Mira Ayoub studied Psychology at the Lebanese American University & intends to pursue a career in Clinical Psychology. She is originally from Syria but has resided in Lebanon for the past 10 years. Her passion has made her determined to abolish the stigma around mental health, especially in the Middle East. She is the creator of @Bekindtoyourmind.sy which focuses on educating & raising awareness about mental health. Make sure to follow her!
I could go on forever discussing this issue because we still have huge gaps in the mental health sector within the MENA region. Mental health stigmas are universal, however, sometimes they can be culturally/socially based. Common phrases you will hear in the MENA region include: “Oh he/she is seeing a psychologist; this person must be weak/crazy”, “This person is faking it for attention”, “We’re all depressed, you just need to be stronger”, “They are cursed by the evil eye”. Many of these assumptions & stigmas are either culturally or religiously based & lead to thousands of people not speaking about their struggles for fear of being judged or mocked.
I strongly believe that the main issues behind these stigmas are a lack of awareness & education. But it also comes from stereotypes or misunderstandings since humans are quick to place assumptions. In addition, there are certain beliefs & values that are deemed as the “Arab way of thinking” which has shaped many people into thinking that mental health is a taboo & is something that shouldn’t be discussed publicly to avoid shame. This mindset has led to ignorance & a lack of awareness in our communities. Due to lack of awareness, people with a physical illness are sympathized with & those with a mental illness are frowned upon. By not treating mental & physical illness equally, it leads to a deadly cycle with there being a lack of funding & proper resources for mental health.
I am someone who strongly believes that psychology/mental health should be taught in all schools. By implementing mental health or psychology programs into school curriculums, we would be a step closer to raising awareness on a larger scale. I also think that local organizations should include mental health programs for their employees. This would not only help employees, but also allow people to feel more comfortable & safe discussing mental health in general.
Lastly, I think it is crucial to create safe platforms so that people can contact trained professionals, anonymously or not, for free. Currently, there is only one such platform available in Syria, Dardasheh, but many people are not aware of it. Yet, just having one site is not enough to treat thousands, if not millions, of Syrians who face PTSD, depression & anxiety. For this reason, we need more digitally accessible therapy platforms in the MENA region.
Since mental health awareness in Syria is scarce, I decided to create this social media platform that is easily accessible & engaging for everyone. I base my posts on people’s requests or what I feel is important for Syrians to help them heal from their traumas & become better educated in psychology. I do this through various series, including the Disorders Uncovered series where I tackle a different disorder each time. I also recommend & review interesting articles & books.
Through my page, I hope to break some of the most common stigmas & taboos about mental health while raising awareness. I look forward to expanding my audience & enlightening my followers about the beauty & importance of psychology.
