By Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili
On this World Alzheimer’s Day, I am haunted by a question that refuses to leave me: Are we overlooking the early manifestations of this silent epidemic?
In Kashmir—often celebrated as Jannat-e-Benazir—a different reality brews beneath the surface. A mental health crisis is tightening its grip, spanning both ends of the age spectrum: Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly, and depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders among our young, especially females.
The silence of stigma
The real tragedy is not only medical—it is social. Our society has normalized dismissal with one toxic phrase: “woh pagal hai” (she is mad). This crude label deepens stigma, delays treatment, and drives families into silence.
World Alzheimer’s Day is meant to remind us that dementia is not just about age. Early symptoms—forgetfulness, mood changes, loss of focus—can appear even in younger people. Yet, in Kashmir, they are too often brushed aside as “just stress.” That denial costs lives. Alzheimer’s is not simply about losing memory—it is about losing dignity when society chooses to ignore it.
Two stories, one truth
Take Ruqaya (name changed), a 22-year-old student from Srinagar. A bright achiever, she slowly withdrew, battled insomnia, and sank into anxiety. Instead of support, she was mocked and told marriage would “fix” her. Only after a near-tragedy did her family seek psychiatric care. Therapy and medication gave her a chance to reclaim her life. The lesson is painful: had she been “picked early,” her suffering could have been far less.
Then there is Dr. Rashid (name changed), a respected physician who spent decades healing others. When he began forgetting prescriptions and misplacing records, his family’s refrain was “log kya kahenge?” By the time intervention came, Alzheimer’s had tightened its grip, robbing him of his professional brilliance and dignity.
Both stories converge on one truth: stigma kills faster than disease.
Why Kashmir fails its mentally ill
Several factors perpetuate this crisis:
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Language of trivialization: Reducing complex illnesses to “madness” blocks honest dialogue.
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Cultural denial: Faith is weaponized to shame patients rather than heal them.
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Gender bias: Young women are especially vulnerable—their struggles dismissed as “hormonal” or “marital.”
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Lack of resources: With few psychiatrists and overburdened clinics, specialized care remains out of reach.
The burden on families, especially women caregivers, is immense. Caregiver burnout is a hidden epidemic.
The twin crises: Alzheimer’s and young women’s mental health
Alzheimer’s in Kashmir is growing, compounded by late diagnoses, a scarcity of trained caregivers, and migration-driven family breakdown. Parallel to this, young women face immense pressures—academic competition, unemployment, social media stress, and unresolved trauma from decades of conflict. Their distress often manifests in physical symptoms and is tragically misdiagnosed.
If ignored, today’s neglected youth will become tomorrow’s chronic psychiatric patients.
What must be done
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Destigmatize language: Replace mockery with compassion in homes, schools, and mosques.
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Early screening: Schools, colleges, and workplaces should host regular mental health workshops.
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Train families: Caregivers must be equipped to recognize red flags.
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Integrate care: Every doctor should be trained to pick early signs of psychiatric illness.
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Leverage faith wisely: Islam emphasizes shifa (healing). Mosques should become platforms of compassion, not condemnation.