Don’t clam up. Say what’s on your mind
HELP IS A PHONE CALL AWAY
For Geetanjali Kumar, a psychologist in Delhi, the process of getting to know her patients would start before their first consultation. “I often observed them in the waiting area — body language, expressions, gestures can say as much as words,” she says.
Which is why she was hesitant to counsel patients virtually, in the lockdown, and especially reluctant to take on new cases.
But as conditions intensified and patients needed her even more than usual, she decided it was worth a shot. Now, she admits, most patients have adapted well. “When they are using any means available to reach out, it means their need is great and so is their commitment,” she says. “Some clients are enjoying the increased informality and convenience of speaking from their homes.”
Of course, this does not take into account people whose home environments are not conducive — whether because they’re overcrowded or filled with stressors or are places of abuse. It doesn’t take into account those who need to discuss issues their families may not know of — alternate sexuality, personal matters or problems with the family itself.
Still, at a time when even the calmest among us are having trouble sleeping, and then struggling to find a reason to get out of bed, when anxiety is a daily feature, it helps to have an expert a phone call away.
It’s a phone call more people are finding themselves in need of. The Mumbai-based mental health facility Mpower - The Centre, which launched its helpline (see box for numbers) in partnership with the Maharashtra government and BMC on April 3, says it has received 42,000 calls so far.
UPS AND DOWNS
“A few patients have said they feel the ambience of a clinic helps them open up more,” says Sapna Bangar, psychiatrist and head of Mpower. “And of course remote therapy is difficult for people with relationship issues. Privacy is a big issue.”
Technology can also pose a challenge. “It can be particularly hard to have sound and net
Even a short conversation with an expert can help... 080-4611-0007: A mental health helpline launched by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
1800-120-820-050: Launched by Mpower with the BMC and Maharashtra state government
98683-96802: A helpline by the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) and State Mental Health Authority, Delhi, for frontline workers
works waver when you’re discussing something sensitive, or feel you are near breaking point,” says Delhi-based psychiatrist Sunil Mittal.
It is a good idea, adds Kumar, for therapists to do test sessions, so they know if they need to work on their voice, tone or manner.
Longstanding patients, meanwhile, are waiting to get back to offline sessions.