Junooni

Once again thanks to everyone who read my article. Dear Rad in Boston, thank you for the idea about the other article, will definitely work on that.
Anita dear, first of all, thank you for showing me the way to the chowk, in fact that may be why I’ll forgive you for calling me ‘normal’ (normal = Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical)

I think I will write another article dealing with the schizophrenia per se, rather than generic mental illness, and perhaps one day, even write about how I got into psychiatry, I must warn you though, there may not be much exciting stuff there. As they say in our business, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Re; Anita
Will reply after I am done with an upcoming presentation.

Not to ``out-talk`` Aliya who is a bona fide psychiatrist (I just have an interest in the subject by virtue of having several relatives with the disorder) - about 1% of the population the world over has schizophrenia. It is probably a whole spectrum of different types of biological processes that produce similar clinical symptoms. There definitely is a strong genetic component.

Psychiatric services in Pakistan are abysmal. There are very few institutions that have the capacity to admit people. Committed individuals are treated very badly. Virtually all care is provided by family members. Coupled with the stigma of hiding mental illness, it creates a tremendous burden on the family with no access for relief.

Many patients also have to undergo forcible exorcization by peers/faqeers. Abuse of ECT (shock therapy) by untrained medical practitioners is rampant.

However, mentally ill patients in the US also do not receive the care they need or deserve. Most insurance does not cover mental illness. There is a serious shortage of hospital beds. From my experience from occasional moonlighting shifts in Boston Emergency Rooms, it takes hours to find a bed, if ever. Many deny admission if the patient cannot afford the admission. Just the other day, I had to send a violent, homicidal preteen home because we couldn`t find a bed for him in all of Boston.

Finally: Aliya, its good to see you here. You do skirt Sohail`s question. What motivates you to do this particular job (it can`t be just because you are good at it)? We all (at least I)think of psychiatrists as somewhat looney themselves (I actually know a psychiatrist called Dr. Looney!)- you are one of the most ``normal`` ones I know.

Anita

I enjoyed this article. It is very obvious here in Boston that many mentally ill people suffer homelessness and often people tend to assume the situation the other way around (homeless people are crazy). It would be great if you could write another article about the treatment for schizophrenia. It would help educate alot of us who are not as fimiliar with the issue.

sohail: i am also one of ``those people`` i work as
a psychiatric social worker. what makes you think
the world is all ``nightmarish`` and all? There is
also a lot of joy, and hope amongst people who
dealing with their mental health issues. If there
is a ``nightmare`` it has more to do with lack of
opportunities for people, who then are forced to
live in very run down neighborhoods here in the west.
or be locked up in the back of a house somewhere in
pakistan.
altaf

Thanks to every one who read my article.Sohail Saheb,I am flattered by your interest in my `kind`, but truthfully, my choice to go into the field I did has little to do with any deep and complex reason. Sorry to disappoint you, but I have neither an intense secretly suffered pain, nor do I have a great agenda to relieve the suffering of humanity. I do a job just like a florist does a job or for that matter a car salesman. It is interesting work, I get paid , and its something I think I am good at. As for Tauheed`s query, the full answer could be another article. For now, just to answer briefly, incidence of Schizophrenia is about the same globally. Pakistan has no statistics, but is likely to have the same incidence. All the medications are freely available,however, know how about how to use them amongst physicians is limited, family support is far superior in that country.
Oh, and the Harlem story is not only true, it is also not very unusual.

I`ve always been fascinated by people who chose a career such as yours..constantly being pounded with trauma and stress, living others nightmares, feeling the pain..is it an effort to reach out to others or hid a deeper pain within ?