A Nation at Boiling Point
September 10 every year is observed as World Suicide Prevention Day. A day before, September 9th 2025, will change the trajectory of Nepal’s history. Sparked by a blanket social media ban, outrage at corruption, and decades of broken promises, young Nepalis poured onto the streets in their thousands. Within two days after 19 protestors were killed, the prime minister resigned, and soldiers are patrolling the streets of Kathmandu. It is not just a political tipping point. It is also a collective and personal mental health crisis — unfolding in real time.
Collective Consciousness in Action
Sociologists call it collective consciousness: the set of beliefs and emotions binding a generation together. Nepal’s Gen Z lived it in slogans, memes, and mourning. That unity fueled resilience but also made the suffering shared. When one protester was assaulted, thousands felt the wound. When a protester was killed, all young Nepalis grieved. Many of us couldn’t sleep through the night after the 19 young souls died and many of us had nightmares. Yet revolutions are not only lived in the midst of crowds. Each mind internalizes the revolution in its own manner.
Individual Mental Health Issues
1. Acute Stress Reactions
• Flashbacks of confrontations, tear gas, arrests.
• Insomnia and hypervigilance (“jumping” at sounds).
• Emotional numbing to “get through the day.”
2. Anxiety Disorders
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): constant worry about safety, school, or the next curfew.
• Panic attacks: in reaction to sirens, crowds, or even social media notifications.
• Social anxiety: fear of surveillance or targeting after protests.
3. Depression
• Feelings of hopelessness: “Nothing will ever change.”
• Loss of interest in school, relationships, or activism.
• Increased suicidal ideation — contributing to Nepal’s already alarming youth suicide rate.
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Repeated nightmares of clashes.
• Avoidance of protest sites or political discussions.
• Intrusive thoughts due to exposure to violence, either directly or through livestreams.
5. Substance Use Disorders
• Alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug abuse as coping mechanisms.
• Temporary escape developing into long-term addiction.
6. Survivor’s Guilt and Grief
• “Why am I alive when my friend isn’t?
• Families and friends are left with complicated grief, especially for protest martyrs.
7. Burnout
• Activists, student leaders, and even mental health professionals are exhausted by the relentless struggle.
• Symptoms: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, functional breakdown.
Archetypes Within the Protest Movement
• The Fighter: Adrenaline-driven, at risk of PTSD and violence.
• The Witness: Traumatized by livestreams and helplessness.
• The Martyr: Memorialized, while friends and family survive with grief and guilt.
• The Escapist: Numbs out with alcohol or daydreams of emigration.
• The Healer: Doctors, Nurses, Psychiatrists, counselors, and peers, often on the verge of burnout.
The Psychiatric Response Nepal Needs
• Crisis counseling and hotlines for immediate intervention.
• Group therapy in schools and colleges to normalize shared trauma.
• Accessible psychiatry services in urban and rural Nepal.
• Digital safe spaces — rebuilding online support networks rather than cutting them.
• Community healing through rituals, storytelling, and art.
Conclusion: Two Revolutions, One Future
Nepal’s Generation Z fought for political change, but they are fighting a more insidious war within. Collective consciousness mobilized them in 2025 — but without mental health care, that same collective force can become a collective scar. The real revolution should also be in psychiatry: breaking stigma, increasing access, and healing not just individuals but the entire generation.
