- Farida Rizwan shared how she battled cancer twice and talks about the importance of mental health and asking for help.
- The NHS recommends people consult with a psychologist to deal with psychological issues.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health awareness helps people in understanding their symptoms, find professional support, and significantly break the mental health stigma that forces many people to suffer silently.
Farida Rizwan, a 49-year-old cancer survivor, shared how she dealt with mental health issues after battling cancer two times. In 1990, both Farida’s mother and sister were diagnosed with cancer. She was also advised to go in for a biopsy and she got to know that she had stage 3 cancer.
Within a month, her 11-month-old daughter was also diagnosed as a differently-abled child. Suddenly she found her world crumbling around her. But she was not a person to give up, she gathered courage and underwent a successful mastectomy. When she was gradually overcoming her medical crisis, she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. The series of tragic incidents continued with the news of her mother’s and sister’s death due to cancer.
The situation completely broke her physically and emotionally. But for the sake of her daughter and family, she continued her treatment. It was not an easy path for her to recover from this life-threatening disease. She suffered from intense pain due to the regular chemotherapy sessions, followed by major depression and mental health problems.
She took professional counseling that helped her deal with hopelessness and despair and other
psychological issues. She gradually learned to cherish every moment of life. She even decided to complete her education that she had left midway when she got married.
Farida learned to operate the computer and use the internet that helped her with many women who also had breast cancer and suffered from similar psychological problems. “The past 20 years have taught me many important lessons. Every day that I live, every breath that I take is like a blessing now. It is strange how we tend to take for granted the most important and beautiful things in our life,” Farida said.
National Health Service (NHS) says that befriending new people helps one build a sense of belonging and self-worth. One should seek professional help if struggling with mental health problems.
