‘Health counselling is important’ 2nd March 2025.

Anonymous 

Q. My mother was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness. It has significantly impacted her daily life. She’s feeling scared, uncertain about the future, and struggling to adjust to her new reality. She does not agree, listen or understand and because of that she is facing a lot of anger issues. She doesn’t feel like doing anything and also due to her physical ailments she is unable to function actively, which makes her even more frustrated. How can we manage this? I am feeling strained as a daughter and I have exams in college.

Ans. At most times, people find it difficult to accept the ‘new illness’ that impacts them. They ‘deny’ the problem and carry on as usual which worsens the situation as the new condition gets worse due to neglect. Most times when a chronic illness is detected the news needs to be communicated to the patient by a counsellor or needs to be followed up with counselling so that compliance become easy. The patient has to be explained properly the do’s and don’ts along with the management of the disease in terms of medicine intake and other precautions. Health psychologists are best suited to do this as they understand the connection between different diseases and the psychological aspects of the mind. You can take her to a general counsellor or a clinical psychologist for a few sessions. She will be fine soon.   

Anonymous 

Q. My best friend has been a survivor of childhood abuse. She used to experience nightmares, flashbacks, and had difficulty trusting people. She has taken counseling for this for about a year ago, and had evidently recovered from the incident. However, it seems she is facing these issues again, this time with greater intensity. She doesn’t want to get out of the house, faces bouts of sadness followed by anger where she blames herself for what happened. Please let me know what to do so that her family can take the necessary steps and bring her out of this. They have tried many things but it persists.

Ans. A persistent disorder in spite of a year long counselling would mean the problem has not been addressed in depth and hence springs back. Generally speaking, she should have recovered from the childhood trauma significantly, to lead a fairly normal and functional life by now. If the symptoms have come back with greater intensity, it could be something more than her past trauma. Please consult a trained clinical psychologist or/and a psychiatrist and seek help. The problem needs to be diagnosed accurately and then treated. Past traumas can impact the personality structure which affects the present life and social and personal relationships which make living stressful. She will have to undergo long term psychotherapy. The consultant psychiatrist would take care of the medical side if she needs medicines for some time. Do not delay and seek help immediately.