The sweet scent of frangipani blooms wafts in the air as you stop by at a serene Buddha statue in meditative pose that rises amidst lush greenery. A sense of calm prevails, away from the din of city traffic and noise at the newly-opened Abhasa luxury Rehabilitation and Wellness Centre in Sowripalayam,. “It’s an exclusive space for the women by women,” announces Gayathri Arvind, founder and managing director of Abhasa adding that though they have women patients at her centres in Karjat, Maharshtra and Thondamuthur near Coimbatore, she felt a space for women was the need of the hour. “In the last one month, we have received patients from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and also a patient from Srinagar settled in Dubai. We noticed that 80 % have issues in the mental health spectrum while 20 % suffered from addiction problems. In most cases, it was dual illness, where anxiety drives them to addiction or an addiction tends to affect their mental health.”
Quoting a WHO study that says, one in every five persons is bound to have an emotional disturbance at some point in their lives, Dr V Naveen Kumar, psychiatrist and medical director draws attention to the fact that a luxury resort like atmosphere takes away the stigma associated with the illness and the concept is picking up in South India. “They are addicted to alcohol, drugs, gambling, online shopping. We have seen patients in the 18 to 25 category, addicted to phone, drugs like cannabis, while women above 30 mostly addicted to alcohol.”
Drawing inspiration from ancient, eastern philosophy of using five elements of earth, earth, fire, wind, water and space, the rehabilitation therapies including homa therapy at sunrise that helps them connect with their belief systems, yoga, art, and animal-assisted therapies, movement therapy with zumba, taught in a clean and green environment attempt to instil positivity. “Nature walk and bird watching are a part of weekend activity. It’s a unique model based on scientific evidence. We incorporate the elements of earth in treatment to promote a holistic healing,” explains Gayathri adding that there is focus on privacy, comfort, fine dining and recreational activities in a beautiful setting. In addition to individual and group therapies, there is attention given to meditation and mindfulness.
A unique space does a lot of good for women patients. To drive home her point, Gayathri explains that mental health issues in women are often suppressed by family members because of societal pressures and taboo associated with it. “They suffer in silence and turn to alcohol to get temporary relief which often snowballs to a stage where they suffer from dual diagnosis of anxiety issues as well as addiction. One of the objectives is to encourage families to come out and seek help at a safe and secure place.”
At the retreat, a team of over psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, counsellors, movement therapists yoga instructors, music therapists, customise a recovery package based on the diagnosis.
“Some families have brought in patients after travelling across India looking for an all-women centre. They are now willing go beyond their comfortable geographical locations to seek help. Families are happy as patients, who are emotionally unstable and vulnerable, are away from other trigger points . We adopt bio-psycho-social model where we take the basic protocol of scientific evidence-based treatment, and a customised approach to help patients holistic long term recovery.”
As they enter the fifth year, Gayathri looks back at the journey and says timely intervention at the right time is important.
“The mental illness spectrum covers depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders to name a few. Once the stigma around it breaks, women can come out easily and get treated. Rehabilitation is associated with ‘punishment culture’ and women end up with multiple mental issues. That’s one of the reasons why we started a luxury rehabilitation to cater to a niche crowd. Any behaviour that is beyond normal is a sign to go in for intervention. When they approach professional help at an early stage, the recovery journey becomes easy.”
Agrees Naveen and says, “We need to ramp up awareness. Media, doctors, legal professionals, government, and policy makers, should keep the conversation going on mental health and treatment. This is an overlapping field and everyone claims to do wonders. Approaching professionals is the key. They can get to the root of the problem and give solutions.”
Social media also plays a role in awareness, he explains. “ Women who recover put out their feedback in the form of reviews on social media. Those who relate to it approach us for help.”
He list out activities like irresponsible behaviour with family members, erratic sleep-wakeup routine, and mood swings, unkempt self care, increased spending, and lying as warning signs in adolescents. “Watch out for bad breath, droopy eyes, redness, slurry speech, and swaying while walking.”
According to the severity of the illness, the recovery period varies from a minimum of three months. “While brain mapping and neuro feedback forms one aspect of it, biological aspects like medication, individual therapy sessions, psycho therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and recreational activities like bird watching and yoga helps,” he explains adding “You are treating mind, body, soul.”
Gayathri adds that peer pressure is leading to chaos in youngsters who are often unsure about setting boundaries. “Teenagers take decision independently without relying on families or a support system. Though relapses are inevitable, positive stories, especially from families, keeps us motivated. We chart out the roadmap for recovery, where social factors especially families play a big part in guiding them on the dos and don’ts. It’s like starting afresh, a second chance.”
To know more, call 7373644444 or visit abhasa.in
