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Self-help
support groups are voluntary gatherings of people who have
common needs or problems. These groups meet regularly to
talk or discuss issues that they are concerned with. Ekalavya
group formed by Schizophrenia Awareness Association offers
such solace to patients and family members. They follow
Dr. Low's 'Recovery Method'.
Why
the name Ekalavya?
Ekalavya is a role model of self-reliance through self-help.
He is a character from the epic, the Mahabharat. Ekalavya
stands for one's unshakeable faith in self-help despite
formidable discriminative odds. His story of conviction,
courage and determination runs like this:
On
his being born of a non-kshatriya (non-warrior sect)
parents he was denied training in archery by the most revered
coach, Dronacharya, who trained the princely Pandav
brothers. Undaunted Ekalavya considered an earthen statue
of Dronacharya as his guru and trained himself with devotion
and vigour to an enviable level of proficiency.
Similarly,
our self-help support group, named after Ekalavya, inspires
and urges shubharthi and shubhankar members to pursue the
path of self-reliance and self-help despite odds.
Why
Self Help Support Groups (SHSG)?
For the amelioration of any problem, initiative and positive
steps by the concerned person is a prerequisite. Moreover,
in many problematic situations, professional caregivers
are not able to meet all the needs. On the other hand, if
persons facing similar problems form a group, they can share
and understand their experiences, strategies, successes
and failures. Members can be a great source of support to
each other. These advantages have led to the emergence of
self-help groups in a variety of areas.
An SHSG is a voluntary gathering of people who share common
needs or problems, which are not generally addressed by
other segments of society. In SHSGs, members assume the
primary responsibility for the organization, functioning
and leading the group.
What
is an SHSG?
The main characteristic of a self-help group, apart from
facing a common problem, is that its members meet regularly
and interact face-to-face with each other. Through such
a process they succeed in finding solutions to their unique
problems. It is the experience, the world over, that this
method may sound rather simple but it brings great relief
to the members. Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the earliest
and well-known SHSGs. People who suffer from illness, and
consequent stigma, need constant support and encouragement.
Most often they have time, empathy and resources for mutual
help.
SHSGs,
as complimentary health services, are well established in
the West. However India, already short of mental health
professionals, can benefit enormously by establishing more
and more self-help groups.
How
SHSG helps persons with mental illness?
There is a wide variety of symptoms that may be experienced
by persons with mental illness - anxiety, stress, depression,
hearing imaginary voices, delusions, acute suspicion, repetitive
compulsive actions etc. Along with these symptoms, these
persons also face secondary problems arising out of ignorance
about the mental illness and also stigma. They are often
looked down upon, criticized, joked about, isolated, put
away, refused even their basic rights to treatment, education,
and work, housing, etc.
Owing to long duration and complexity of mental illness,
the entire family of the patient is adversely affected.
Therefore, the patient as well as family caregivers need
the voluntary services of SHSG.
Additional
advantages to patients:
Attending meetings of an SHSG regularly has the following
benefits:
1. Meets the need for socialization
2. Breaks isolation
3. Provides emotional support
4. helps
to take charge of their own lives,
5. helps to cope with their mental illness
6. empowers them to help others like themselves
All
these advantages encourage and foster emotional stability,
mental growth and social integration of the mentally ill
person.
Additional
advantages to patient's caregivers
Attending meetings of an SHSG regularly has the following
benefits:
1. Person realizes "I'm not alone"
2. Amenable to acceptance of diagnosis & it's treatability
3. Breaks isolation arising from stigma
4. Opportunity to vent feelings.
5. Safe non-judgmental atmosphere
6. Skills to cope with one's symptoms
7. Time and space available for personal mutual support.
8.
helps in spreading awareness in the society about mental
illness, how to recognize and deal with it, how to cope
with a family member who suffers from it.
The caretakers benefit from the group in terms of support,
compassion and empathy shown by other members. They also
receive information and can learn skills of dealing with
a family member diagnosed of mental disorder.
Precautions that are taken in the Ekalavya group
An SHSG is not a substitute for professional care. This
is always communicated to its members. Support group works
as a strong, complementary aid but not as a substitute for
it.
Discipline followed in the group is also notable: the group
has its rules about timings, what can be said, what cannot
be said, how people are to interact, who speaks when, etc.
In the Ekalavya group diagnosis or medications also are
not discussed. Nobody is forced to speak as it is completely
voluntary. Everyone maintains confidentiality about personal
details discussed during the meetings. All participants
being equal, no one gives advice to another; every comment
made when a shubharthi shares an experience is to provide
encouragement and endorse his effort to cope. No one in
the group plays the role of a leader as everyone, including
the facilitator, is simply a participant.
What
is discussed?
Ekalavya SHSG conducts separate meetings for persons with
mental illness and their family members. Generally SHSGs
may or may not have a specific structure. In an SHSG having
no fixed pattern, members share their distressing or joyful
experiences, which bring hope and confidence in a group.
Everybody has a choice whether and what to share and how
to share.
On the other hand, in structured groups, working is governed
by a fixed format. Every meeting is held with the same format.
Ekalavya group follows a format developed in 1937 by Dr.
Abraham Low, founder of Recovery Inc., USA, which has about
700 groups all over the world. A Recovery group member who
shares an experience does so in four steps as follows:
1. Briefly describes the event coped with
2. Narrates the symptoms experienced during that event
3. Tells which tool/s of Dr. Low he used and coped with
the situation
4. Conveys how he would have handled that event without
knowing the Recovery method.
This
is followed by self-endorsement, and comments by the rest
of the group members. This pattern is observed by every
one who likes to share within the group.
Ekalavya
SHSG meetings for caregivers however are held every 2nd
and 4th Saturday of the month. The working of the meeting
is comparatively flexible. There is sharing of personal
experiences by caregivers or discussion on specific topics
of common interest or lectures by experts.
Who
can benefit?
Persons with all types of anxiety disorders, depression,
psychophysical disorders or stress of psychological problems.
Those suffering from schizophrenia or manic depression but
under medication also benefit. However, patients with brain
damage or dementia are not able to take advantage of this
method.
In practice,
Recovery method has benefited numerous individuals, professionals
or lay persons from different walks of life. It speaks Recovery's
universal efficacy for deriving relief from disturbing nervous
symptoms caused by trivialities of day-to-day life.
Where
are the meetings held in Pune?
Shubharthis' meetings in Pune are held every Saturday from
4.30 to 6.00 p.m. at the
Kamala Nehru Hospital, 4th floor, Mangalwar Peth, Pune 411011.
For more information, you may contact:
Kamala Nehru Hospital : Anil Vartak - 24483650,
Gurudatt - 25441620, Smita Godse - 65226212
Sumati Health (Camp) : Veena Tandon - 26634987,
Smita Godse - 65226212, Ravindranath - 27172068
The
G.P. and the Self Help Group
A GP in reality is a family physician and a family friend.
His awareness, timely facilitation of medical intervention
and guidance whenever mental health problem arises in a
family, can make that invaluable difference in terms of
duration and intensity of patient's suffering. Referring
their patient to SHSG at the appropriate phase of treatment
has also enabled smooth and sure reintegration of many patients
back into the society. Thus GPs also have an important role
to play in the mental health care scenario.
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