Choose Nearest City

  • Calgary
  • Ottawa
  • Edmonton
  • Regina
  • Halifax
  • Saskatoon
  • Hamilton
  • Toronto GTA
  • Kingston
  • Vancouver
  • Kitchener
  • Waterloo
  • London
  • Windsor
  • Montreal
  • Winnipeg
  • Outside of Canada

Choose your city (or nearest city)

  • Calgary
  • Montreal
  • Edmonton
  • Ottawa
  • Regina
  • Saskatoon
  • Halifax
  • Toronto GTA
  • Hamilton
  • Vancouver
  • Kingston
  • Waterloo
  • Kitchener
  • Windsor
  • London
  • Winnipeg
  • Outside of Canada
  • Events
  • Directory
  • PatronsPatrons

Enter your login credentials

Forgot username?

Forgot password?

Remember Me
Register
Facebook Login Google Login
loading
Please wait, logging in...

Register Details

[Form copy_BFRegistration not found!]
Have an account? Login

Forgot Username

[Form forgot_username not found!]

Forgot Password

[Form forgot_password not found!]

How would you like to proceed?

LOG IN / SIGN UP allows you to:
  • Have a record of all events you've been to.
  • Request cancellation if you cannot make it to an event.
  • Post an event of your own.
  • Add your business/organization listing to the online directory.
  • Add an opportunity (job, volunteer, petition, survey, etc.).

Please login to continue

LOG IN / SIGN UP allows you to:
  • Have a record of all events you've been to.
  • Request cancellation if you cannot make it to an event.
  • Post an event of your own.
  • Add your business/organization listing to the online directory.
  • Add an opportunity (job, volunteer, petition, survey, etc.).
Muslim Link is Ottawa Muslims' Online Community Newspaper. The site includes an up-to-date Events Listing and Business and Community Directory for Ottawa Muslims.
.
ML Directory
ML Directory
  • Home
  • Events
    • Ottawa
    • Montreal
    • Toronto GTA
    • Edmonton
    • Calgary
    • Vancouver
    • London
    • Windsor
    • Hamilton
    • Halifax
    • Winnipeg
    • Kingston
    • Kitchener/Waterloo
    • Regina/Saskatoon
    • Event Table
  • Directory
    • Ottawa
    • Montreal
    • Toronto GTA
    • Edmonton
    • Calgary
    • Vancouver
    • London
    • Windsor
    • Hamilton
    • Halifax
    • Winnipeg
    • Kingston
    • Kitchener/Waterloo
    • Regina/Saskatoon
  • News
  • Stories
  • Islamic Finance
  • Classifieds
    • Opportunities
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Job Opportunities
      • Crowdfunding
      • Bazaar Vendors Wanted
      • Call for Donations
      • ​​Scholarships / Bursaries
      • ​​Petitions
      • Nominations
      • ​​Call for Participants
      • ​​Call for Submissions
      • Call for Abstracts
      • Grants
      • ​​Surveys
      • ​​Invitation to Dialogue
      • Sponsorships
      • Contests
    • Locations
      • Jumaa Locations
      • Full-Time Islamic Schools
      • Part-Time Islamic Schools
      • Hifz Programs
      • Iftar Locations
      • Taraweeh Prayers
      • I'tikaf Locations
      • Eid Prayers
      • Eid Festival Locations
      • Camps Locations
    • Rentals
      • Add Rental
    • Find a Place
    • Find a Tenant
  • Opportunities
  • Locations
  • Rentals
  • Blog
  • Action Alerts
  • Home
  • Stories
  • What I Want Muslims To Know About Mental Illness
Muslim Link Voices: What I Want Muslims To Know About Mental Illness Muslim Link Voices: What I Want Muslims To Know About Mental Illness
02
Aug
2017

What I Want Muslims To Know About Mental Illness

Written by  Muslim Link Voices
Published in Stories
  • Add to Facebook
  • Like this? Tweet it to your followers!

When I was diagnosed with my mental illness, it almost felt like a death sentence. Like the real me was dying. I kept thinking, ‘does this mean I’m crazy?’ In my community - the Muslim community - depression was an ill that -- well, it was not an illness. The myth is that such deep sadness can be a result of past wrongdoing, or maybe the patient of depression had not been praying enough, contributing to the community enough, not working hard enough, always never good enough - adding to the anxiety of a person with such a disorder. We are told that we were lazy, somehow less and ungrateful for the blessings we had.

This is because people in our community are not properly educated about mental health or mental illness.

