Dr CR Chandrashekhar, also referred to as the ‘people’s psychiatrist’, was most recently awarded the Padma Shri in recognition of his services to the psychiatry community. The 75-year-old psychiatrist is also the creator of Bengaluru’s Samdhana Counselling Centre, which offers free mental health counselling to anyone who walks in seeking assistance.
In an in-depth conversation with Happiest Health, he highlights the need to raise awareness about the mind as the cornerstone of both physical and mental health.
What factors drove you towards psychology?
During my high school years, in the 1960s, I read several psychology-related novels and stories, which fuelled my passion for the field. When I started, mental health discussions were scarce, and psychiatry in Karnataka was in poor condition, with only three or four professionals practising it.
At the time there were only a few institutes with dedicated mental health courses. No colleges were there other than Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) and Dharwad Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (DIMHANS), in Karnataka. In the 1970s, India only had around 40 mental hospitals with each state housing one to two hospitals.
A doctor [once] said to me, “Why do you want to become a physician? Be a psychiatrist; we need more psychiatrists.” Back then, mental illnesses were attributed to black magic or past bad deeds. The people with mental illnesses were never given any sympathy, unlike the ones with other diseases. This shortage of mental health professionals and the lack of information available about mental illnesses drove me to work in this field.
How has the conversation around mental health progressed over the years?
Having worked across districts in Karnataka, I have seen many families abandoning mentally ill members in dingy rooms, feeding them through a window, and leaving them there to bathe and defecate. We helped these people get out and provided them with proper treatment.
Psychiatry has grown tremendously since the 1970s. During that time, India hardly had 500 psychiatrists. And I was the only person from my batch who took up psychiatry as a specialisation.
Doctors have made persistent efforts over time to ensure all medical colleges become training centres for mental health professionals. We also designed a district mental health programme wherein general citizens were trained to give appropriate care to the patients. Almost 15,000 people were treated under this programme. [The programme] was later replicated in several other states.
Today, over 400 districts have a mental health programme; Karnataka has 60 medical colleges and all of them have mental health institutions. While enough progress has been made, psychiatry is still a neglected field when it comes to recognition.
Counselling/therapy is expensive. How do you manage to provide it for free?
Affordability and acceptability are crucial aspects of the healthcare sector. The medical field has become commercialised now, almost 80 per cent of the sector is privatised. Several professionals end up moving abroad or setting up private clinics, instead of working in a government set-up. Privatisation leads to the services becoming expensive as the individuals need to make profits to keep their businesses running.
We at Samdhana Counselling Centre, are making efforts to train laymen who can be equally good compared to a trained professional. Hence, we manage to provide therapy free of cost with the assistance of volunteers including professionals and people trained by us. I see people from different parts of Karnataka visiting daily, seeking professional help.
How do you aim to increase awareness of prioritising mental health?
I am extremely happy to have been conferred the Padma Shri award this year, but more efforts need to be made towards recognising professionals working in this field.
The Constitution of India currently does not expressly guarantee the Right to Health. It is also necessary to inculcate health as a human right and the awareness around mental health needs to be increased.
We need to make people aware that the mind also becomes sick, and it is the root cause of all psychosomatic disorders. Almost 80 per cent of diseases including infections are due to mental illnesses. The mind is the foundation for good mental and physical health. The issues of sleep, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stress have become very prominent among people of all age groups. People are affected by work pressure, deteriorating health issues and lack of sleep. Digital addiction has become another growing concern as people are engrossed in their mobile phones and endlessly scrolling through a myriad variety of content.
How can a person achieve mental well-being?
While everyone prioritises caring for the person suffering from mental illnesses, often the caregiver gets neglected. The feeling of burnout becomes common among them when they face constant issues such as patients raising their voices, refusing to take medicines or attend counselling sessions.
We need to ensure that people take care of their primary functions such as sleep, appetite, and sexual and mental wellness. Maintain social contact, perform regular exercise, and enjoy daily work. Such practices will keep one healthy and happy in the long run.
