25 April 2021. “Psychology and Psychiatry”
Anonymous, Madhya Pradesh
Q. I want to perceive psychology after 12th grade. I’ll get promoted to 12th standard this year and want to know about courses that I can opt for. So, if you don’t mind. I would love to be guided by you. I wanted advice if I should perceive MBBS first and then go for psychology, or directly do a B.Sc. in psychology after passing 12th standard? If there are other courses under psychology I can opt for, since I have knowledge about B.Sc. course only? I request you to please guide me. Thank you.
Ans. I am very happy to hear of your interest in Psychology! It is a wonderful science! Psychology and Psychiatry are two different disciplines and hence follow different paths of knowledge and training. Pure psychology goes through the University courses of graduation (B.A; B.Sc); then post- graduation (M.A; M.Sc) in Psychology, with specialisation in few branches, such as, Clinical, Counselling, Industrial, Educational etc. If you want to further pursue clinical psychology then you need to apply for M.Phil in Clinical in Mental Institutes with hospital settings, such as CIP (Ranchi), RINPAS (Ranchi), NIMHANS (Bangaluru), and some in Hyderabad, Delhi and Manipal. Many more are starting the course. This will be 2 years residential program with fifty percent practical work in the mental hospital. If you want to pursue Psychiatry, then the course would be MBBS and MD (Psychiatry). This is a medical line and the training and roles are different. A psychiatrist can additionally do counselling courses thereafter and practice psychological therapies and also have the benefit of administrating medicines if needed. If you still feel confused and unable to make a choice, a session with me will be useful.
AS, Nagpur.
Q. My marriage ceremony has been postponed three times due to Covid. Now the girls side feels that I am unlucky and unfit for marriage. I had low levels very mild symptoms of Covid and without any treatment I am fine today. I live in Nagpur and the girl is from outside town. They don’t want to send their daughter to my city because of fear and worry. We have been engaged for almost a year and every time the date was fixed some thing adverse happened. Now they feel I am bad and unlucky and all that. Our ‘kundali’ has matched very well and I really like the girl. She is very sweet and educated too. She likes me too but her maternal uncle is saying no. He is a powerful person and all listen to him. Her parents are simple people. What to do? I am going into depression because of all this. My family is also very upset.
Ans. There is not much you can do, unfortunately, in arranged marriages; except keep requesting and pleading to their good sense. You could also talk to her uncle (through your seniors) about your commitment and devotion to the girl. You should ideally not give up easily and pursue the matter in Bollywood style! Keep up the requests and appeals and keep in touch with their side at all times. Call her parents separately, one by one and talk to them. You can try issuing a sweet threat that you would never marry anyone else except their lovely daughter and would remain single all your life! Tell the girl too to try the same technique of sticking to her guns, so to say, and to never give up! She can be stubborn too and tell her family that she would not marry anyone else. She can speak for you and inform them of your depression and that her family will be responsible if he gets sick and harmed. I know this is not proper but these pressure tactics many times work on the minds of parents and they eventually give in to your demands! Don’t get into negative thinking and depression- fight for your right and your love. Never give up hope and never give up the fight. Be optimistic.
