It’s natural to feel sad from time to time but how could you tell if you are suffering from depression? There has been a dangerous rise in mental health issues and people are actively discussing the importance of mental health now more than ever, but we have a long way to go as a community and as a society. While some try to seek professional help at the earliest, others are not given the same kind of support they need. Mental health in the Muslim community is often brushed aside as signs of weak Imaan or jinn possession. However, it is imperative to seek help with correct guidance, medication, and Islamic psychology if you or your loved one is suffering from any form of mental health issues.
Depression is the most common symptom experienced by people worldwide. But how do we know whether we are indeed being depressed? What are the symptoms of depression? How can you deal with it? Read on to find out.
Hopelessness:
If you find yourself feeling very hopeless to the point where you start imagining what’s the point in living, you may be experiencing depression. Some people may not even talk about suicide in such scenarios but will display signs of feeling hopeless. This needs to be given extreme importance, especially with Muslims.
When a counselor asks Muslims if they are being suicidal, they might answer in the negative because they know that suicide is haram and a huge sin to commit. So asking them direct questions about suicidal tendencies may not give the exact picture of whether or not they are depressed. Instead, when the counselor asks them if they ever have thoughts of death or if they wish for death or pray for death, they might say “Yes”. These thoughts are suicidal ideation. This is one of the biggest signs of depression.
Eating habits:
The eating pattern has a direct correlation with your mental state of mind. A person might either overeat or starve themselves when they are depressed. Overeating or a loss of appetite are important signs of depression.
Sleep pattern:
Notice your sleeping habits. When someone is very depressed, they could either have insomnia where they’re so restless and are unable to sleep or they might oversleep. They might make sleep a coping mechanism to escape reality. Depressed people with insomnia can be awake till two or three o’clock in the morning and be preoccupied with thoughts that are bothering them.
Crying spells:
How often do you cry? It’s very natural to feel sad at times, but if you let your sadness last for several weeks or months with no change in your mood, this could be a sign of depression. In such cases, people can cry almost every other day, sometimes even several times a day with no reasonable explanation.
Lose interest:
One of the common signs of depression is losing interest in doing things that you normally enjoy. You might see a social butterfly suddenly turning into an introvert and avoiding meeting anyone. Someone who is into painting and drawing may not take up their brushes for weeks on end. If you see a sudden drop in interest in doing things that brought you joy, this is an indication that you could be going through depression.
Lack of concentration:
You may have no motivation or concentration to do anything. If you notice such changes in your spouse or your children, be alert as they may be showing signs of depression. When you see a drastic behavior change, hold important conversations instead of brushing it aside as nothing serious.
If you notice any of the above patterns, don’t try to self-diagnose. With the information overload on the internet, it is easy to go searching for free keywords and conclude that you could be suffering from depression or any other form of illness, but this is dangerous.
Seek professional help to assess and assist you. Some people seek help and undertake medical treatment but do not see the results and suddenly stop taking their medications. This can make things very dangerous for you and your loved ones. Communicate with your psychiatrist. You need to give them feedback. Let them know if any medication is making you lose your appetite or giving you a headache. It could be anything! Your psychiatrist can then change the medications accordingly.
Similarly, when you choose a therapist, choose someone who focuses on solutions and gives you results rather than just listening to you venting in front of them.
Surround yourself with people who are supportive of you. In many Muslim households, the family members just shrug off signs of depression by blaming the individual and telling that they have low Imaan. Your imaan levels do not indicate your mental health. You could be a hafiz of the Quran but still struggle with depression. You could be the best volunteer in your community but still feel hopeless, lonely, and helpless.
Have Self-compassion:
If you’re suffering, know that you are not alone. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t be harsh on yourself and kick yourself down.
Reach out :
For those who are suffering – reach out. There may be ten people who don’t get you but one person can!
As A Community:
Don’t belittle the feelings of your family members or a person in your community if they are dealing with mental health issues. Learn from the character of our beloved Prophet Muhammad PBUH who showed exemplary traits in dealing with people from all walks of life. He was empathetic and gentle with them. Emulate him and develop emotional intelligence when dealing with people. We will be questioned about how we treat others and so, choose your words carefully with those around you, especially those who are dealing with mental health problems.
Let’s open up our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to those around us. If your eyes are not open and you’re not seeing the sudden discrepancy in the behavior of your loved ones if your mind is not open where you don’t even want to understand what the other person is going through and if you don’t have an open heart to accommodate their feelings, you might just lose a loved one.
May Allah keep all of us healthy, happy, and content in this world and the Next, Ameen.
For further guidance, you can find some free courses and content on how to enhance your marriage. Also, you can download a free PDF from the website to benefit from it, Insha’Allah.
Wafa Jawabreh&Rima Jawabreh Ghada Jawabreh
If we believe in the quran and the sunnah we must do ruqyah and hijama because some psychiatric illnesses go away by doing ruqyah
Sometimes it does feel like the Muslim community or some ways of teaching encourages us to not value this world and only think of the hereafter, someone even told me Allah doesn’t care about this world at all as much as akheera. SubhanAllah! I think this makes Muslims especially young impressionable ones to have this idea to not live well or contribute to this world and only think of the next, it can definitely breed depression.
Hana Mindfulhearts so true
Can you open it for sharing
Asalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatu Haleh
please spend more time with your kids listen to them get involved and support them in every way
“Prayed at the mosque as a woman, is a hafidh, reads quran” these are not markers of faith…. subhanAllah please dont peddle out bad info
Sister,how can I contact you. My daughter had all this system
Asc sister
You are not audible
Definitely have come across people saying that psychiatry/ psychology is a western concept and has no value….why are we unable to take the good and leave the bad as a community?
Spot on sister Haleh….empathy can be totally lacking and depression IS an internal suffering
So true….may Allah swt make it easier for all of us Aameen.
Subhaana Allah that is sad
Very well spoken Allahumma barek lak.
Very important topic. In the case of the family, when it comes to antidepressant medications, it does take 4-8 weeks or so for it to have the full therapeutic effect..so maybe its possible that their medications still were in the beginning stages and maybe that’s why they did the tragic act.
Also depending on the age of the siblings who started the antidepressants, it does have a warning label for young adults/teens that a side effect is suicidal ideation/thoughts as well. So these are probably theories to why this tragic event happened
Slaam repay
Assalam o alikum
May we have more professionals like you in our community
Some people are ignorant
May Allah shine His blessings on you and your family InshaAllah your strength is profound
Absolutely
Astaghfirullah
Ma’Sha’Allah beautiful advice my dear loving sister ,
Ziaullah Roghani
Depression is real and it’s there
We need to get over the stigma of mental illness
But it’s so sad …..the kids got help , his parents try their best and he is on medication tooIs it any cure for depression ?????
Denial
Been through this, May Allah help those people who harshly berate
Ameeen
Omg
SubhanAllah Haleh
Community and spouses unfortunately
Jazakiallahu khayr my dear this is so appreciated
Jazakhula, the manner in which we empathize
SubhanAllah right on
WaAlaikom asalam
on point about been less iman
Bingo, solution focused… so necessary Alhamdulilah
Salam..Haleh .really good conversation
Tracey Goolam
Sadek Goolam
Assalam Alikum watching from Canada Ma’Sha’Allah
Right on, praying we have more beautiful souls like you who can counsel our Muslim communities InshaAllah
Salaam
Taboo
I feel so depressed at times and get panic attack