Sunday Emotion- Patients commit suicide during treatment: People used to say that after reading so much, why do you want to become a doctor for mad people?

I am a psychiatrist in Sir Gangaram Hospital, Delhi.

You understood absolutely right, I am a doctor of mad people. Even if not in front, but people say the same behind your back. My profession is to treat those people whom our society calls mad. Sometimes I succeed in this, sometimes I also fail. People come to me with a lot of faith, my first job is to keep it strong.

Dr. Rajeev Mehta has written two books SPEAK TO ANYONE, EASILY and REWIRE, REWORK, RECLAIM.

I am also a human being, sometimes the patient is not able to recover completely. Many patients become doctors themselves. After his checkup, when I start prescribing medicines, he starts telling me about the medicines, which ones are okay and which ones are not. The sad thing is that when they start getting better, they stop taking the medicine. All this makes me sad as a professional.

The job which was started with the intention of service is now being spent thinking about treatment. I very much wanted to become a psychiatrist. Why did this happen and whether I am happy with my job or should I say work today – for this you will have to go through my journey.

I am a resident of Bhiwani district of Haryana. He must have been seven years old when his father passed away. The household expenses were covered by mother's pension. Had a joint family and when I grew up, I kept hearing that my father wanted me to become a doctor. This thing kept going around since childhood. It was ok to read. The exam which is now known as NEET, was then called CBSE PMT. Passed this exam with very good marks. After this, he got admission in a medical college in Delhi.

It was while studying here that I felt that I should do specialisation. Was from lower middle class family. Couldn't think of anything big. Amidst all this, I thought a lot and found that the study of psychiatry is better in many respects. It did not require much money to open a clinic. There were opportunities to go abroad for this study. Also the best thing was that there was work life balance. There was a limit to the job. There was no emergency. After a lot of thinking, he married a girl doing physiotherapy. In foreign countries, there is more demand for physiotherapy than psychiatry.

Initially worked in private hospitals. I felt relieved by talking to people, when the treatment started showing benefits, it felt as if I had made someone's life better. People trusted, spoke from their heart. I was also very interested in listening to things. I used to wonder how people go through so much sorrow. Sometimes some things used to bother me. I thought I was healing people. He is recovering and returning to normal life. This is a big task. It's like bringing life back.

Where do things stay the same over time? Joined Sir Gangaram Hospital about 12 years ago. I am a senior doctor here. People from all walks of life, from the richest to the richest and poorest of the poor, come here for treatment. Since it is run by trust and charity, all the patients coming here have to be given equal priority.

After coming here, I had more interaction with patients. Different types of patients started coming. When everyone, rich and poor, started coming, it was found that the pattern in most of the patients is very much the same. These patients were suffering from anxiety and depression. There were some others too, but their number was very less.

In the initial days, after continuously providing clinical treatment and meeting mentally ill people, by the evening a different kind of restlessness started appearing in the mind. Kept thinking about people. Many times, while listening to things, I felt that all this had happened to me too, I too reacted in the same way. Then the mind would go there. I used to remember my trauma.

I feel most sad when people start considering themselves experts instead of getting treatment. I also encounter patients who talk incessantly. Refers to different types of books. Want to say that we have understood the science behind whatever is happening in his mind. I'll just prescribe some pills. This bothers me a lot. People's trust in doctors is decreasing.

People think that doctors rob. Just want to earn money. What should I comment on this? But the very important thing is that if you have come to the doctor, then you will have to trust what he says and the medicine given by him.

He used to get very upset by all these things. I still do, but have decided some things. Like, the world will continue like this, nothing can be done about it. Just keep doing your work honestly.

One good thing in Sir Gangaram Hospital is that the doctors have their own community center. Here all types of doctors spend time with each other. Gradually some become friends. Even today, most of my stress is relieved at the community centre. The remaining things have to be shared with the family.

Every three months a leave of ten to fifteen days becomes necessary. Without him, peace is not possible in life. Many times patients want to tell you everything and you do not have more than five or ten minutes of time, this also causes a lot of guilt.

People should understand one thing. If you don't trust the doctor, you will face problems. And ultimately it is the patient who suffers the loss.

The entire family remains troubled with the mental health patient.

My name is Dr. Rajesh Sagar, I am a professor in AIIMS Delhi. I have been teaching doctors here for the last three decades. I myself come face to face with patients. From giving advice to senior doctors to meeting patients myself and teaching them ways to recover, I live in the world related to mental health.

Dr. Rajesh Sagar has been serving in AIIMS Delhi for 34 years.

My family is from Mathura. Father was in a government job. Stayed in Delhi after seventh. Since he was fast in studies, he got admission in Maulana Azad Medical College after 12th. Completed MBBS in 1986. Till then community service was mandatory in Maulana Azad College. For some time he had to go to rural areas to see patients. From there I got into the habit of talking to people. I thought people were feeling comfortable talking.

I realized one thing while studying. Apart from mental health, any other disease causes pain to humans. He suffers physical pain. In case of mental health, the entire family and even the village society is affected. People ignore the family. They start treating the sick person more badly. The effect of all this is very bad.

That's when I felt that if I study psychiatry, I will not only cure a person but also his family and his dependents.

But it was a big taboo then. In fact, even in the community of doctors, it was said that if the marks are less then they are studying psychiatry. Friends also used to say – After studying so much, why do you want to become a doctor for mad people?

It was not considered an essential branch among doctors, but I felt that it would be needed in the future. Ignored what people said and completed his MD from the country's prestigious National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bengaluru. Worked for a few years and then came to AIIMS. I have been here for the last 34 years and have seen thousands of patients.

Since it is a big government hospital of the country, the arrangements here are also similar. Patients are seen at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Since I also teach, I see patients at the tertiary level. I recommend at both beginner levels.

For me, the patient's recovery is most important. We do not take any care from our side in the treatment of anyone, but when people leave the medicine after recovering a little, and after some time they come back to the same condition as they were before, then it feels very bad to see them.

Actually, the entire family remains troubled with the mental health patient. In such a situation, if someone continues to remain the same as before, the hope of the entire family is shattered.

I try to listen to people with all my heart and time. Instead of accepting things, people want to talk based on the theory already formed in their mind. All this creates distrust and despair.

Many times patients commit suicide during treatment. Then it seems that so much time and effort has been put in and the result is nothing.

All this hasn't changed my way of thinking much, but it definitely makes me tired. That is natural also. Just as every person is unique, their way of feeling fresh is also different. Some people are happy talking to friends. Some people watch the movie. Some people want music.

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1- Father's dead body came after 56 years: Mother became widow at the age of 15, could not even see father's face.