Social Therapy [PDF Download : The wpa globalprogramme to reduce stigma and discrimination because of  schizophrenia, 2006]
    [PDF Download : the wpa global programme to reduce the stigma and discrimination because of schizophrenia, 2002]

"Empowering the impaired through the appropriate use of Information Technology and Internet"
      -Ishita Sanyal  - [PDF Download]

Introduction:

The most neglected invisible problem of the society today is the burden of Mental Illness; the problem it creates- its effects and its outcome in the coming years. The WHO has warned that many countries will be unable to cope with a predicted boom in Mental Illness over the next decade. According to Dr. Gro, the head of WHO, “If we don’t deal with Mental Illness, there is a burden not only on the Mentally Ill, on their families, their communities, there is an economic burden if we don’t take care of people who need their care and treatment.” In India over 25 million people suffer from Mental Illness. But even then the government had no other option but to allocate funds on physical illness or disabilities like cancer, AIDS or any other problem than on Mental Illness. Lack of economic resource along with lack of professionals in the field have made the scenario even more bleak and worse. In a developing country like India he best possible option is empowering the impaired through right information (psycho education) and formation of self-help groups to meet the current need.

Aims and Objectives:

 Reducing the burden of illness by making the sufferers and their family members aware of the problem.
Delivering appropriate psycho education for both the groups and learning coping and crisis management strategies. Filling the gap that exists between the intensity and magnitude of the problem and the expertise available.
Reducing the stigma.
Affordable treatment opportunities.
Low cost centres.
Social rehabilitation.
Vocational training.
Group therapy.

Methodology:

A control group of 85 persons were given training in computer, made them aware of the problem through psycho education through information from various reliable data sources and internet. A group of people received only medicine without any scope of (psycho education) getting information, awareness and rehabilitation.

Results:

1. Both caregivers and caretakers gain knowledge/insight about their problem in the controlled group.
2. This helps them to handle delusions/hallucinations effectively.
3. Through internet it is now easy to become a member of the self-help group which acts as a support system to them.
4. It helps them to come out of their withdrawal and social phobia.
5. It encourages them to communicate with others through internet where they feel safe and secured. This helps to improve their communication techniques and helps them to come out from their cocoon.
6. It reduces stigma attached to Mental Illness.
7. It encourages, provides motivation. When they know about the true life stories of others, the success stories-it provides them inspiration to fight back.
8. It overcomes loneliness and depression. “A feeling that I am not alone”.
9. It reduces the feeling of guilt in caregivers.
10. Gets pleasure and recreation.
11. Gets exposure and opportunities.
12. Economic freedom.
13. Improves quality of life.
14. It is economic. compared to other costs of treatment
15. Helps in the realization that their problem is “ Not unique.”
16. Effect of group therapy.
17. Reduces hospital stay.


Conclusion:

Broadening the horizons through computer and internet helps the persons suffering from Mental Illness gain back lost confidence and be a productive member of the society- by moving into the mainstream of life again.

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"Frustration and Conflict in Youth and Effect of Consumerism and Globalization"

Globalization not only reduces the impact of distance but it has tied the whole world more tightly together than ever before. Though it resulted in a number of positive effects with changed outlook, perception and intermingling of cultures and lifestyles but it has a number of negative impacts on stress in the youth of developing countries like India.

The meaning of life has changed in today’s youth. Previously in India people used to crave for the quality of life which according to them was peace and happiness coming out of good work, education and knowledge helping people in need. Now due to increase in consumerism (the developing countries being the main aim of consumerism) young people are craving towards leisure and luxury as the ultimate goal in life. Pleasure from work has shifted to pleasure from luxury items coming out of work. They are now not interested about gathering knowledge. The quest for knowledge has now been replaced by knowledge as a means or tool for acquiring pleasure.

Parents too are falling prey to consumerism. As a phobic parent gives birth to a phobic child, a greedy parent gives birth to a greedy child. Teachers and parents are trying to imbibe the necessity to “excel” to get the quality of life, which they can only get from their “pay-packets”.
The youth who are not winning in this rat race are getting depressed, losing the meaning of life, getting confused, feeling inadequate and frustrated. The Indian value system has changed rapidly in the last decade. As a result the youth today are suffering from conflict-which is the ideal path for them. Is knowledge important or getting chance to go abroad for education more important? Whether respect and acceptance can be achieved only by studying abroad, going for the lucrative jobs and earning more and more money is the question that puzzles today’s youth.

Those who are failing in this standard of life are falling prey to psychological problems. The most common effects seen are:
• Insecurity
• Frustration
• Depression
• Identity crisis
• Felling of inadequacy
• Irritation
• Lack of motivation
• Negative attitude in love life
• Aggression
• Escapism and living in a fantasy world
• Rejection
• Loneliness
• Withdrawn
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"Reducing parental overload & emotional burden by formation of self help group & taking part in
     fighting stigma." - Ishita Sanyal

Objective- In Indian Society family plays a key role in providing help & support to the mentally ill. This is also facilitated by our culture, which places family at the centre of all activities. Lack of institutional facilities & due to non – affordable cost of treatment families have to play a key role in the treatment & maintenance of the mentally ill.

