Page 6 - Pakistan Link - August 21, 2020
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P6 – PAKISTAN LINK – AUGUST 21, 2020 The Shower of Shoes OPINION
n By Mahjabeen Islam MD
en this strange dysphoria. Michelle Obama I hastily put together chai on our patio and that have suddenly surfaced. Unemployment,
M Toledo, Ohio has been frank about her low-grade depres- felt this great mood change after she and her social restrictions, financial stringency, isola-
y first major trauma was at age 12 sion. In each patient visit I make sure I ask husband left. And now my backyard chais are tion, family dysfunction, illness/infection, de-
when I lost my brothers to a car ac- about an increase in anxiety and depression. a wonderful treatment option for the Covid
cident. I remember thinking that It is remarkable that the reply is essentially al- blues. Just need cloud cooperation; sometimes How wearing a mask infringes on
life would be a cakewalk thereafter. How ways in the affirmative and I have to determine “taking a raincheck” becomes literal. one’s liberty is still difficult for me to
whether my advice, professional counseling comprehend. What I do know is that
could it possibly get worse? and/or medication are needed. Perhaps this An epidemic within a pandemic this refusal is bare selfishness. I did
But it did. Five years later my state of being dispirited is the result of tackling Addictions in general, and opioid use telemedicine with a patient who called
father died while playing ten- the assault at us at so many levels-social, emo- disorder in particular, are greatly worsened by
nis. My tack changed sudden- tional, financial and physical. social isolation. And these strange times call withclassic Covid-19 symptoms.
ly, and thereon, I have waited for social isolation. Opioid overdose deaths “Wewent to a winery and all the
for the other shoe to fall. And After my father’s death, I followed the were over 70,000 in 2019 and over the last people that went there are Covid-19
life has delivered. Again, again textbook and dutifully suffered a major de- several years we have recognized that opioid positive”. I asked if they had been
and yet again. Personal issues and struggles pression. And have always lived in fear of a use disorder was an epidemic in the US. The wearing masks. “Of course not!” she said,
are one thing; for them to be partnered up recurrence. I recognize that this dysphoria is shameful governmental response to Covid-19 a touch derisively. My little neighborhood
with a national and global fiasco feels like different and that I am not alone. Perhaps that has had a downstream effect on the epidemic will contribute to the 300,000 deaths
Bugs Bunny flattened out by a truck. is what adds to it. It is so rare to come across of opioid use disorder. also. Two houses down, they’ve brought a
people who are loving this leisure; if there The greatest obstacle to recovery has portable swimming pool and the children
Witnessing a pandemic were more of them, perhaps they could do a been access to treatment and during the lock- are squealing as they jump in the water.
We would read about pandemics in books collective yank and the blues would disappear. down and subsequent scaling back of activ- And the adults enjoy their beers sitting in
of history and medicine. To see it unfold be- ity at treatment centers, the epidemic within clusters. Masks you ask? Duh!
fore our eyes, and to live in the richest coun- Backyard chai the pandemic got a lot worse. People are also
try in the world with five million infected and Utilizing her vacation, a cousin who lives using alcohol to treat the multiple struggles pression, anxiety push people for the reprieve
over 160,000 deaths is surreal. And if masks in Philadelphia decided to visit family in Ohio. that alcohol gives. The health care system is so
are not worn there could be 300,000 deaths flawed and overwhelmed that the opioid epi-
by December 2020. How wearing a mask in- demic is necessarily taking a backseat to the
fringes on one’s liberty is still difficult for me Covid-19 pandemic.
to comprehend. What I do know is that this
refusal is bare selfishness. I did telemedicine The year of death
with a patient who called with classic Cov- I do not recall a single year in which ev-
id-19 symptoms. “We went to a winery and all ery other day brought the news of deaths of
the people that went there are Covid-19 posi- people that we knew, the way that 2020 has. A
tive”. I asked if they had been wearing masks. classmate and another classmate’s wife died of
“Of course not!” she said, a touch derisively. Covid-19. My best friend’s mother died of nat-
My little neighborhood will contribute ural causes. A classmate’s 32-year old daughter
to the 300,000 deaths also. Two houses down, died recently, leaving a 17 month and a three-
they’ve brought a portable swimming pool year old child. And the volley continues reli-
and the children are squealing as they jump in ably. I have a momentary fear of checking my
the water. And the adults enjoy their beers sit- phone, for fear of having to write “To God we
ting in clusters. Masks you ask? Duh! belong and to Him is our return”, again.
A pandemic of dysphoria Recognizing racism
I was never into parties and used to create Perhaps the only good part of 2020 has
excuses not to attend. This strange time brings been the Black Lives Matter Movement. While
the aphorism that man is a social animal into the mind rages against the brutal murder of
painful focus. That I cannot jump up and even
go for lunch with a friend, only serves to deep- SHOWER, P7
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