The genesis of blaming families impacted by mental illness in India

...through a tome which lay in the website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India for several years . One could access this tome when one clicked on a link titled 'National Mental Health Programme'

The cover of the tome bore the title,‘Mental Health An Indian Perspective 1946-2003 ‘ by Directorate General of Health Services Ministry of Health and Family Welfare New Delhi.

This tome has a Chapter I ‘Mental Health 2003: The Indian Scene’

Beginning rather theatrically with a quote from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the seasons of light, it was the seasons of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,...’

This quote was followed by the writ,'It all began with a fire…’

Referring to the fire that broke out at a private centre, in a place called Erawady where several people with mental illness who were chained, were charred to death. The writers use the word ‘asylum' for a private centre as if the Indian Lunacy ACT 1912 was still in existence at the time of the fire when it was not.

One of the reasons stated by the writers for impacted families leaving their family members in the private centre at Erawady was that ‘stigma and superstitions associated with mental disorders coupled with unwillingness or inability of families to care for their mentally ill relatives appear to be the main contributory factors.’

What was left out (as if the writers were unaware) was that ‘Public mental health education’ was not taking place when it was one of the Plans of action in the National Mental Health Programme. 

For many in India, reading this chapter whilst giving supportive care to their loved ones with mental illness trying their best to keep despair out of their lives its ...a Chapter I ...of incredulous excuses. 


Reference:‘Mental Health An Indian Perspective 1946-2003'  by Directorate General of Health Services. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare New Delhi.



 

There are 65 million Indians with serious mental illnesses

...like Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, Major depression…’ states The National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi in August 2005.

This sub set population needs ongoing medical attention, treatment, care and rehabilitation otherwise it would grievously impact them... violating their Rights to Health, Life, Equality and Dignity, Rights which are guaranteed under the Constitution of India.

Those who use the term 'service user' for patients with mental illness in India

...as if everyone with mental illness in India are consumers of the Government Electricity Department.

As if *state-of-the-art services* are being provided to all the people with mental illness in India.

The academics, others... who use such terminologies for patients with mental illness in India ...where have these people wandered from ?

So much of ennui.

Really…

That one has to copy terminologies from across the seas like 'service-users'

An isolation technique to take advantage of those really vulnerable with serious mental illness.

Keep them in a state of conflict…suspended animation…hostility.

Wonder if these academics, others... did any study on the banded kraits in Asia in their habitat .

Since they are pretty quiet on employment done piecemeal for persons with mental illness in the Rights of Persons Disabilities Bill 2014 tabled in parliament in India

Also very, very silent on the high risks of violence in people with untreated serious mental illness, mental illness with substance abuse...

No warmth. No caring. These academics, others...who are so poikilothermal ...the *poikilothermic homo sapiens* of the 21st century.

How to make parents/family members docile and subservient in India

...flood them with homilies and top it with the *The Advanced Directive*? As if dealing with a serious mental illness on a daily basis is not enough.

The Advance Directive and Nominated Representatives were last seen in the Mental Health Care Bill with the Standing Committee, in the Parliament of India .....

Some responses to the above:

1. Not seen any valid, empirical or double-blind study in India in the efficacy of turning parents/family members into *nominated representatives* for those with serious mental illness.

2. After the whining noise transformed into reams of print, newspapers, studies,...>about the less than 2000 patients left behind by families in the 40 Government State Hospitals in India comes *The Advance Directive* in a Bill, as an innovation hailed and shouted by its supporters. Whether knowledge of dealing with mental illness on a daily basis was imparted to the impacted families of the less than 2000 patients is conveniently not spoken of. Not to mention that *the Advance Directive* is not an *original*. It is a copycat...

3. Confining parents/family members of loved ones with mental illness into a state of docility. As if the Government of India is like ancient Sparta giving nurturing care to all its citizens with serious mental illness.

4.*The Advance Directive* = a bestowal of a contract to celebrate legal capacity? Giving away one's right to life while still living?

5.The *Advance Directive* is a legal lasso for traditional knowledge transfer.

6. What is the *how that they will be treated* in the much pushed Advance Directive. http://bit.ly/1tz0oUG

7. *Tell me please, pretty please, before my father or mother are turned into *nominated representatives ...* http://bit.ly/1ue1dFd in India
 
8.Those pushing for *the Advance Directive* for mental illness, not pushing one for *fever* ? with and without delirium?

9.Those pushing for * the Advance Directive*, for mental illness, not pushing one for *diarrhoea*? 

10. Government of India is like >giving nurturing care to all its citizens with serious mentalillness (thinking about it brings tears to my eyes) could actually come up with *the Advance Directive* ?

11. Government of India is like >giving nurturing care to all its citizens with serious mentalillness (sobbing at the very thought) could come up with *the Advance Directive* with sim cards?

