When the disease is in the mind

Calling in sick is something we all do, for anything from a bad cold to a fracture. But what if the reason is a mental disorder? Will the company or institute be equally sympathetic? While there is a greater recognition of mental health issues in the past few years, a lot more needs to be done.

"People are becoming aware of psychological issues and there is less hesitation to seek treatment," said Manoj Kumar, clinical physician at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). "However, people often opt for non-formal methods first to delay going to a professional."

NIMHANS handles around 400 cases every day. Apart from this, it gets 60 new cases.

There is still a lack of awareness of what a mental disorder, like depression, entails. Often people are unaware that they could be suffering from a mental disorder and visit a professional only after someone has told them that they had gone to a counsellor for a similar problem, said P.T. Shivakumar, Additional Professor of Psychiatry, NIMHANS.

Counselling services in the city reported that patients seemed less hesitant to discuss issues, possibly due to greater awareness. "Initially people were hesitant and had more questions about the process, but now they directly book an appointment," said Ennis Jose, co-founder of Talk it Over Counselling.

Environment for students to reach out

“There's more willingness on the part of people to talk about issues when they encounter them. In universities, there is an attempt to de-stigmatise mental health issues and create an environment where students are more open to reaching out for help," said Shreelatha Rao Seshadri, Azim Premji University (APU). Another reason for the increase in cases is that students these days are under a lot of stress, in the form of coursework, relationships and major life decisions.

The University Grants Commission has asked educational institutions to put a ‘counselling system’ in place to help students deal with stress, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Children equally stressed out The fast paced life in the city has affected not just adults but children and teenagers too.

“Children as young as nine or 10 are coming to us for stress-related disorders. The major reason is today's children are more aloof and face a lot of pressure at home to beat the competition," said Rajeshwari, a counsellor at Banjaara Academy. More than the children, parents need to be counselled to not put too much pressure on the children, she added.

This view is shared by Ennis Jose, co-founder of Talk it Over Counselling. She feels that parents bring in their children under the impression that the child has a problem, but it is often they who suffer from anxiety.

A home away from home A major issue faced by persons with severe mental disorders, like schizophrenia, is the lack of support from their family. Wellness homes try to give these patients a home, look after their basic needs and make them part of mainstream society.

Lisa Gregory, founder of Navchetana, a halfway home founded 27 years ago and now running out of a rented house in Bilekahalli, said that the home took in women who were often forsaken by their families or left to fend for themselves. "We take in women with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia or manic depression, look after them, take them for treatment, and try to get them back to the normal life they led before they were affected by a mental disorder," said Ms. Gregory.