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Estimated reading time: 17 minutes
Aamir starts the show and speaks that children are the life of parents and the parents can even give up their live for them. But many times, we don’t know what’s going on in their minds and sometimes we need to pay a very heavy price.
Discussion with Veena Ail:
Aamir speaks of Veena Ail – who has lost her daughter and is living with that loss. She comes from Borivili, Mumbai and had two daughters. She now lives with her younger daughter and husband after her eldest daughter passed away. Veena ji speaks about her eldest daughter got TB and got fine in 9 months and soon she got appendicitis and was operated. When her daughter informed friends about getting TB and appendicitis, her friends might have made fun of her due to stigma prevalent in society about TB. Veena ji speaks about her daughter Shweta keeping diaries but she never got the opportunity to read it and curb her temptations. Veena ji informs that Shewta hanged herself at home and she learnt that news in office and was shocked. She feels pain on remembering Shweta who was 19 yrs at the time of his death. Veena ji wishes God to forgive her and also Shweta since she might be wrong in not helping her daughter. Aamir thanks her and showers a warm hug. Aamir speaks that Veena ji and Shweta had shared a good bond but don’t know the reasons why Shweta took that drastic step and committed suicide.
Discussion with Dr. Harish Shetty – Psychiatrist
Aamir speaks that after accidents, the maximum deaths in India comes from suicides in the age group between 15 to 30. To know more about the reasons of such loss of life, Aamir welcomes Dr. Harish Shetty – Psychiatrist. Aamir asks about Shweta’s case to Dr. Harish who suggests that it is much difficult to know about Shweta’s situation. He speaks about symptoms of mental illness – mind stress, mind fracture, lack of sleep since some days, you don’t like anything, wishes to see office closed. After these signs, you need to immediately visit for a medical checkup at counsellor or Psychiatrist. The checkup is needed to know whether you got mind stress or mind fracture which only a doctor can identify. He speaks about diabetes in which sugar levels rise and insulin reduces it. In the same way, counselling and medicine is needed and treatment is possible (Mumkin Hai). Dr. Harish speaks that when sadness reaches to the level when you become emotionally paralyzed then you are in depression. He cites that switzerland and slums looks the same in such a state. He says that even to lift a file you feel pain, you want people to leave your side. He speaks that youngsters get sad thinking they don’t look good, if they don’t have girlfriend/boyfriend then get sadness and commit suicide and talks about peer pressure. He speaks that even 10 year old kid can get much sadness and cites the examples of suicide statements which should not be neglected particularly in kids – Mujhe Bagwaan ke Paas Jaana Hain ( I want to go to God), Mujhe Door Jaana Hain (I want go too far), Mujhe Ghar se Bhaag Jaana Hain (I want to run away from home), Main family ke liye Boj Hun (I am extra load for my family). All such statements should be taken seriously and immediately mental health checkup is needed. Aamir wants people to not feel shame for going to mental health checkup and also not to have shame towards mental illness patients.
Dr Harish suggests its not wrong to ask a member of your family if they are thinking of attempt to suicide and believes that suicides number will come down with such care. Aamir speaks of a helpline number 1860-266-2345 and e-mail: [email protected] who will help the persons (can remain anonymous) who are going through much emotional stress/problems and if you are getting suicidal thoughts. Dr Harish informs that research shown that 1 in family of 4 have diagnosable mental illness – anxiety/depression. He speaks that 8 to 12 % need psychiatric help at some stage in their life. The reason for it that in today’s time we want to live 100 years in 10 yrs time. We are speaking less and when emotional disconnect increases then stress increases. He speaks about panic attacks, generalize anxious disorders (much worries) [which affects your life and it can lead to your depression], obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) [washing hands many times and your thoughts cannot be controlled] which are minor mental illness forms. Aamir asks about post-traumatic disorders. Dr. Harish replies that for such disorders, people get less sleep, sudden thoughts, worries which needs treatment as well and suggests that all treatments are rational. He says that 40% of the people don’t take treatment and also goes late. For heart ailments people run to the doctor and takes no chance but for the case of mental illness, they go to religious places and doesn’t take treatment first.