But due to tremendous stigma attached & immense guilt attached to mental illness parents are often overloaded with emotions & are susceptible to emotional outburst themselves. Instead of helping their children & accepting the reality, denial plays a key role & there is a tendency to hide the fact. This results in either over protection or over expectation from their affected child, which cannot be fulfilled leading to high EE of parents. Parents, especially mothers feel guilty as society often points out their fingers towards the mother who is believed to be the cause of all illness & negative behaviours of their child.
As a result parents, especially mothers become overburden in their effort to hide their guilt, give full effort for the well being of the child without knowing the actual methods for doing so & without modifying their expectation. This often causes frequent relapse & mental illness in parents too.

Parents, specially mothers who get psycho-education & forms self-help group develop the lost self confidence, rationality, understands the situation & gets satisfaction while helping their own child with others. They got a moral support & come out & insecurity.

Result-The quality of life of the parents is seen to improve which has an impact on improving the quality of life of the patients. The feelings of utter despair change to a ray of hope & support for their children. Self-help group improves the functional status of the parents as well as the patient leading to low relapse & higher performance of the patients.

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" A Creative & Comprehensive Play Therapy Approach for New Millennium children"


Society is changing very fast & to cope with the challenges we need to modify the old approaches of Play Therapy. In today’s Society children are exposed to the effects of Globalisation & stress due to too much expectation from them. Gone are the days when a child used to spend time with toys & plasticin in Play therapy sessions.
Children today prefer to play Computer games, watch T.V., or play in a group where they can unfold their creativity, competitive spirit, anger & aggression in a healthy criticism free atmosphere.

In developing country like India, child labour still remains as the only option for a majority of children to earn their livelihood. But the exposure to the modern facilities & luxuries in life (through media) is making them more vulnerable to lose self-control & thus become aggressive, defiant towards parents & society.

Self Contentment, happiness from day to day life is disappearing fast from their life. The children in the towns & cities who are exposed to modern amenities of life are losing their boundaries of expectation & satisfaction.

For these children we need new intervention techniques, which they find interesting & acceptable. A new form of Play therapy introducing games of art, craft & learning through computer can change the whole scenario & make Play Therapy interesting & appropriate for this millennium. Role modeling, involving self control strategies help them to overcome their problem in an innovative way. Even some computer games can help them to identify behaviours that need modification & control.

Aims and Objectives:

To create interesting Play Therapy games suitable for children of this millennium to
Helping to identify the problems of the children through games ( Can act in future like CAT)
Reduce their anxieties
Increase their concentration
Identifying behaviours that needs to be modified
Helping to get rid of aggression through attractive computer games.
A Form of Group Therapy Session

Methodology:

A controlled group 40 children (8 children per group-5 group) practiced Play Therapy with the help of computer along with role modeling & few other games. While a group of 40 children received only medicine.

Results:

Play Therapy through Computer games along with others help the child to overcome initial uneasiness that they experience while coming to a health clinic
It helps them to overcome the stigma attached to mental illness
Children feel free to experiment with computer & it becomes an easy tool for history taking of the client & approaching them.
Children unknowingly identify behaviours that need to be modified while playing games & slowly changes some of their behaviours too
Computer acts as an effective tool to show aggression in a safe criticism free atmosphere
Some of the games can increase their knowledge, their concentration level & thus help them to regain their competency level.
This also helps them to attend better grades in their examination & help to gain back the confidence.

Conclusion

New innovative Play Therapy sessions can be designed through the help of computer according to the individual need of the children which helps them to get interested in the Therapy Sessions & thus reduce the problems of the children to a large extent.

This new play therapy helps to gain self control, develop self image, identify & rectify inappropriate behaviour, increase concentration & change some of the behaviours which needs modification. These in turn increase independent functioning, firmer & cohesive sense of identity, increases effective interaction & communication with parents, increases emotional stability & self-reliance. A child learns to unfold his talents slowly, which is required for his healthy development.

 

Fighting insomnia, controlling body & mind through Autosuggestion : By Ishita Sanyal

Insomnia, sleep disturbance & sleepless nights are the common features of persons suffering from mental illness. The anxiety that one have to spend sleepless nights often is present throughout the day & becomes really painful experience. The agony of not being able to close the eyes , counting the hours throughout the night, dodging in the bed from one side to other  is a fearful experience for any person. A person cannot concentrate, becomes restless & feels incapable to control his disturbed sleeping pattern. 

In case of few psychotic persons, however, it is seen that to avoid reality the sleeping pattern is changed unconsciously where a person prefers to sleep the whole day, avoid duties & works & wakes up late in the evening. This reduces his exposure to the outside world. Even when he goes out of his house late at night, he feels safe & at ease as he rarely meets any known person at the odd hours to ask about his well being .He prefers to remain unnoticed. 

Though a person suffers from this sleeping pattern, he must think consciously about the negative effects of this disturbed sleeping pattern & also the positive gain if he can slowly change his habit.

Autosuggestion helps him in cultivating motivation to change his sleeping habits. He can handle his fears & phobias towards the outside world only through frequent autosuggestion & gradual exposure to the outside world. Positive conditioning helps him to practice autosuggestions more frequently & thus helps him to change his sleeping patterns.

Result- As many of the problems can be solved if one can change & control his difficult & different sleeping patterns which make him a loners & far away from the reality- autosuggestion helps him to gain control of his life & learn to explore the challenges of his life.