No one can know if a girl has struggles with self-injury when she doesn’t show it. All they know is that she hides from the world in her room, never leaving - not even to come to the mosque. They don’t consider how she has changed, how sick she looks. They only say she has lost faith.

.

The young man who feels like there is no hope left to find something that will end or ease his suffering, goes to bed at night wishing, praying, begging God to make it stop. Eventually he doesn’t care how it has to stop. It just needs to.

Suicide is not usually a choice. It happens when a mental illness is so severe, that it takes over a person’s thoughts and feelings that trigger actions that can potentially endanger a life. Telling a person who has suicidal intentions or thoughts that they will 'go to hell’ for ‘committing’ suicide, will only exacerbate the real problem - which is the frustration, despondency and pain they feel.Suicide is not the problem. It is the symptoms and events in the suicidal person’s life and mind that are the real problem.

After all that has come to pass,

I have found, alas,

That there is no one.

We have no one.

.

We are surrounded yet

In this world,

We are alone

Because no one can join us in our minds

See the gashes, the bleeding

.

Our smiles, misleading.

No one can find in our hearts

The yearning for another start

Another chance

Because no one can see in our brains

.

The unwiring that’s happening

The unraveling that’s shattering

Each night unbearable

And how can I break free

If I don’t know what’s trapping me?

.

But if I don’t give up, at least I won’t be a tragedy.

Everyone outside

Thought she was hiding a monster

She wore a cloak

Over her heart

Held a hood over her eyes

So no one would recognise her

But when she gets home

She rips off her disguise

Because when she pulls the mask off

She looks into the mirror

She sees someone

Whose scars are better covered

She’d rather them wonder

Who she is

Then really ponder

How did she get hurt?

DId no one think to stop her

Take her hand

Let her know she had a chance

To have a different kind of beauty

But no, no

No one did.

Misunderstanding about mental illness in our communities can only be eradicated by one thing: education.

Everybody has the capacity to think and feel, and to act on those thoughts and feelings. Mental health is defined by three things: thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Most of us like to think we have full control over them. The reality? We don’t -not always. Mental health problems and illnesses can be characterized by the lack of control a person has over their thoughts and feelings.

Understanding mental health starts with trying not to be judgemental towards others’ behaviours, because we don’t know what their thoughts and feelings are. We will be less judgemental when we take on the humility of knowing that not all of us in every moment have control over our thoughts and feelings that affect our actions.

The truth is, and if we look deep into the reality of our own behaviours as people, with or without mental illness, we will find we all have moments of lost control. It is the time between those moments that we can utilize to reduce the frequency, intensity and impact of such behaviours.

For a person with a mental health problem, this may be a lot harder, but certainly not impossible. With family, health care and therapeutic support, a lot of good can be done.

To that end, I believe that all of this starts with one person. You, me, whoever reads this article, I invite you to have a look at some of the below resources. Sometimes, even if you are not a mental health advocate or professional, there is power in knowledge. Every small or substantial contribution to the cause of treating and destigmatizing mental health begins with an education. Baby steps, I like to call them. If we can teach even one in every five people something meaningful about mental health, that’s an equivalent to the one in five Canadians who will suffer from a mental illness.

Even just twenty percent more of the population having awareness is a huge step in the direction of the realization that mental health is real and it is just as important as physical health. I find this to be true, if only based on the fact that the 9th leading cause of death in Canada is intentional self-harm, i.e. suicide, after cancer, heart disease and other physical ailments. Mental illness can be lethal.

Muslims do not have mental illness because we are in a Western society and mental illness is more prevalent here - that is false - it is only more well-documented. It is not because we have a crisis of faith - even though that is true for some in our communities. It is because we are human, it is because there are things beyond our control or understanding, like the chemical reactions and hormones released in our bodies due to genetic differences, or reactions to the stressors in the environment. These are all factors that affect physical health, so why is mental health any less essential to care for?

The same self-care strategies for mental health can be applied to physical health, a well-balanced diet, avoiding caffeine, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, drinking water, exercise, rest, knowing and respecting one’s limits and keeping an eye out for changes in one’s health, in the case of mental health, with regards to habits, attitudes and moods.

Our brain is what controls all of our bodily functions, and it is time we give it the respect and care it requires to boost our immune systems, treat and prevent its ailments, and provide a sense of awareness to ourselves and maybe even others.

Here are some resources I would recommend checking out if you need help or want to learn more.

Naseeha - Muslim Youth Helpline

NISA - Muslim Women’s Helpline

Kids Help Phone

Mental Health First Aid Canada

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Mind Your Mind

This article was produced exclusively for Muslim Link and should not be copied without prior permission from the site. For permission, please write to info@muslimlink.ca.

