Welcome to Nami Neuropsychiatry Clinic

Psychiatrist: This is done after MBBS (5 years) and MD (3 years). A psychiatrist is experienced in diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, behavioural illnesses with medicines

Clinical Psychologist: This is done after BA (3 years), MA (2yrs). Helps with doing different therapies/counselling for mental illness and with different tests like IQ, personality tests etc.

Mental Illness is a biological disorder of the brain that interferes a person’s thinking, feeling, moods, and ability to relate to others.

• Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illness is a brain disorder that often results in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. They are biologically-based brain disorders. They cannot simply be “overcome” by will power.
• They are not related to a person’s weakness, lack of character, intelligence or poor upbringing (Not a personality fault)

An estimated one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. About 1 in 17 suffer from a serious mental illness

But, treatment works- between 70 and 90 percent of individuals can have significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life.

Most people need treatment only for 3-7 months, some might need for a year. Only a small percentage needs lifelong treatment.

Most medicines cost between 250-750/ month to treat

There are multiple reasons why a person may be affected by mental illnesses; some of them are Environmental factors, stress, sudden and a major life changing event, brain injuries, infections and substance abuse. Genetics may also play an important role.

If anyone in the family is affected by a mental disorder, then the risk of the child getting affected increases as well. It is better to get screened by a psychiatrist if there is any doubt of the same.

A) Mental health is the state of a person’s psychological, behavioural and emotional well being. It not only means that there is no mental illness, but it includes the capacity of an individual to realise his full potential/ cope with the stresses of life, includes the ability to learn, feel and manage a range of emotions , ability to form and manage relationships with others.

B) Mental Illness/ Mental disorders are health conditions that negatively affect the way we think, act, feel, behave and interact with others.

Mental illness is a medical illness.

A person does not simply “get over” mental illness without some form of treatment. A disorder cannot be cured by talking about it. Like how we can’t make a fever go away by telling a person to cool down for example.

Just because it is not visible doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist

Though medications often help in the treatment of mental illness, it is not likely that taking medicines as the sole form of treatment will be effect in long run. People who suffer the mental illness of severe depression may put pressure on themselves to just “get over” return to active participation again, but like other mental illnesses, it takes therapy and sometimes medication to stabilize. Basically, building up effective support systems will help in long term care

There is a strong association between mental illnesses and chronic diseases

Up to 75% percent of patients with depression, go to the doctor with physical complaints as the reason for seeking help

There is a strong association between depression/ anxiety with other chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, Chronic Pain etc.

Also there are strong links between mental illness and adverse health events, like smoking, alcohol use, overeating, physical inactivity

Be prepared to listen

Show your care and give them time and attention

Know how and when to go to others for help

If you feel out of your depth, don’t try dealing with the situation alone

Be non-judgemental, patient, calm and accepting

Eating or sleeping too much or too little

Withdrawing away from people and usual activities

Having low or no energy

Feeling numbness / worrying

Having unexplained aches and pains

Feeling helplessness or hopeless

Smoking, drinking more than usual

Yelling or fighting with family and friends

Experiencing severe mood swings

Thoughts of ending one’s life