Siddharth Juyal

A wise choice: Find right professional for your mental health

As the field of psychology is beginning to flourish in India, psychologists are facing battles in many fronts. From increasing the awareness with respect to the sheer importance of this branch of science that deals with human behavior in the nation with such an enriched cultural diversity to navigating through the battle we are facing within the field as many “mental health advocates” have risen to fame and designation over the time with the help of unsavory methods from using well-placed connection to incentives such as wealth they were born with. This brings me to a story of a well-educated parents who travelled 450km after taking the time off from their hectic lifestyle just to have their three years old toddler diagnose further after an experienced psychologist told them that the child needs neurological assessment by merely taking a glance at the child. The only symptoms being speech delay and hyperactivity. They love their child; they want to do what is best for their child like any caring parent would. They take the kid to the best neurologist in the state who also takes a mere glance at the child, does not ask any question from the parents nor he takes a moment before he says, “This is severe autism, and it might be neurological as well.” Worried parents ask, “how did you come to that conclusion so quickly?” and he assertively answers, “I have decades of experience and a degree from London.” He was not lying because he had experience for better or for worse (I only concluded worse) considering his fame and number of patients that were waiting outside and a degree, copies of which were hanging all over the building. The good parents continued to tell the neurologist how kid manages to communicate non-verbally with the help of gestures and finger pointing and the answer they get from the neurologist is how non-verbal communication only means facial expressions while finger pointing and gestures “don’t really count.” This baffling response took me back to my English teacher when I was at school and the chapter she taught high schoolers about types of non-verbal communication. Let me just assure you that there are many incredible neurologists in India but even that incredible field is not safe from some who are undeservedly licensed and continue to malpractice.