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The story of an anxious generation growing up in a fast-changing world
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I’m able to laugh at my own misery, because of memes. They’re the best part of social media right now.”
Twenty-three year old Rahman, currently in graduate school away from home, highlighted yet another aspect of social media.
“Sometimes I feel that I am missing out on so much of my friends’ lives, but I don’t want to unfollow them either, because they are close to me,” he says. “But life is happening separately to all of us, yet, we are somehow a part of it all, from a distance. It all just seems too
confusing for me sometimes, balancing the ‘here and now’ with the ‘there and now’.”
Most of the respondents are unanimous in their worries for the environment. In addition to personal troubles, they are angry and frightened at how current and past world affairs have threatened the very existence of our planet.
“My whole family lives in Bangladesh and I am gripped by the fear that most of it will go underwater in less than a quarter of a century. When you are from a developing country, it feels especially unfair to see just how much we will have to suffer, thanks to the rampant exploitation,” laments Rahman.
“I may not worry about the environment on a daily basis, which makes me worry just a little bit more—the fact that we are just sitting back and letting our planet go to ruins and one day, it will hit us. I mean, it is already happening, and we are complicit in this crime,” adds Shayera.
The ongoing climate crisis has also given rise to a growing disenchantment with the current political and gig economy culture, that chips away at any sense of community and only promotes individualism. This has affected everything from our jobs to lifestyles to the environment, even the very fabric of our relationships.
“Relationships are one of the primary matters attacked by capitalism, erodes communities and pushes people towards individualism, which then feeds consumerism. Alienation, in my opinion, is one of the biggest problems of our generation. Tech corporations profit off of our isolation,” says Nasifa.
So, under such circumstances, when young adults are plagued by different anxieties, how do they feel about therapy?
Skepticism seems to be the norm when it comes to mental health assistance in Dhaka. “I’ve never been to a therapist and I don’t think I’m going to go anytime soon. I cannot really tell my parents about this, and I’ve also heard many strange stories,” says Raha. “For instance, my friend went to a therapist who ended up calling her mother, and was trying to manipulate her. Thankfully, my friend’s mom informed her. This may not be how all therapists work, but I can’t make myself do it. It takes a lot of courage to go to therapy, and I don’t have that right now. Sharing my thoughts is very intimate and scary for me, and I cannot do it with the wrong person.”
Shayera pointed out how everyone seems to know everyone in Dhaka and gossip, especially about something as sensitive as mental health, spreads like wildfire in the city. This makes it especially hard for many to open up about their issues.
“Dhaka therapists are not that cooperative, and neither are therapists abroad. My therapist was pushing me towards individualism and really did not understand the cultural context I was coming from,” says Nasifa.
Rahman explained that therapists often take a very bookish approach to diagnosis. “Their method is very prescriptive. It makes the people seeking therapy feel as though their anxieties are simply a brain dysfunction and that they do not stem from other factors, such as socioeconomic issues, class warfare, and other very real matters.”
In addition to the failure in communication, Professor Kamal believes that there is a dearth in the very number of therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health counsellors in the country.
“Dhaka may have a few counsellors to offer now. There are few in Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Sylhet, but apart from the well-known hospitals, regular mental health therapy services are severely restricted,” he says.
There is much that needs to be done in terms of access to mental health services and how we approach different mental health issues. The conversations recounted in this story are a reminder that we still have a long way to go. I asked some of the respondents what makes them feel better in the interim. While we were all on social media, they shared several memes with me to lighten the mood, and I promise you, they did not disappoint. I will go and scroll through some memes now to take my mind off of my worries. Perhaps you should too.
ILLUSTRATION: KAZI TAHSIN AGAZ APURBO
“My whole family lives in Bangladesh and I am gripped by the mad fear that most of it will go underwater in less than a quarter of a century. When you are from a third world country, it feels especially unfair to see just how much we will have to suffer, thanks to the rampant exploitation.” – Rahman