He Can

‘So there is no medicine for this illness in India?’ asked the middle-aged Bihari man who was in the assessment ward of the national institute for mental health and neurosciences. His father and he were accompanying the man’s son to the rehabilitation center.

The son was nineteen years old and had been diagnosed with mild intellectual disability. ‘It’s not an illness’ the psychiatrist tried to explain in Hindi. Every time you try to translate an English definition or a word in a regional language, you’re always at the risk of losing its actual meaning. ‘It is stunted intellectual growth. Which means he was born this way. There will be no medicine for this anywhere in the world because it isn’t curable.’

The father looked at his son for a brief moment and then looked at the psychiatrist. He was giving himself some time to register the condition of his son. ‘How could you not call it an illness?’ he asked the doctor. ‘His overall abilities are only a little lower than a normal person. Given the right amount of support, he will be able to function fairly well.’ The father only noded.

‘Even a normal person’s IQ…I mean… uh… intelligence can’t grow after a certain age. That is the same case with your son. But don’t worry. It is a good thing that he can feed himself and maintain himself.’ said the psychiatrist, constantly trying to reassure them that the situation isn’t as hopeless as they had perceived it to be. Because isn’t that what is most important? Mental illness and mental health are relatively new concepts to the majority of the world. Explaining it with sensitivity is of high priority. How do you instill hope yet not multiply expectations?

The boy was capable of helping his father out in the business. He had the ability to complete simple tasks. Our job is to encourage this capacity of his!

Further, the father and the psychiatrist discussed a few things about a disability certificate and recreational activities he could participate in while he was at the institute.

This is a common story, where families with patients diagnosed with a mental illness either have half or no information at all about what the patient is going through. This story shows the requirement of awareness towards mental health that is required not only in India but around the world.