission into heaven as your reward, or you may wish me to pray to Allah to cure you’.

She said: ‘I will endure it, but some parts of my body get exposed, so pray to Allah for me not to be exposed.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed for her.” (Bukhari).

With the last ten days of this blessed month of Ramadhān well and truly upon us, we must not neglect those who, as a result of their condition, may not have the confidence or ability to utilise Ramadhān in the way you and I are able to.

As we occupy ourselves in the acts of fasting, praying and making du’ā, it is our duty to, at the very least, supplicate for those individuals who many of us are guilty of isolating by way of our silence and inaction. By letting mental illness fester in the minds of our brothers, our aunts and our neighbours, we indirectly begin to normalise the stigma making it increasingly difficult to initiate dialogue.

We urgently require education and the ability to recognise that mental illness exists and subsequently acknowledge that it is not a transitory phenomenon.

Numerous treatments exist in the modern age and as Muslims we are blessed to be in possession of the greatest of gifts, in the form of the holy Qur’an. By combining conventional, medical treatments with healings derived directly from Islamic scriptures, we have a sound model for tackling an illness which perhaps cannot be seen to be physically bleeding but has the power to bleed a person dry.

Abu Saeed asked: “Messenger of Allah, which people have the greatest affliction?” He replied: “The Prophets (peace be upon him), and then the most pious and righteous. Any one of them may be tested with poverty until he could find nothing more than a robe to cover himself with and he would wear that.

“Another could be tested with fleas until they almost killed him. They were more pleased with their affliction than any of you may be pleased with gifts.” (Bukhari).

Hunaynah Patel writes on behalf of 1st Ethical Charitable Trust.