Thread by @docbhooshan

Real life child psychiatry. #Thread

22 year old lady is grinning from ear to ear as she gives me a box of sweets to celebrate her success. She finished her graduation and is planning for MBA now.

Her mother is standing there with tears of joy running down her cheeks. Only if she could speak freely....

Being a deserted woman with two children is a difficult life even for better off. For a woman with basic degree and basic job, it is almost impossible task.

But she soldiered on. Working double shifts to make ends meet.
It had serious consequences. Her daughter joined a bad bunch of young adults in their slum and started a long path of deterioration. Often disappearing for 2-3 days.

We met at this point. Mother was desperate to get her daughter back on track. An adolescent girl in criminal company is a parent's ultimate nightmare. Police were no help and this mother was left to fend for herself.

I met the child a few times. Somehow she decided to trust me and agreed to meet me regularly. She missed many sessions. Every time she missed a session, her mother would call me to apologise and make sure that next appointment is booked.

She completed 12th standard with some bumps on the way. Gradually she returned to mainstream and completed graduation.
Started ambitiously with science and later moved to commerce as studies proved difficult.

All along her mother stood by her side like a rock. When everyone was advising her to abandon her daughter and focus on son, this lady never gave up.

Today, with both kids on their way to good future, this lady thanked ME for help!
Honestly, it was all her belief and hard work against all odds. What can a psychiatrist achieve without wholehearted support from patient's family?

In over 2 decades of practice I have seen dozens of extremely challenging adolescents. Only thing that stands between them and their destroyed future or a life on fringes of society is their parents.

Parents who focus on maintaining working relationship with their kids, abandoning all usual concerns about academics, food, health, clothes, etc. tend to get better outcomes.

Such role by parents keeps the youngsters connected with family and provide a path of return from their chosen friends and lifestyle.

This is not easy and straightforward at all but there is no other way in our healthcare and social system.

Ultimately it is family (parents). That's all these kids have.