Smiling Faces, Silent Wounds

In a world obsessed with progress and perfection where every moment is lived under the weight of performance a silent pandemic has taken root in millions of minds it does not explode like wars nor terrify like physical disease yet it erodes peace joy and meaning quietly hidden behind smiling faces and carefully curated online lives depression and anxiety are the unseen wounds of the modern age even as technology advances and comforts increase the human spirit quietly bends under the heavy weight of stress loneliness and emotional fatigue as William Faulkner once said the past is never dead it’s not even past and for those carrying unresolved trauma or emotional scars those words are not just poetic but painfully real.

Depression and anxiety are not flaws they are real health conditions with psychological and medical roots they touch people across every class age and background with more than 280 million people suffering from depression and over 300 million battling anxiety worldwide the numbers are enormous yet still do not capture the private suffering behind closed doors where individuals remain invisible unheard and untreated often silenced by fear or societal shame unlike a broken bone mental pain often remains hidden until it breaks someone completely.

This pain is spreading most rapidly among the youth in a world that demands perfection from students job seekers and social media users young minds are cracking under constant comparison unrealistic standards and relentless pressure instead of learning how to pause and simply exist they push themselves toward a breaking point usually unnoticed until it’s too late while chasing applause likes and flawless appearances they forget how to breathe how to rest how to feel enough.

Mental health professionals in regions like Kashmir echo this crisis voices like Dr Yasir Rather from IMHANS Srinagar emphasize that a broken mind is as real as a broken bone he calls for open spaces where pain can be spoken without fear Dr Arshad Hussain from Government Medical College Srinagar warns of rising mental illness among young people and believes mental health must be part of school education not something we wait to address after a breakdown happens Dr Rabia Noor a mental health counselor in Srinagar explains how social media’s constant comparison culture is stealing the confidence and direction of countless youth who quietly believe they are never good enough never beautiful enough never successful enough.

Social media while connecting the world has also created deep emotional disconnection we are always online yet often painfully alone we scroll through illusions of perfection and lose our own peace in the process nights feel longer silence feels heavier and even with hundreds of virtual friends there’s no one to truly talk to this modern loneliness eats away at the soul in silence.

The problem deepens in places marked by violence and political unrest like Kashmir where mental health becomes not just personal suffering but community trauma generations grow up knowing how to survive not how to heal their emotional wounds run deep and complex and yet support is scarce mental illness in many societies is still dismissed as weakness or madness families ignore it friends laugh and neighbors gossip pushing sufferers into deeper silence a silence that often becomes deadly as Dr Yasir says we cannot expect healing in a society that mocks pain.

What can we do we must first accept that depression and anxiety are real urgent and treatable they require care therapy and compassion not denial education must be reformed to include mental health awareness parents teachers and even spiritual leaders must create safe spaces where seeking help is seen as strength media must stop glorifying tragedy and start highlighting healing and resilience governments must invest in mental health services from schools to hospitals to remote villages.

And most importantly we as people must care asking someone how they truly feel and listening without judging can begin a powerful journey of healing sometimes being present is enough and if you are someone struggling know this your pain is valid but not permanent you are not weak you are human Rumi once wrote the wound is the place where the light enters you and that light still lives within you.

Together with honesty compassion and courage we can change the story so that no one suffers in silence and every mind is valued.

Mohammad Arfat Wani, a passionate writer, social activist and medical student, hails from Kuchmulla Tral