Awareness hopefully addresses prejudice of the kind that assumes that every mental health patient is dangerous, that they cannot carry on a normal life at work and outside work, that they somehow are different.

If prejudice can be reduced, hopefully a better relationship can be built between a mental health patient and his/ her colleagues, friends and family. Even patients of paranoia have some strong relationships in their lives - for some it is the therapist, for others it is a friend or a family member. A strong support system can help societal rehabilitation of such a patient and resumption of near-normalcy in life.

In action terms, this means:

* Not being passive about prejudice. When I see prejudice, I address it. Admittedly it makes me \’difficult\’ for some people but sowing a seed of doubt in such people\’s heads about their views is what I aim to accomplish.

* If you are a manager or a leader, you may want to initiate an awareness programme for other managers and non-managers on how to deal with such issues.

As for drugs, yes, they are available. But in my observation in India, many health insurers do not cover mental health incidents and treatment. Good psychiatrists are few and far in between, and being like \’gold dust\’ charge accordingly too! Behavioural therapists are even rarer. Malpractice is common with general practitioners with no psychiatric training sometimes prescribing anti-psychotic drugs which is wholly inappropriate. Patients have no recourse, of course. Stigma prevents people and their families from seeking periodic reviews which means that despite 2nd generation drugs being available, some old patients are still on 1st generation medicines. Such periodic reviews are also very expensive and thanks to a melange of health insurance industry practices and societal stigma, the patient needs to fork the cash out him/ her self. Not good, is it?

My consumption of Indian media leaves me very disappointed. We do not discuss important things related to health at all. When we do, either they are in abstractions (such as cinema) or they are about reinforcing common, often wrong, beliefs and impressions. May be that is why people believe all sorts about seizures too! I am considering an on-the-ground initiative which is shaping up in my head right now but not enough to share yet.

Thanks again.

And it’s not just Indians, it’s others - Asians, Westerners, Africans and you name it - who doesn’t have stake in that sick person’s life, that discriminate. I think we achieve little by blaming tradition and illiteracy (in these matters). Learning about and being informed is more important. I still don’t know what to do when someone goes into seizure (saw it at least twice when I was in school many years ago) other than getting a doctor.

Depression, whether working hard or not, is probably one of most wide spread sickness for most people at some point their life. Family and friends do come to aid, after initial confusion, for most Indians at least. What about drugs? Are they widely available?

Little Indian: A successful litigation will require a case to come to court. I would not like even to begin to talk of the backlog in the Indian judicial system! Just like the dowry system :-/ Many ‘manager’ like jobs are not covered by trade unions though. Thanks again for reading.

“A complex of social and educational and behavioral factors have to be at play for a law to be effective, I think. What do you think?”

Or one successful litigation for 7-8 figure sums, which will leave a precedence. That will make the employers sit up and take notice.
Trade Unions have a role to play too.

Don’t talk about our dowry system. It makes steam come out of my ears.

SR: I am glad you feel optimistic about this. The need for it is understood; now how about some action from us all? Thanks.

KS: If a jolt is needed, does that make the Indian workplace very different from an Indian family where only a heartattack will make an Uncle-ji start walking daily and an Auntie-ji stop putting ghee-ka-tadka in his daal everyday? But you raise a serious issue about lack of health literacy too which is probably worth a longer discussion. Thanks.

Little Indian: Thanks for sharing your views. I think disability based discrimination was outlawed recently in India, but having a law and having it properly enforced are two different ball-games, no? After all dowry has been illegal for ages, has it not? Some of my well-educated MBA friends got married with trousseaus whose value exceeded that of an entire London detached property (which I assure you is a lot of money). A complex of social and educational and behavioral factors have to be at play for a law to be effective, I think. What do you think? And thanks for the topic suggestion. I will keep it in the folder as it needs some research before I can write a plausible piece. Thanks again.

Nikhil: You are right. Sorry I mis-read your remark, or rather interpreted it too narrowly. Very apt - perhaps I will scratch some surfaces subtly now and may return to this later. Thanks.

Ioanna: Thanks for demonstrating how Indians are in great company! :-) Health illiteracy appears to be a global problem for me and in each problem there is an opportunity dying to get out. Thanks again.