People suffering from psychiatric disorders should not be looked down upon as these problems are curable and can be treated like any other disease.
This was stated by psychiatrists at a public awareness seminar on psychiatry organised by the Institute of Behavioural Sciences of Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) at its Ojha Campus.
The seminar to raise awareness regarding mental health illnesses in line with modern developments was attended by DUHS Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Umer Farooq and Senator Haseeb Khan among senior professors, doctors and paramedical staff.
On the occasion, Dow Medical College’s Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr Raza-ur-Rehman told the audience that psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders, which include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities.
“In Pakistan, a large number of people are suffering from psychiatric illnesses but more than 90 percent of them do not prefer to go for a check up, “he said. “Around 30 percent of the psychiatric patients have medically unexplained symptoms.”
He was of the view that low blood pressure is also a psychological symptom which creates even more complications.
“Hostility towards [psychiatric] patients should be avoided at all costs during the course of treatment,” Rehman said, asking the media to remove the wrong perception that mental disorders are incurable.
He also stressed on the need to educate the people in this regard.
“Mental disorders are not like headache, flu or cough that can be rid off in 24 hours by taking medicines,” the professor said. “All psychiatric disorders are not psychosis, which is an acute form of mental illness.”
He pointed out that in the past whoever suffered from any mental disorders was left at the shrines of saints with the hope of the patient recovering from the illness, but modern medical science has proved there are chances of recovery from psychosis in three to six months.
In a telephonic speech at the conference, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan stressed the need to strengthen the psychiatry specialty.
The seminar was followed by a psychiatry camp in which more than 250 patients had check ups free of charge.
