You look angry, what’s wrong?

I am not mad! There is no reason why I should be here.

Unfortunately, this is a conversation I have had many times with people of all ages. Most people believe that going to a psychiatrist means acknowledging that they are mad or crazy. This mindset is an important reason why many people with anxiety or depression remain untreated, keep suffering needlessly and hamper their personal and professional growth. Secondly, if a psychiatrist were to start treating only people with madness, he or she would have a tough time earning a living. Shocked?

Well, madness is not so common. If I were to make an estimate, I would say that less than ten percent of patients seen by me have psychosis, the disease that comes nearest to what people mean by madness. Even if one were to look at those with psychosis, most patients are able to function reasonably well in society, which means that they would appear normal to people who do not know them well.

Then who needs to consult a psychiatrist?

Anyone who has noticed a significant and persistent change in behaviour or feelings leading to an adverse effect on one’s daily life and productivity should consult a psychiatrist. Whether one needs to be treated or not is for the doctor to decide. In simple words, if you are feeling sad or anxious for at least a few days or more and are not able to do your work properly, it is time to go to a psychiatrist. If you wish to stop smoking or to quit drinking alcohol but are not able to do so on your own, you should visit a psychiatrist. If you have frequent mood swings or have become very irritable, you need to go to a psychiatrist. If you feel someone in your family is behaving abnormally, you should take them to a psychiatrist.

Ha, this would mean so many people I know should be consulting you!

That’s correct. Mental illnesses are quite common. In fact, around one in five people all over the world will have a diagnosable mental illness at least once in their lifetime. That is, if there are five persons sitting in a room, at least one of them will need a psychiatrist’s help at some point. It is another story that most of these will remain untreated, either due to lack of knowledge or due to the stigma involved in consulting a psychiatrist.