*25-Jan-2012* *NAGPUR* : Being afflicted by a mental illness may sound like the biggest curse that can be cast upon a person. However, a majority of those who have seen the sufferings of the mentally ill from close quarters do not believe it to be so, including some of the patients of city's Regional Mental Hospital (RMH).
As RMH organized a debate on 'whether mental illnesses are a curse', a majority of the participants, including the staffers of the hospital, students from social work colleges and even a few patients, did not agree to the harsh term being synonymous with such a serious health issue. Most of the nurses who took part in the competition believed that a curse is something that cannot go away. Since mental illnesses, like any other disease, can be treated by proper medication and treatment, it cannot be said to be a curse. The most heartening moment of the event was seeing the positivity with which one of the inmates, Harshal Posaria, reasoned why he did not consider himself 'cursed'. "With the stressful lives that we lead today, we take rest only when we fall ill. Perhaps, having a mental illness is our mind's way of telling us that we need rest," he said. Deputy superintendent of the hospital Dr Suhas Waghe retold the inspiring stories of people he had treated who had gone on to make a name for themselves later. Those who believed that suffering from a mental condition does spell doom reasoned that the lack of respect and understanding that the society has towards those with the diseases makes it so. "Though medication and treatment help, what one loses during this phase of life cannot be earned back soon or easily," opined Jyoti Fiske, the yoga teacher at the hospital. "It was nice to see such positive attitude of people who have seen the worst experiences that mental illnesses can give to a personThe staff kept in front of us not just their views but their entire experiences and emotions," gushed Seema Lobo, a lecturer at the BP National Institute of Social Work, who was one of the judges of the debate. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-25/nagpur/30662749_1_mental-illnesses-mental-condition-curse -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
