HYDERABAD: They do matter. That is the message members of the city-based self-help group V Matter are trying to put across.

Their slogan is quite simple. The world of people who get caught in mental disorders is different and difficult. To get out of it, they need help, which is often not available when needed most. Moreover, such people are sidelined by society once their disorder is known publicly. V Matter, its members say, is ready to step in and guide the person back to normalcy and even help him or her get a good job.

V Matter, two years into existence now, has 12 members, themselves one-time visitors to the strange and lonely world of mental disorders.

Loneliness

"Because we know what it is like, we also understand how crucial a support group can be to such individuals," says one member.

The person who set up the group, now back to the "normal" world and enjoying a career in a prominent software company here, says it was the loneliness during the early days of his disorder that prompted him to bring together others like him.

"There is no awareness at all on mental disorders. Many people, despite good medication and good doctors being around, suffer silently because there is no guidance. That's where a group like V Matter can make a difference," he says.

V Matter meets on Sundays, when members share their experiences and interact with medical practitioners like K. Ashok Reddy of the Institute of Mental Health, Erragadda.

Rural camps

The group, registered as a non-governmental organisation, has now started publishing a small newsletter on mental health as well.

"We held a few rural camps on mental health and are planning camps in the city too. Awareness is as crucial as medication. So we are trying to encourage more such groups," says one of the members.

Proposals

A Day Care Centre, where people with mental disorders can engage themselves in some sort of activity so that their introvert nature does not get the better of them, is also on the cards. Those interested in knowing more about V Matter can contact 23813143 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays.

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