12. Seen awareness creation of mentalillness through different forms of media by Government of India on Mental Health Day? like HIV/AIDS, Cancer

13. Knowledge transmissions through creating awareness campaigns for mentalillness by the Government of India being left out http://bit.ly/1tz0oUG 

14. Any *Wake Up Directive*? Only Advance Directive?

15. No *Advance Directive* for stroke? All minds in India are in the stomach.  All minds in India are still in a vacuum?

What is the *how* that *they* will be treated in the Advance Directive

... for mental illness, is a legal *lasso* for *knowledge transfer*...right to life?

1.This *knowledge* of *how* is very well known to some *they* a small sub-set of population in India who have been treated/admitted > the *40* Mental Hospitals, Government hospitals, autonomous, mostly private mental health centres offering psychiatric treatments. This small sub-set who have the *knowledge* is a miniscule number of 65 million Indians with serious mental illness.

2. *Knowledge transmission* by the Government of India through intensive awareness campaigns on >*how* *they* will be treated for mental illness to the rest of the population in India> through *awareness campaigns mental illness* in cinema halls, multiplexes, markets, malls, schools, colleges, universities, in its colonies, near water wells and water taps where women congregate, routes in different terrains where women collect firewood, in buses, in trains, on highways, at toll centres where tax is collected,…is ominously missing.

3. *Knowledge transmission* by the Government of India on>*how* *they* will be treated for mental illness to the large set of the population through *awareness campaigns for mental illness* in television, radio, FM .…is not happening.
 
4. *Knowledge transmission* through intensive awareness campaigns Mental illness despite repeated appeals to the Ministry of Health of the Government of India over the years is not happening. 

5. There is munificence in *knowledge transmission* by the Government of India, to the population of India for Cancer, HIV/AIDS, reproductive organs, lungs… 

6. So what is the *how* unknown to most of the people in India 

7. So an *advance directive* mooted, trumpeted, propagated and being compared to a *living will* by some learned people (what moral values they learnt in their process of learning is questionable) for *how* to be treated, when most people in India do not know that treatments exist for mental illness…

8. In a will you *know* what you are bequeathing and to whom. A will comes into force after one’s death. 

9. In an Advance Directive, you are bequeathing your *knowledge* , your *traditional knowledge* , to the entities ... some yet to descend on us, rescue us, with their smooth talk, smiles, words, perfect looks, glamour… and glycerin induced tears. 

10. Advantageous to whom? And to protect …whom? (Yippee… let’s dance…mental illness is exercising legal capacity...contract...right to life...legal lasso)

11. Who would be the *entities*> gaining, making money from the *traditional knowledge transfers* through the Advance Directives? 

12.Which pool of knowledge would this traditional knowledge be going to?

13. SO far no *shared benefits* to those who bequeath *the Advance Directive*, the people of India with mental illness, on the road to becoming mentally ill, attempting suicides… 

14. If an advance directive comes into force after giving it to the >...entities does the Advance Directive translate into giving away one’s Right to Life when one is still alive?


Response to: Tell me please, pretty please before my *father* or *mother* are turned into *nominated representatives* what is the *how* in the Advance Directive.

http://amotherandcaregiverinindia.blogspot.in/2014/11/tell-me-pretty-please.html

"Tell me please, pretty please

...before my father or mother are turned into *nominated representatives*,
 
what is the *how* in the Advance Directive?"

A response to-


'...make advance directives on how they will be treated during mental illness.' - from a media report link of which is  given below

http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-commentary/winter-session-of-parliament-a-chance-to-pass-all-pending-bills/ 

The *Knowledge deficits* in The Rights of Persons Disabilities Bill 2014 India- Part One

1. Where did all the *knowledge inputs* given in the process of making this Bill go?

2. In the trash can?

3. Or *knowledge* transfers to where and whom?

4. Free * Knowledge* transfers to the learned people with academic degrees to write their reports, books, studies, thesis, newspaper columns … without acknowledging their contributors? No *shared benefits* to so many who gave their *knowledge inputs* which have been kept out of this Bill.

5. This Bill refuses to acknowledge the years of neglect following the Census of India, 2001 which clubbed persons with mental illness together with persons with mental retardation >with all the benefits of rehabilitation showered on persons with mental retardation by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

6. This Bill refuses to acknowledge that the rehabilitation of those with serious mental illness in India was left to the impacted families and few organizations.

7. This bill refuses to acknowledge that Mental illness was counted separately in the last Census of India 2011 and not clubbed together with any disability.

Response to: Piecemeal Employment of mental illness in the Rights of Persons Disabilities Bill 2014 India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which is with the Standing Committee in the Parliament of India