Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, was a guest at the 4th of the Muhazara Sohbetleri organized by Ensar Vakfı. Tarhan, addressing the topic of global well-being after the pandemic; “If a climate of trust is established after the pandemic, if everyone rapidly normalizes, if economic losses normalize enough to meet people's basic needs, as a result of all these, there will be a rapid recovery after hitting rock bottom. Sometimes hitting rock bottom teaches a person a lesson,” he said.
“There will be a great emergence from those seeking truth”
Stating that there have been great global changes after Covid, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan; “People have abandoned their human values, we have become very selfish. We have started to see the bad consequences of capitalist morality in the world, and there will be great emergences from those seeking the truth. The Islamic world is currently moving in the direction of ‘stop, think, restart’. On the other hand, globally, various policies are currently being produced to reduce the world's population; from the Istanbul Convention to many other things, the background involves reducing family ties and ensuring population control. In such a period, strengthening family ties is very important,” he said.
“Hitting rock bottom teaches a person a lesson”
Referring to what will happen after the pandemic, Tarhan; “If a climate of trust is established after the pandemic, if everyone rapidly normalizes, if economic losses normalize enough to meet people's basic needs, as a result of all these, there will be a rapid recovery after hitting rock bottom. Sometimes hitting rock bottom teaches a person a lesson. When you look at it from a positive perspective, good things are expected, but after the pandemic, a 40 percent increase in loneliness will also be observed. Even now, antidepressant use in the world has increased by 25 percent,” he said.
“Programs are needed to instill in people the need to look at events positively”
Emphasizing the need not to fall into despair and pessimism, Tarhan; “Two frogs fall into a large milk churn; one says ‘It's a huge churn, I can't escape’ and dies without trying. The other says ‘Hope from Allah is never lost’ and starts struggling, and in the end of all its efforts, a layer of butter forms from its struggling, and the frog jumps out and escapes. Just as in this example, when a person falls into despair, a convenience, a path will surely appear before them. There are some patients you might think will die on their own, but then they suddenly get up. Unexpectedly, the person accompanying them dies. The reason for this is the patient's positivity, optimism, and not succumbing to despair. That's why, when we look at Covid positively, it will open its doors to us, and we will defeat it with our positive thoughts. In addition to all these, the Social Sciences Board should be more active; programs are needed to instill in people the need to look at events positively. We did not provide psychological support to people, but even China says ‘We solved Covid with cooperation,’ and things are resolved with this positive approach,” he stated.
“Many people find Islam while searching for peace”
Stating that the West is currently in search of peace, Tarhan; “England announced in 2018 that a Ministry of Loneliness, responsible for loneliness, would be established. The pandemic further isolated lonely people. In such a situation, disintegration is expected from a weak link. In England, in 2018, there was a Loneliness Study conducted jointly by Manchester University and the BBC, with over 55,000 participants. It was found that the loneliness rate among those aged 16-24 was 40 percent. 27 percent of older individuals are lonely. They faced the crisis in this state. This isolation brings with it a search for peace, and many people find Islam this way. In such situations, we actually need to explain the truth of Islam,” he said.