Wednesday 30 January 2013

"Exploring Minds" - by Roman Ahsan





~ EXPLORING MINDS ~

S ROMAN AHSAN interviews Dr. Nasreen Haroon about the benefits of counseling

THE NATION, ‘SUNDAY PLUS’ | PUBLISHED: January 18, 2009

Pain is unavoidable in life. As soon as we leave the tender years of childhood and gradually move towards independence, a never-ending sea of difficulties starts confronting us and the protective shell of our elders begins to fade into oblivion. Those who are strong amongst us are able to sustain the pressures of life while many just crumble under its demands. The truth is that this life is an amalgam of joys and sorrows, but mortal man never really accepts the thorns, that come with the flowers of life. Whether you are rich or poor, a CEO of a private firm facing the challenge of handling annoying employees or a person who has to carry a dozen bricks from the ground to the top of a 10th floor under-construction building, you cannot always flee from the negative thoughts that drain the energies of the mind. A help sought from the right professionals does come handy, only if we realize it in time!

‘Sunday Plus’ called on a psychologist Dr. Nasreen who imparts counseling and psychotherapy to people from varied backgrounds. Her strength lies in the dedication with which she carries out her job probing the psychological problems of her patients to rejuvenate them with a new spirit. In these days, when there is a rising trend amongst the health experts to fleece their patients, especially in Pakistan, Dr. Nasreen Haroon could be rightfully categorized as a savior. The paradox in a country like Pakistan is that when a person is threatened with disturbances of the mind, he or she is labeled as ‘mentally ill’ while in the USA, the term ‘mentally challenged’ is used instead. This shows that we need to upgrade ourselves intellectually to several levels before we can think of competing with the West on equal grounds.

S+: When does the psychology of human beings first evolve?
Dr. Nasreen: The psychology of a human being starts at once as soon as he or she is born. When a baby is hungry, it at once calms down when given food. Similarly when it cries, the warm fondling care of its mother pacifies it, since all it needs is love and affection. As the children grow, they interact with other kids and a psychological process starts. When the children get hurt, they run crying to the parents who give counseling thus soothing them. At schools, teachers who are concerned about their students with learning disabilities, give counseling to them. In the West, the need was felt in the 14th century that counseling should be made a proper subject at academic level. Normal people face adjustment problems in daily life and counseling was mainly started for them, but later on, the need for mentally disturbed people also emerged thereby giving rise to the vocation of clinical psychology.

S+: What is the significance of counseling?
Dr. Nasreen: Counseling is equally important for normal people or persons who have any psychological disorders like depression, anxiety and phobias. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder is one such disorder where a person has a tendency to repeat a certain task again and again. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, we tend to believe that only mentally disturbed people need counseling, where in fact it is equally important for normal people.
          There are two main professions in mind therapy:
1)- Clinical Psychology
2)- Psychiatry

Psychiatrists are specialists of clinical medicine prescribed for mentally disturbed patients whereas clinical psychologists are specialists in psychotherapy and counseling. Clinical psychologists treat social and psychological problems of normal and mentally disturbed people with the help of mental exercises or other forms of psychological help. They also provide training to their patients to fortify their inner selves for their whole lives, instead of depending on medicines. Counseling plays an effective role in education, industry and family, especially marital relations whether the issues concern emotional or financial. In the industry, vocational programs persist where people can face tensions pertaining to their jobs and careers, hence a professional help can assist them in the right direction.

S+: What sorts of persons are more prone to psychological disorders?
Dr. Nasreen: Those who are sensitive and introvert, and who do not share their problems with others are more susceptible to psychological problems. These traits add negativity to their minds, thus making them burst in the end. Some of these people become anti-social, social psychopaths or highly aggressive. In all of these individuals, the need for appreciation is very high.

S+: What are the factors that lead to psychological disorders in children?
Dr. Nasreen: Psychological problems are aggravated in individuals whose parents are very demanding or such cases are also recurrent in the off-springs of over-protective parents. Then, if the parents are always fighting with each other, then this affects the innocent minds of their children rather negatively. As for adults, not holding a good job and social insecurities like the current scene of terrorist attacks, poor infrastructure like bad roads and social phobias, all these contribute to poor mental health. Add to it the irresponsible role played by the media like showing dead bodies and live murder scenes, and you have the perfect recipe for psychological cases. When Benazir Bhutto’s assassination was showed on TV, a person got a fatal heart attack and expired.

S+: What are the main reasons for the adults to become victims of psychological disorders?
Dr. Nasreen: Some people are workaholic and are not ready for any failures, so it is very painful for them when they fall short of their goals making them prone to mental disturbances. It is very important to keep both poles of success and failure in picture. Today, we have invited artificiality in our lives, which also contributes to our problems. Some people have post-retirement, vocational and marital problems. As an individual crosses his or her youth into old age, low self-esteem also causes depression. Then some people do not accept old age and still exert themselves, both mentally and physically. Also, for those who lose their spouses, loneliness becomes a problem.

S+: How can the adults secure themselves against poor mental health?
Dr. Nasreen: Extra-curricular activities with a group of friends are much indispensable. Elderly people should keep themselves active by indulging in grocery shopping, paying bills, fetching kids from schools, gardening and others, since such activities serve as an occupation and remove any idle thoughts from their minds. Reading and writing are also very healthy for the old people. For example an army officer took to writing a book and a ‘tafseer’ of Holy Qur’an after his retirement which made him sustain the loss of his wife. Mental or psychological exercises are very necessary as they strengthen an individual’s mind.

S+: What are the various psychological exercises, which you prescribe for your patients?
Dr. Nasreen: It depends on the individual need of the patient after assessing them carefully. Deep breathing exercise, which involves inhaling deeply and then exhaling slowly, is very essential for all people, since it cools down their biological system. Imagination exercises are also very helpful for removing anxiety and building confidence, which are taught to patients by their psycho-therapists. A Proper stress-management plan is given to the patients to help them cope with their disturbed mental cycles.

A few years back, the movie ‘A Beautiful Mind’ based on a true story showed how a schizophrenic Mathematician managed to achieve a Noble Prize in his later years for his theories in spite of having succumbed to numerous phases of mania in his youth. Mind is a powerful machine even when devoid of its full potential, but its beauty is best reflected in positive feats.  We not only need to preserve ourselves physically, but should also make every possible effort to nourish our minds!

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