The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `The mentally ill need our empathy, care'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 13, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`The mentally ill need our empathy, care'

Staff Reporter

Therapy and medication are required like in other illnesses, says consultant

Bangalore: They talk, laugh, cook, eat and lead lives like most other people. But society discriminates against them because they have once gone through the trauma of mental illness.

Some understanding and empathy from people around them will go a long way in helping them come back into mainstream society.

Gayatri Ramprasad, an MBA graduate with excellent social skills and a gentle demeanour, was once diagnosed as mentally unstable and put on medication. She is still in therapy. Her grit and determination have helped in her recovery.

Ms. Ramprasad, a resident of the U.S., is a mental health consultant now. She has organised NAMI (National Association For Mental Illness) walks, and workshops and seminars for families of those with mental disorders. Brain disorders, which cause mental illnesses, are not due to personal failings. They may be genetic, as it happened with her. Her father, sister and brother were also affected by similar disorders for brief spells, she says. Three steps are needed to help the recovery of the patient. The first is to be aware of or be informed of the disease; the second is to accept the mentally ill patient just like those with other diseases; and the third is to provide the required treatment and lots of love and care, says Ms. Ramprasad.

Accepting things as they are is essential. Just as those with diabetes or hypertension need treatment and medication to function normally, those with mental illness need therapy and medication, she says.

She is now a model for many who suffer from mental and physical disorders. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Eli Lilly Welcome Back Award for Lifetime Achievement (U.S.) and the 2006 Voice Award (U.S.). She is the founder and director of the organisation The Asha International Foundation. She is confident that love, care and medication given at the right time can go a long way in bettering the lives of those suffering from mental illnesses.

Treat such diseases as you would treat any other. Brain is also a part of the human body, which can be inflicted by certain disorders or diseases, Ms. Ramprasad adds.

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