Discussion with Aruna Prakash – senior citizen and Yatin Nadkarni – Survivors from suicide attempts
The AV shows Aruna Prakash from Mumbai who has seen many ups and down in her life. But there was one time in her life when she got sadness in life and pain though she have all necessities and amenities. She used to remember her kids who got settled abroad after their education. She was troubled with loneliness and then tried to commit suicide. The AV shows the story of Yatin Nadkarni who at the age of 24 yrs also tried to commit suicide after getting hurt in a relationship and tried to overcome it for many years. He didn’t share the pain with others and then tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, Aruna Prakash and Yatin got a fresh and new lease of life and are very much fine today. Aruna ji and Yatin are seen on the show. Yatin speaks of his situation when he was getting suicidal thoughts and used to think himself drown in a well and feels himself going down and the light entering the well to be diminishing and feeling weak. He speaks of sharing his feelings with friends but they didn’t took seriously. Aamir wants people to take such things seriously when their friend/family member speak in such a manner. Yatin speaks of his attempt to suicide when his parents were going out. After the attempt, he got worried and called his friend Anirudh who soon realized that Yatin is in some problem with his sound and came to his rescue and took him to the hospital thereby saving his life. Aamir asks about Aruna ji about her feelings during depression. Aruna ji replies about strange situation and she was not feeling well though all things were fine. She used to remember her kids and talk on phone with her children who were staying abroad just for couple of minutes since the phone charges at that time were expensive. There were no mobiles/video chat at that time. She started deteriorating mentally and was not preparing good foods. After getting admitted in the hospital after reaching the peak of her mental illness, depression, she decided to come back and live the life. Aamir asks Yatin about how he progressed in life ?
Yatin speaks of not able to change the suicidal event and he went to counselling for 2 months. He wanted to live and went to work for a suicidal helpline service and work with them for 6 yrs. Aruna ji speaks of the accident some 8 months ago which changed her life but she didn’t got affected much and kept strong will power. Her husband passed away in that accident and she learnt it from her 3 children at the hospital bed. She got message from inner voice that her husband’s body is gone but soul still remained. She was operated and vowed to come out of that big loss and live. Aamir thanks them.
Discussion with Ratna Chibber:
Aamir speaks to Ratna Chibber who is originally from Ambala, Punjab but have lived more in Allahabad. She stays with her younger brother Susheel and parents. She speaks that it took 10 years to realize her brother’s mental illness. She was married and used to stay with her husband away from her parents in Pune. When she visited her family, she comes to know that Susheel was beaten by her father and always get rejections in job interviews. She speaks her mother did lot of religious rituals for her son’s well being but that didn’t help. She speaks of her father making pleas to people so his son gets a job. Susheel used to talk a lot and uses his hands much and her friend gave advice that he should be taken to a doctor. She took him to a doctor who told her that he has Schizophrenia and medicines are available to treat it. She couldn’t keep her brother at home and took him to rehabilitation center SCARF India (Schizophrenia Research Foundation) and saw many more patients/families suffering much more than her. Her pain got reduced by half after seeing them. Dr. Memon there spoke about family’s support importance for mental illness patients. Soon, all families decide to start an organization ASHA but soon she faced problems at home. She speaks that her family and husband suggested that dog is more useful than her brother and gave ultimatum that she can either choose her family or her brother. She replied on choosing her brother over family knowing well Susheel’s condition. If she didn’t supported him then he might have died on the road. Now, Susheel is doing good and leading his life well. She took a flat and also brought her parents there in Chennai and got daughter’s support but not of her son. She started a small scale industry and told his brother to work there and soon some other patients from SCARF also started working there. She speaks of meeting many patients who were gold medallists and were well educated B.E, M.S.c and higher education degrees. She started a shop with those patients and have opened more shops – coffee, stationery. She speaks that Susheel is having the last laugh now and very happy. Aamir gives credit to her for consolidating Susheel’s life and also of other patients who were having mental illness.
