12:17 p.m. - 2003-06-16
An experience worth sharing.
Most of us usually don't think about people suffering from mental-diseases as we live in a healthy society of normal individuals and rarely get a chance to see the plight of the mentally ill. I too was completely unaware of the existence of such individuals, until I befriended a sensitive twelve-year-old boy, Zeeshan.
After talking with his caretakers I got to know that he is suffering from a mental disease called epilepsy. It is a disease which causes unexpected bouts of unconsciousness and fits. The caretakers told me that besides the sudden attacks, he was more or less normal.
After a few visits, we became very good friends. When I asked about his past, I was told that he had been abandoned by his family when he was just five years old, as they considered him a burden and were unaware of the fact that he was only ill, not cursed.
When I inquired more about his disease, he told me that the attacks sometimes came once a month and sometimes once every week. There was no fixed period. The attack would usually begin with a sudden feeling of uneasiness in his chest and would result in the loss of consciousness. In order to get an adult's perspective, I approached the lady in charge. She told me that after losing consciousness, his body would become extremely stiff and he would start shaking vigorously from head to toe. The attack would usually last for a minute and would end by the flowing of froth from his mouth. Even after regaining consciousness, he would behave like a drunk person for the next fifteen minutes.
Besides these unpredictable attacks, Zeeshan lived a completely normal life. However, the disease had already made a huge impact on his life, being the sole cause of losing the love of his parents and family members. I could not help but feel sorry for him. However, when I expressed my feelings to him, he surprised me by his courage when he said "I don't want your pity, I just want your friendship". These few words clarified all his emotions to me and now, after three months since I first met him, I am proud to say that he is one of my best friends.
Even though my knowledge and awareness of this disease has increased considerably since I met Zeeshan, I am still unaware of any possible cure and the possibility of my friend leading his life as a normal individual. Zeeshan's past makes me wonder why the awareness of mental diseases such as epilepsy is so minimal in Pakistan even though a lot of Pakistanis are currently experiencing such disorders. Due to this lack of awareness, our society has created a harsh attitude towards all mentally ill individuals. They are made to feel that they are abnormal, creating an inhuman feeling of frustration in their minds. I believe this is wrong and immoral, and that we should treat these special people with a little extra love and affection, making their hard lives a little easier. And today's brother quote is “no one can needle you like a brother he has been practicing for years”.
