Not all breakdowns come with tears or screaming. Sometimes, they reveal themselves quietly — like a Not all breakdowns come with screaming or tears. Sometimes, they appear quietly — like a cup left on the floor.
For Mira, that cup said everything. It lay sideways, water slowly soaking into a towel she had meant to fold yesterday. Or maybe last week. She couldn’t tell anymore; time had turned soft and slippery. Hours bled into days without shape or structure.
She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t angry either. Instead, she felt like a device switched to low-power mode — functioning, but barely.
Then came the notifications. One buzz, then another. Friends checking in. Reminders. Work messages. The screen lit up, yet she didn’t move. It wasn’t because she didn’t care; rather, caring suddenly felt like heavy labor.
This is where depression is most misunderstood.
It doesn’t always arrive loudly. It doesn’t always look like sadness. More often, it looks like stillness — a silent pause while life keeps moving.
Only a week earlier, Mira had felt hopeful. She attended meetings, replied to emails, even cooked dinner. A quiet walk through her neighbourhood made her think, Maybe I’m healing. However, mental health seldom follows straight lines. One moment, you’re climbing; the next, you can’t pick up a cup.
That moment wasn’t dramatic enough to be called a crisis. Yet it was painful enough to matter.
It was quiet exhaustion — the kind millions live with daily. Invisible on the outside, crushing on the inside.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 280 million people live with depression. In Pakistan, one in four people will face a mental health condition in their lifetime. Still, only a fraction receive treatment.
Often, that’s because depression hides behind behaviors that don’t “look serious,” such as:
None of this is laziness. None of it is weakness. It is illness — and like any illness, it deserves care, not criticism.
Mira didn’t pick up the cup that day.
She didn’t journal. She didn’t meditate. She didn’t force herself to “be productive.”
Instead, she took a breath. Sat with the silence. Allowed her heart to keep beating without demanding more from it.
Maybe that was enough.
Healing doesn’t always sound triumphant. Sometimes, it starts with choosing to remain — even when all you manage is existing.
If Mira’s story feels familiar — if your cup is still on the floor, if your body feels paused while your mind feels loud — please know this:
You don’t have to do it alone.
Through Tele-Tabeeb 1123, licensed counsellors and doctors offer private, judgment-free mental health consultations from the comfort of your home.
No waiting rooms. No awkward explanations. Just someone willing to listen.
You don’t need to wait until it becomes unbearable.
If you are struggling — that is reason enough.
📞 Dial 1123. Speak to someone. Let one conversation be your first step forward.
Because you don’t always need to climb.
Sometimes, staying is brave enough.