Discussion with Dr. Sudipto Chatterjee – Psychiatrist
Aamir then welcomes Dr. Sudipto Chatterjee and asks him about Schizophrenia. Dr. Sudipto speaks of its symptoms – boundaries between right and wrong get problematic, you drift far from truth, you feel speaking with someone (hallucination), delusion, paranoia (suspicion). Dr. Sudipto then speaks of bipolar disorder – in which get extremely happy and others find no reasons for such happiness of yours, you speak and think fast, and it has another component severe depression which is opposite of maniac condition. He speaks that judgement becomes wrong and risky behavior is shown and when you realized then you go into much depression. Dr. Sudipto speaks that treatment is possible at the right time and right treatment. He speaks that 60 to 70 % of the people can recover from their illness with much ease. Aamir speaks that mental illness is curable and have treatments are available and everywhere in the world patients get medical help. Aamir shows an AV how people treat mental illness patients in India ? The voiceover speaks that patient’s relative are not fully aware that treatment is possible for the patient and they even face societal problems. Bharati Misal speaks that stigma is there and the patients are isolated. Ratnabali Ray, founder Anjali speaks that condition of mental hospital is pathetic that you even can’t stay there and there is bad smell. The bed conditions are bad and even patients are physically abused and mental hospitals admit it as well. The patients are being taken for tantrik, baba’s and other places so as to remove superstitious spell from them. They are even binded in chains and a deadly consequence of such thing happened in 2001 in Eravadi village in Tamil Nadu when patients who were binded couldn’t escaped from fire and got burnt and died. These patients need love, humanity and treatment but many times they are not even treated like humans. Aamir speaks that patient’s families suffer as well.
Discussion with Seema Jain:
How govt and society are not responsible to help and support mental illness patients and their families ? Seema Jain is trying to find an answer for such question and she is supporting her sister (patient) suffering from Schizophrenia since many years. Seema ji speaks that her sister’s health problems started in 1996 and since 18 years she is taking care of her sister. She speaks that society doesn’t want to have link with her family. She gets her sister treated and also took beating from sister whenever she got attacks. Seema ji left her job so as to take care of her sister and mother. She calls her sister as flower and like child. She speaks that after ECT (electric shocks), her sister went down in energy for some days and comes back again in earlier violent condition and doesn’t take care of her hygiene as well. Seema ji tolerates all her sister’s unhygienic condition. She fights every day to take care of her sister and now cannot tolerate anymore. She asks why govt, doctor and others couldn’t see her family’s condition and asks whether her life is not precious ? Aamir suggests that govt should provide support to her/family knowing her circumstances and there should be a system that can help her and other families. Aamir salutes her for taking care of her sister against all odds.
NIMHANS, Dava and Dua Intiative:
Aamir speaks that there are many mental health institutes in India which are like jails which need to be changed. But there are good examples of institutes which take good care of patients and one such example is NIMHANS in Bangalore. Aamir speaks with Dr. Santosh Chaturvedi of NIMHANS via 3G link. Aamir asks Dr. Santosh about treatment method who replies that patient’s family also stays with the patient and this removes the stigma. The patient’s rehabilitation given much importance after treatment phase. He speaks that the average stay of patient there is 3 weeks which is astonishing for people hearing it. Dr. Santosh speaks that the fee for OPD (outgoing) patients is 50 INR and informs that patients come from many cities in India as well as foreign patients. Aamir speaks that NIMHANS type institute should be built all over the country. Aamir shows an AV and the voiceover speaks that Supreme Court has ordered that patients should not be binded in chains. This order came after the Eravadi incident in Tamil Nadu. A new idea was born which is to combine medicine and prayers (Dava and Dua) and religious leaders can play an important role in such initiative. In Gujarat, a Dargah (religious place) has applied this model where many mental illness patients come in large numbers (in thousands) with hope and devotion. Milesh Hamlai, founder of Altruist organization speaks of convincing the Dargah’s trustee and 90% of the patients now are referenced from the Dargah’s heads. In Ervadi as well Dr. J. Periyar Lenin applied the same Dava and Dua model. Pandit Ashish Shukla and Sayyed Abuzar Azmi also stresses the need of Dava and Dua.