Read 9114 times Last modified on Wed, 02 Aug 2017 16:43
Rate this item
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
(1 Vote)
Tagged under
  • Muslim Canadian
  • Mental Health
  • Mental Illness

Muslim Link Voices

Muslim Link Voices supports Muslim Canadian writers who want to share personal stories anonymously. 

Latest from Muslim Link Voices

  • So You Want to Marry a Second Wife?: Advice from A Man with More Than One Wife So You Want to Marry a Second Wife?: Advice from A Man with More Than One Wife
  • Grief counselling in Muslim communities: A void that needs to be filled Grief counselling in Muslim communities: A void that needs to be filled
  • Flames Kindled by Water: A Personal Reflection on Ashura Flames Kindled by Water: A Personal Reflection on Ashura

Related items

  • Statistics Canada Releases Infographic on Muslim Population in Canada Statistics Canada Releases Infographic on Muslim Population in Canada
  • How Exercise Benefits Mental Health How Exercise Benefits Mental Health
  • Mental Health During Ramadan: Heart, Mind, Body & Soul Mental Health During Ramadan: Heart, Mind, Body & Soul
back to top
.
.
.
.
.

Subscribe to Mailing List

Sign up for our free Muslim Link Snapshot and get our events listing and latest articles sent to your inbox weekly.

Please enter a name
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a city

Ottawa Events
View More Events
Al-Ihsan Jiu-Jitsu: Raising Rijal Program Featured
Tue, Jul 01, 2025 06:00pm EST/EDT
Sports/Fitness
Summer Programs @ Izzah Learning Center Featured
Wed, Jul 02, 2025 all day
Educational
Book Launch: Where the Jasmine Blooms by Zeina Sleiman
Tue, Jun 24, 2025 07:00pm EST/EDT
Educational
Online Event
RBC Wealth Management Halal Investing 101: Principles, opportunities and market trends
Tue, Jun 24, 2025 07:00pm EST/EDT
Educational
Online Event
Al Rashid Canada's First Halal Mortage in Alberta Live Q & A
Tue, Jun 24, 2025 07:00pm MST/MDT
Educational

Featured Articles

  • Yousra’s Story: “I Need Canadians Help to Save My Mother” Yousra’s Story: “I Need Canadians Help to Save My Mother”
  • Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC) 9th Annual Palestine Day on the Hill: Watch Video Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC) 9th Annual Palestine Day on the Hill: Watch Video
  • Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) Statement on the Passing of Alia Hogben Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) Statement on the Passing of Alia Hogben

About us

  • About Muslim Link
    Our Team
    About Eye Media
    Contact Us
    Diversity & Inclusion Policy
  • Events & Directory Disclaimer
  • Project: A Muslim History of Ottawa

How To

  • How to Advertise on Muslim Link?
    How to View / Edit Your Advertisement Campaign?
    How to Add a Directory Listing on the Directory?
    How to Claim a Directory Listing?
    How to Add an Event?
    How to Add an Opportunity?
    How to Add a Rental Listing?

Event Listings

  •  - Ottawa
  •  - Toronto GTA
  •  - Montreal
  •  - Edmonton
  •  - Calgary
  •  - Vancouver
  •  - London
  •  - Windsor
  •  - Hamilton
  •  - Kitchener/Waterloo
  •  - Halifax
  •  - Winnipeg
  •  - Kingston
  •  - Regina/Saskatoon

Business & Community Directory

  •  - Ottawa
  •  - Toronto GTA
  •  - Montreal
  •  - Edmonton
  •  - Calgary
  •  - Vancouver
  •  - London
  •  - Windsor
  •  - Hamilton
  •  - Kitchener/Waterloo
  •  - Halifax
  •  - Winnipeg
  •  - Kingston
  •  - Regina/Saskatoon

Advertisers

  • Advertise Online
  • Become a Patron
  • Sponsorships
  • Join Snapshot e-Newsletter
  • Snapshot Publishing Dates

ML Team

  • Writers Workshops
  • Content Policy
  • Staff Payment System
  • Join the team

Social Media

Follow us on our pages!

Facebook Twitter Youtube LinkedIn Pinterest

Copyright © 2025 Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved. All articles, photos, graphics and images on this site remain the copyright of Muslim Link, unless otherwise noted, and should not be copied without prior permission. Designed by Eye Media Solutions
Top
Copyright © Muslim Link. All articles, photos, graphics and images on this site remain the copyright of Muslim Link, unless otherwise noted, and should not be copied without prior permission. 2025 All rights reserved. Custom Design by Youjoomla.com