Ihsaan Magazine May 2020 Issue - Living your best Life | Page 28

Written by: Vandana Siew Sankar-Ali
Coping with mental health
Challenges
Challenges
The world is experiencing
a pandemic, but even
before the appearance
of this virus, mental health
has been a very real and very
taboo topic in our society. As
Muslims, we commonly hear
others say, “just trust in Allah”,
“don’t worry that’s just a
phase”, “if you read salaah you
wouldn’t feel so depressed”,
“Qur’an is the answer”, while
there is much truth in these
statements, we first need to
understand that there may be
a more urgent need to focus
on the individual’s mental
state and by extension mental
health before doling out advice
in the likes of those mentioned
above. It is absolutely normal
to be a Muslim and feel
periods of low, in fact, we have
several Prophets of Allah who
experienced doubt, moments
of weakness, sadness and
more.
If these chosen individuals
can experience such human
emotions, how can we expect
that we, normal (nowhere
close to these exemplary
persons) and average human
beings can be free of these
feelings and emotions?
With the coming of the
pandemic, comes an even
scarier reality, much more
people and by extension
Muslims will be experiencing
periods of stress, anxiety,
overwhelming thoughts, major
changes in routine (which is
important for those battling
some of these mental health
issues) and more. It is even
more pertinent now that we
deal with the reality of these
feelings and understand
ways in which we can help
our loved ones cope and we,
ourselves cope with these
feelings and emotions. To
shed some light on techniques
we can implement, we have
asked a qualified professional
in her field, Mrs Vandana
Siew Sankar-Ali; a clinical
psychologist and fellow
Muslimah to provide some
ways in which we can
cope with mental health
challenges.
Living in today’s dynamic,
ever-changing world means
that various circumstances
and life events can impact
our psychological wellbeing.
Loss of jobs, income,
or loved ones, failure,
uncertainty, family and
relationship challenges,
and even fear of illness
and contagion during
the current pandemic
can all trigger thoughts
and emotions which may
be difficult to endure.
During trying times, we
all experience normal
human emotions such as
sadness, anxiety, guilt,
and frustration. Most
times, these emotions have
specific triggers, persist for
a brief and finite period,
and may be relieved by
talking to a supportive