Discussion with religious persons:
Aamir is seen with religious leaders – Sister Lucy Kurien, Pandit Shambunath Shukla, and Sayyed Haji Sahab. Aamir speaks with Haji sahab on the response from patients with Dava and Dua initiative. Haji sahab speaks that after the Ervadi incident and Supreme Court order, he made sure that patients are not chained and he is happy to see betterment of humanity. Pandit Shambunath Shukla speaks that medicine is important which will cure the ailment and also medicine intake should not be stopped unless doctor’s says so. Aamir speaks with Sister Lucy that in many religions there is a belief of faith healing that if someone touches you then you get heal and asks whether she sees patients having that belief. She replies of convincing patients slowly to take medicines since they have much believe. After father’s (from Church) invention, the patient agreed to take medicines. Aamir thanks them. Aamir speaks about community based rehabilitation centers being run by Parivartan Trust all over India and Dr. Hamid is representing it there on the show. Aamir wants people to support Parivartan Trust with Axis Bank, Airtel Money, and Reliance Foundation will give 1 Crore INR to Parivartan.
Laughter Therapy and Aamir signs off
Aamir speaks about one medicine which doesn’t have any side-effects and the one which you can take any time with no overdose, and even doesn’t have any cost or the need of any hospital. Aamir speaks that medicine to be laughter and wants to know more on laughter therapy from Dr. Madan Kataria – Founder, Laughter Yoga International. Dr. Madan comes and suggests that laughter lowers your stress level and is highly beneficial. He speaks about step-wise approach to therapy. First comes clapping, then long breath inhale and releasing and you will get laughter. He speaks about Lassi laughter – mixing Lassi and drinking and again invoking laughter. Next one is credit card laughter and Just laugh laughter (you don’t know why are you laughing). Final one is fighting with laughter. Dr. Madan speaks that 10 to 15 minutes of sustained laughter will bring in positive physiological changes in your body and by watching comedy will not bring such effect. He speaks that in 72 countries there are laughter yoga therapy and in India there are more than 10,000 laughter clubs which have free membership and entry. Its website is www.laughteryoga.org and e-mail: [email protected]. Dr. Madan signs off by saying that if laughter is goodness then to make someone laugh is a much bigger good. Aamir and audience thanks Dr. Madan. Aamir speaks that mental illness is also like physical illness like diabetes, blood pressure. We treat all other illness openly without any shame in the same way we should treat mental illness as well and the day we think in that way we will win half the battle with ease. Aamir signs off with Jai Hind.. Satyamev Jayate !!
Dekho Savan Aayo Re song plays in the end credit to highlight the vibrancy, happiness, beauty and celebrates life.
Additional Note:
* Satyamev Jayate Website to keep updated about the show and other promos and finer details
http://www.satyamevjayate.in/
* Help Helplines for mental illness from Satyamev Jayate website:
http://www.satyamevjayate.in/nurturing-mental-health/episode-5article.aspx?uid=s3e5-ar-a3
* Twitter page of Satyamev Jayate
Some Thoughts on Twitter:
Image credit: Twitter page of Satyamev Jayate
Episode Video: Satyamev Jayate – 2nd November 2014 (Hindi)
[youtube id=http://youtu.be/6jw8DCG8pck]
Episode Video: In English Subtitled
[youtube id=http://youtu.be/LIuw9MB3m7E]
Mumkin Hai Episode after the show’s telecast: Aamir’s live chat from Tokyo, Japan
[youtube id=http://youtu.be/DJ8pQr1yRUY]
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