Mental Health Crisis.

In the last five years, over 222 people have committed suicide in the district of Ghizer in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). This is an alarming number that reflects deteriorating mental health amongst the youth of the region and a serious lack of awareness about mental well-being on part of the authorities. The youth is supposed to be the future of the country but for life to seem so bleak to such a significant portion, leading to them causing their own deaths is a scary trajectory that must be addressed. The healthcare system must evolve to incorporate the treatment of mental disorders before many more succumb to them.

Cases of suicide have often been rather higher than the national average in northern areas like GB. Within the first six months of this year, over 15 people have been reported to have taken their own lives and the unspoken reality is that there are countless other instances that go unreported because of various social taboos.

More often than not, those suffering from problems like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder or substance, and alcohol abuse are shunned due to a severe lack of understanding about the severity of such afflictions. Most families are often either in denial or refuse to pay proper attention to such issues, let alone explore the possibility or seek out help. For the minute population that does...