KARACHI, Oct 7: People suffering from mental ailments also face the problem of stress which often emerges from discrimination, according to some experts who spoke at a here on Thursday.

They said as a consequence of the stigma attached to mental disorders, an overwhelming number of patients do not seek prompt medical advice. Those who do often try to hide the fact that they have ever sought any psychiatric help.

The panelists who spoke at the seminar, entitled "Mental Health and Stigma" that was organized by the Pakistan Association for Mental Health as part of its Mental Health Week, were: Dr Uzma Ambareen, Rakhshanda Hussein, Rahat Saeed, Anis Haroon, Sultana Siddiqui, Zobeida Mustafa and Maulana Ali Murtaza.

Dr Ambareen said people were quick to label mentally challenged people as "mad" and harbour prejudices against them. As a result, these patients face the anxiety of being different.

Why was it that mentally sick patients were treated differently from those who had physical disorders? she asked. "The people who need psychiatric help are in no way responsible for the problems they are facing," she remarked.

Dr Ambareen was of the opinion that the media should not play up cases in which mentally sick people turn violent. Rakhshanda Hussein said that there was a room for an improvement in the way the mentally-challenged people were presented in media.

Rahat Saeed was of the opinion that doctors view patients as mere clients, someone who was not human. Anis Haroon said that the mental stresses that every woman had to endure in her day-to-day life was not recognized in general. The doctors, she said, should approach every mentally challenged patient with a sensitivity, which is missing, in general.

Sultana Siddiqui said men had ample opportunities to mingle with others and to get away from their homes, spending a lot of time where was stressful. She added that the actual number of mental ailments was far greater than the estimated one.

Zobeida Mustafa said in the last 15 or so years considerable awareness had been created about the mental problems. However, a lot remains to be done. Maulana Ali Murtaza underscored the need for understanding the basics of Islam.

After the speeches, a question-and-answer session was held in which two doctors said there was considerable co-relation between mental disorders and physical problems. Many of the heart patients suffered from mental disorders, for instance.