THIS IS NOT A GAG EPISODE LIKE THE PREVIOUS EPISODES ON THIS PODCAST. IT IS MEANT TO BE EDUCATIONAL AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.
Meet Dr. Sumati Kumatgi, a psychiatrist at People Tree Marga in Bangalore. Tune in as she sits down to talk about mental health awareness in India, the importance of mental health in our lives, the different degrees and types of mental illnesses, the stigma attached to them and busting a lot of false myths about them. She gives us a small peek into her world, as a student and a practitioner of psychiatry and the hurdles in taking up psychiatry as a livelihood.
This is part one of two episodes of the same interview so do stick around for the next one!
You can reach out to Dr. Sumati here :
https://www.practo.com/Bangalore/doctor/dr-sumati-kumatgi-psychiatrist
or if you're as lazy as I am, you can google "Dr. Sumati Kumatgi" to find out more about her and how to reach out to her.
You can also look up People Tree Hospitals where she consults here :
https://www.practo.com/Bangalore/hospital/people-tree-maarga-yelahanka
What we discuss in part 2:
Difference between Counselors, psychologist and a psychiatrist.
The dearth and unequal distribution of doctors in India.
Government programs launched to combat shortage of psychiatrists.
Reasons why patients hesitate before seeking psychological help.
The two main categories of patients from Dr. Sumati's experience who are put off before seeking treatment.
Mistaking symptoms and taking the wrong kind of help, for example some patients seek out neurologists and physicians for psychological issues.
The different high risk sections of society that are more susceptible to mental health illnesses.
Things that parents need to watch out for growth and development disorders in their children.
Things that parents need to do to ensure that their children grow up healthily (For example- Cutting down screen time, limiting exposure etc)
Suicide.
People with the right intentions but inadequate knowledge causing more harm than good.
Next steps for people ignorant about mental health need to do to get more awareness.