Mind distressed, body oppressed: We, the people of Myanmar

Seeing the abnormal political, economic, and general conditions unfolding in Myanmar, I often find myself feeling anxious through social media, wondering if many people are suffering from stress and depression.

In Myanmar, when we greet one another, we have a wonderfully dignified traditional greeting: "May you be physically and mentally healthy and at peace." Just looking at this greeting makes me appreciate it immensely, as it suggests our people have long understood that physical and mental health are equally important.

As Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country, I would like to highlight perspectives that align with the teachings of the Buddha: "Ordinary human beings are easily unsettled due to causes such as greed, anger, delusion, pride, and ego."

In our life circumstances, the ravages of civil war, family troubles, loss of property, and livelihood hardships can leave a person mentally distressed and physically exhausted (a state where suffering in the mind takes a heavy toll on the body).

When such stress piles up, it leads to various consequences: mental disorientation; people spending all their meager funds rather than saving due to financial desperation; and even ethical and moral standards in daily livelihoods becoming compromised. Therefore, I feel we must seek new ways to heal this problem—not just at the individual level, but at the societal level as well.

I believe that healing this situation will require constructive cooperation from state-run media, those in power, and major social media platforms.

Earthquakes, storms, civil war, an uncertain future, economic decline, corruption, and policy instability are issues that I believe are directly linked to the psychological wounds of today’s people of Myanmar.

Written with a heavy heart.