A story of hope
Sunita was a jolly, high-spirited girl. She was 23 when she had to go through a terrible phase in her life. She lost her sister. The sister she had always looked up to, the sister she grew up with, the sister she shared her toys with. She couldn’t save her from the merciless hands of cancer. She watched her die every day. Till that one fateful day when she got the news that she was no more.
It has been three years since then. Sunita had not only lost her sister, she had lost a part of her sanity. She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She had lost the charm she once had. She had reserved herself and didn’t want to get in contact with anyone. She remained irritated most of the time. Her family tried a lot to help her. But, they couldn’t do much. There were not many in the community who cared for her.
However, there was this one person who came forward to help. She was a teacher in the village school. She came to know about Sunita from one of her students. She decided that she would do what she could to help her. She came to visit her. After seeing Sunita and having a long conversation with her parents, it was decided that Sunita would be taken to the NIMHANS centre for treatment. She knew about an organization that provided financial support for mental health patients. She got in touch with them and arranged for the treatment.
It has been six months now since Sunita has been undergoing the treatment at the NIMHANS centre. She is showing signs of recovery. Very soon, she will be able to live a normal life.
The sad reality
There are very few stories like this in India where a mentally ill patient gets support and help from people. The sad thing about the mental health patients in India is that people do not even want to accept that they are ill. There is this fear of getting rejected or ridiculed by the society. Owing to the fact that mental illness is a subject of stigma in India, a lot of people do not go for treatment. People in India do not really like to go to a shrink even at the cost of their life.
What can be done?
There are options for people to get the treatment even without physically going to a psychiatrist or psychologist. People can opt for online therapy in India. Online therapy in India makes it easier for people to get the treatment right from their home. However, one thing that you should note here is that this kind of therapies may not be very useful if you are looking for a major mental illness treatment.
Mental illness is not something that should be ignored. While it is difficult to change people’s outlook towards mental illness in India, it is not entirely impossible. With conscious efforts and awareness program, the lives of mentally challenged people can be improved for the better. Are you willing to take the initiative to bring this change? Let us know in the comment section below.
