TW: This podcast revolves around the mental health journey of a patient who lived with schizophrenia and was stigmatized by an oppressive society. 

The death of the patient’s parents, her placement in an orphanage, and the death of a close friend all triggered hallucinations. After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, the patient worked on herself for 4-5 years and was making progress. This all took a turn when her therapist encouraged the patient to get married as is customary in Pakistani society. The marriage saw the patient’s mental health relapse. Consequently, she was unaccepted by her in-laws, who believed she was possed and thus, took her children away from her. The patient is now at a rehab facility called Fountain house. 

The podcast revolves around the themes of death and highlights the gloomy reality of mental health battles in developing countries- where your family cannot afford to look after you and your therapist let’s cultural values cloud their judgment. It reflects the tough and eventful journey of a survivor. A young girl who was displaced, whose childhood was marked by death, and whose marriage was anything but perfect. But she survived, she’s strong and self-reliant and today she’s finally getting the help that she should have gotten at the beginning of her life.

As you hear her story, we urge you to think of the psychiatrist who couldn't keep her societal/religious beliefs aside when treating her patient, think of the council that licensed said psychiatrist's practice, the family and the lack of a supportive environment they fostered. And then think of how this is only one story you're hearing today; we assure you, there's many more in our conventional Pakistan.