Mental Illnesses include common mental disorders (CMD) like mild depression, anxiety and substance-use disorder; and severe mental disorders (SMD) like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychoses, obsessive–compulsive disorder and others. In India about 1.9%
of the population is known to suffer from SMDs, which translates to over 25 million people. Additionally, over 150 million people are in need of active intervention.
(In 2018, Gurgaon city had some 60,000 people suffering from Severe Mental Disorders.)
Psychiatric intervention and medication are an integral part of recovery from mental illness. However, getting symptoms under control is not a comprehensive solution. The person needs to integrate back into society, and engage in and with education, work, social relationships and family life, to be able to live a fuller life like the rest of us. It is important for people to be able to see themselves as separate from the illness and focus on their human potential to regain their self-esteem and self-confidence.
Recovery is about resetting goals, which are personally meaningful. It is about building hope and changing attitudes. Once people come out of the catastrophic effect of mental illness, they are able to draw their supports from the community and make meaningful contributions.