SCARF is the acronym for the Schizophrenia Research Foundation, a non governmental, non profit organization in Chennai (Formerly Madras) in south India Founded in 1984 by a group of philanthropists and mental health professionals led by Dr. M.Sarada Menon, an internationally known psychiatrist, SCARF has established itself as a center of repute in rehabilitation and research in disorders of the mind. The present team led by the Director Dr. R.Thara is composed of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, rehab personnel, administrative and support staff. SCARF is one of the very few NGOs in the world to be named as a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization ( WHO) for Mental Health Research and Training. SCARF would like to reach and support a wider community of patients and their caregivers through this community platform.
The theme of the World Health Day 2017 is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’. Encourage people with depression to talk about their feelings. Depression can easily be treated with psychological therapies and medicines. Learn about these and some other basic information on depression issued in public interest by SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation). The wounds of depression are unseen, but they hurt more than the ones that bleed. Seek professional help and get better. Facts about Depression…
Yuna Angell has coped with Schizophrenia and has also been in control of it for some time now. Here she recounts the regimen of her daily life, the accompanying stresses and the side effect of her daily doses of medicine and how does she cope with it all. How do I prepare for a work day, now that I have various things to do in my life right now, while changing my medications? I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 2004 and stabilised more or less in 2013. I was originally on 4mg Risperidone. But…
By Dr. Mangala of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) When a mentally ill person requiring help and treatment is discriminated against and is made to feel like an outcaste exactly when he needs maximum support, it is not only harmful for the individual but for society at large. Any community or society which is not inclusive and gives credence to stigmas and myths can never prosper and even advanced treatment gets defeated in the process. Advances in scientific research have brought…
A person with any illness should be empowered to have a say in their treatment plans and choices. And mental health should not be any different. Dr. Ramesh Kumar of SCARF explains what a Psychiatry Advance Directive is and why it must be executed despite the concerns. Psychiatry advance directives (PADs) is a document which outlines the patients’ preference in his treatment. This is executed when the patient has capacity, so that these directions can guide his treatment at a later…
Even when ‘disturbing voices’ were threatening to turn Vivek’s life topsy turvy, it was a perceptive friend who had the good sense and heart to bring him to SCARF, an organisation that managed to ultimately streamline his life. When Vivek* first came to SCARF, he had been ill for over 22 years and had not worked for at least the last three. Separated from his wife and children for over a decade, Vivek was living in a garage owned by a family friend, and working, at least on paper, for a quasi…
Radhika had everything going for her when she was struck by an illness which went beyond her control. But proper guidance, an astute understanding of the situation and a rational approach helped her regain her confidence to return to the normal cycle of life. To all appearances, Radhika (not her real name) had a good life. From an upper middle class family, her father, a professor at a leading city college and her mother, a creative homemaker, were wonderful, supportive parents. She was…
A hapless woman, abandoned by her husband and wracked by a challenging mental illness called Schizophrenia, Bano is the story of immense effort to overcome the travails and the invaluable role of a supportive family in the rehabilitation process. Bano (not her real name) is 28 and her story began almost a decade ago. The youngest of eight children, Bano completed secondary schooling but didn’t pursue her education after that. Her four elder sisters and three elder brothers are married and…
Yuna Angell has been to the depths with her schizophrenic attacks. She had to be a caregiver when she needed caregiving herself, and her mother, in despair, even wanted to give her up to the psychiatric ward of the hospital. She has come a long way since and is now a mental health advocate in her own right, besides being an author with certification degrees from Harvard in medieval history. I moved past the “only O levels” high school qualification recently with the basic counselling…
Amrit Bakhshy recounts his brave though agonizing journey of caring for his daughter, Richa, who developed schizophrenia as a teen in school and his tireless effort to build better lives for people with this mental disorder. Panic and Bewilderment A long distance call in early 1991, in my office at the World Trade Centre, Mumbai changed our lives forever. The caller was the principal of a well-known girls’ school in Dehradun, where my daughter Richa was a boarder. Richa had a sort of…
Excerpts from the book Fallen, Standing, my life as a schizophrenist by Reshma Valliapan, Ashoka Fellow and artist-activist for the rights of persons with mental illness. Reshma was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 22. She is founder director of The Mind Arcs and The Red Door The meds just suppress everything. It becomes a form of control. It took away my voice. Not only did it repress my so called symptoms, it repressed ME. The only person who could stand up for me…
My wife recently got diagonisis with the schizophrenia. she was under olanzapine 10 mg for the last 6 months. currently she is not feeling with delusions and hallousinations but she has no motivation to do any work and very less confidence. I am…
my age is 35 years from the past 3- 4 months iam experiencing sleepiness when iam reading when iam in spiritual work i could also rarely concentrate totally in spiritual work thought process is always on iam trying some ways like preparing for…
I know someone who was diagnosed with schezophrenia about 6 years back. He has been on reducing dosage of medication as the doctor started seeing improving results.
There have been a couple of instances where the patient stopped medication, but the…
Request/question from a sister:
hello.m from chandigarh India needs help for my brother.He has been
suffering from schizophrenia since 3 years.He is an engineer student too.He
can't concentrate in his day to day life due to the side effect of ricnia…
Are there any mental health support groups in north Chennai like roypuram , central, mount road, thiruvottiyur ..scarf is very far
Can a person suffering from mental disorder and stable on medication accompany spouse when the spouse travels related to the office work to other countries for kind of 3 to 6 months. The couple live in India. The person needs to carry prescribed…
Can any one guide me on finding jobs in Chennai for people with schizophrenia but are completely normal on medication.such that knowing the illness n its limitations.
My elder sister was suspected to be suffering from Schizophrenia and she was under medication from a Psychiatrist during which time her condition had improved. then all of a sudden she refused to take medication and over the last few years her…
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