For over six years now, half of Dinanath’s* body was paralysed. At 72, he lived with his wife, son and daughter-in-law in Matunga Labour Camp. Everyone in the family was sympathetic to his condition.
Dinanath’s son was a driver and his daughter-in-law was a maid.
Dinanath would curse, yell and violently beat up his wife. If his son intervened, he got beat up too.
The family knew that Dinanath was suffering from some mental instability. He was deeply suspicious of everyone in the house, especially his wife. While he was of a volatile temperament ever since marriage, his ailments aggravated his volatility. With age, his wife found it more difficult to deal with the abuse. To escape from the torment, she undertook physical labour as a daily wage earner that gave her a few hours of respite. However, upon her return from work, she had to face the music again. Her daughter-in-law tried to hide her when Dinanath became violent but that didn’t always work.
When an outreach worker identified Dinanath’s case, his temper was close to uncontrollable. As part of the intervention, all the family members were interviewed. Paralysis caused Dinanath’s speech to slur, but the family members readily interpreted his speech for the social worker. Doctors from the department of preventive and social medicine (PSM) department of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General (LTMG) Hospital (aka Sion Hospital) made early health assessment and decided that Dinanath needed to consult a psychiatrist. Therefore, a psychiatrist was arranged to visit Dinanath.
Turns out Dinanath had schizophrenia. Much of his violence could be attributed to altered perceptions of reality, sometimes bordering on the unreal. The family was unaware of this condition of his. Dinanath received immediate medical attention, his family was counselled. With extensive medication and remarkable patience from his family his mental health improved.
However, his physical deterioration outran his mental improvement as age worsened matters. His family could enjoy a few weeks of peace in the household before Dinanath passed away. It was some comfort to the family to know that the person who left them had regained his sanity.
*Actual name withheld for privacy.
The family knew that Dinanath was suffering from some mental instability. He was deeply suspicious of everyone in the house, especially his wife. While he was of a volatile temperament ever since marriage, his ailments aggravated his volatility. With age, his wife found it more difficult to deal with the abuse. To escape from the torment, she undertook physical labour as a daily wage earner that gave her a few hours of respite. However, upon her return from work, she had to face the music again. Her daughter-in-law tried to hide her when Dinanath became violent but that didn’t always work.
When an outreach worker identified Dinanath’s case, his temper was close to uncontrollable. As part of the intervention, all the family members were interviewed. Paralysis caused Dinanath’s speech to slur, but the family members readily interpreted his speech for the social worker. Doctors from the department of preventive and social medicine (PSM) department of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General (LTMG) Hospital (aka Sion Hospital) made early health assessment and decided that Dinanath needed to consult a psychiatrist. Therefore, a psychiatrist was arranged to visit Dinanath.
Turns out Dinanath had schizophrenia. Much of his violence could be attributed to altered perceptions of reality, sometimes bordering on the unreal. The family was unaware of this condition of his. Dinanath received immediate medical attention, his family was counselled. With extensive medication and remarkable patience from his family his mental health improved.
However, his physical deterioration outran his mental improvement as age worsened matters. His family could enjoy a few weeks of peace in the household before Dinanath passed away. It was some comfort to the family to know that the person who left them had regained his sanity.
*Actual name withheld for privacy.
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