Beyond the Stigma

Author: Sanskriti Sharma Singh
Publisher: Diamond Books
(Pp 224, ISBN 978-93-5261-606-0, Rs 200)

As far as the field of mental health goes, India is a country of glaring inconsistencies. Even in today’s times, mental illness is considered bad and mentally ill people are stigmatized and marginalized. It is time for us to look beyond the stigma and understand the intricacies of this field. Through this book, the author attempts to spread mental health awareness and to forge a war against the stigma that has plagued it for decades. The book is divided into three sections – getting the basics right, psychiatric disorders at a glance and mental health first aid.

While the first section clarifies the basic misconceptions in this field, the second section looks up at the various psychiatric disorders as it is much more than depression, OCD and schizophrenia. Each chapter on psychiatric disorders is supplemented with a case example, which is taken from real life. This gives a holistic understanding of the disorders and makes the readers aware of the various struggles patients having psychiatric disorders go through.

However, the last section attempts to aid readers in dealing with certain common emotional and psychological difficulties. This will help readers to take corrective action at the earliest. Readers will surely benefit from its easy to understand language, real-life examples and corrective tips to be followed.