OF LATE, we have been hearing news about people killing people over minor disagreements.
Some people cannot control their anger and resort to physical violence which to them is the only way to solve problems.
This aberrant behaviour shows that such people are under intense pressure and depression. To put it simply, they are having some degree of mental health problem.
Mental health, as defined by the surgeon-general’s report on Mental Health (US), “refers to the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with others, and the ability to adapt to changes and cope with diversity”.
In this regard, ‘productive activities’ is equal to life. Life in the form of work, relationship and the surroundings, undoubtedly, has a great impact on the behaviour of human beings.
In this sense, inability to cope with all the joys and sorrows of life will lead to the dysfunctioning of a person’s mental health and this is depicted through extreme anger, sadness, depression, loneliness, unreasonable
happiness and confusion.
The World Health Report (2001) on mental health estimated that 450 million people worldwide are affected by mental, neurological or behavioural problems at any time and about 873,000 people die by suicide each year.
Another interesting fact is, one out of four people who turn to health service for medical care suffer from such mental disorder and yet, few were neither diagnosed nor received any treatment.
These figures prove that mental illnesses are quite common and impose immense suffering on the patients and their families. At the same time, they also increase economic and social costs. Clinically, mental disorder patients are given physical, psychological and social treatments. These treatments involve using medicine, electro-convulsive therapy, counselling, psychotherapy and social rehabilitation.
In general, the best treatment must always emphasise the need for holistic treatment involving the patients, their families, medical staff and society as a whole.
In Islam, the existence of mental capability differentiates humans from other creatures. Human mental capability proves that human beings have a sophisticated reasoning power. Therefore, human beings are God’s best creation.
For a Muslim, being a mental disorder person is regarded as in the most unfortunate circumstance as his obligation as a Muslim is not enforced. They have no responsibility to fulfil their religious orders such as praying,
fasting, pilgrimage and many more.
Based on this explanation, it is imperative for a Muslim to maintain his mental health. The best medicine to cure mental illness is by enduring a healthy Muslim lifestyle.
According to Dr Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy (UiTM), a healthy Muslim lifestyle would mean “to do all that Islam asks and to reside all that Islam forbids”. He also suggests several actions to
overcome mental illness.
Firstly, every Muslim must never neglect his duty as a true Muslim. Praying, fasting and many other Muslim duties are important and should not be taken lightly.
By performing all duties, a Muslim will have a peaceful mind and are able to avoid wrong-doings. Research findings have shown that praying and fasting have a soothing effect on one’s soul.
Secondly, Muslims are encouraged to exercise and challenge his brain. The best exercise is through constant reading and thinking. Through reading, we will gain a lot of knowledge and by thinking we can sharpen the mind.
Other than that, a Muslim must avoid exposing his body and mind to destructive elements such as addiction to drugs, alcohol, free sex and many more.
One interesting example is an addiction to cannabis. The accumulation of chemical substances called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) as a result of cannabis addiction will weaken the brain activities. Thus, the addict will lose his ability to solve problems and, therefore, feel distressed and under hallucination.
The above explanation shows that Muslims must avoid high-risk lifestyles as it will weaken and destroy the Muslim ummah .
Lastly, Muslims are also encouraged to maintain cleanliness as it is a healthy way of life. A clean environment helps to promote happiness and calm livelihood and, therefore, minimises stressful feelings.
For a normal person, maintaining a healthy mental condition is actually a choice. A clean and healthy lifestyle is an important prerequisite for perfect mental health. Despite the individual effort, the society must also play its role to protect the “society’s mental health”.
On the other hand, we cannot deny the existence of genetically mental disorder patients. For them, avoiding the disease is not a choice at all.
However, they can minimise the recurrence of the disease by being closer to God and with the support of the family.
In conclusion, development and modern technology have improved our quality of life. We experience a better health condition, drive faster cars, live in better accommodation, enjoy better health services, modern communication services and thousands of other advantages that have increased our quality of life and prolonged human lifespan. Ironically, at the same time, we are living under pressure and the word “stress” is synonymous with our life.
Thus, it is very important to identify the sources of stress and work to overcome it. As a way of life, Islam always has the solution for every problem. All Muslims need to do is to follow the Islamic way of life, be a true Muslim and Insha Allah, all of us will be able to lead a peaceful inner life and avoid all kind of mental illness.