Story 1. Gayetri returns home and adjust happily with the second wife

Gayetri a 46 year old lady came to Paripurnata from Pavlov Hospital for psychosocial rehabilitation. She was diagnosed as suffering from Schizophrenia. Her husband had married again, but Gayetri’s 3 sons and 1 daughter were with him.

After 3 months she improved and was worried whether she would be accepted by her husband after discharge from Paripurnata. Gayetri along with a staff member made the first home visit. Her husband son and her married daughter were present and were not happy to see her. The family expressed about her aggressive behaviour and wandering tendency which was gradually increasing. She was treated in various places but there was no improvement and her husband married again, so that the children could be looked after, but Gayetri’s condition deteriorated and had to be admitted in the Mental Hospital.

She was emotionally upset and angrily expressed in front of all that she was tortured by her husband and by the second wife. Her pregnant daughter started crying and seeing her, Gayetri immediately became calm which showed her motherly instinct. On return to Paripurnata she showed marked improvement and was discharged after 9 months. It is now over a year, the wives, the children and husband are living happily. She continues to take her medicines regularly. Though some times the second wife is not happy, because Gayetri cooks well and is appreciated but Gayetri is adjusting and coping well with the situation.

Story 2. From darkness and fears to light and reality

Sabita was suffering from mental illness from childhood. Her sister and mother were also mentally ill. Sabita was always dependent on her mother. From childhood she was socially withdrawn and she does not trust anybody. After her father’s death both mother and Sabita became severely mentally ill and both of them admitted to Pavlov Hospital by her cousin brother. During treatment at Hospital suddenly her mother died.

It revealed that she had lot of properties and all her properties were with her cousin brother while her cousin brother did not disclose anything.

Sabita was admitted to Paripurnata on October, 2000 from Pavlov Hospital. Although her cousin brother used to visit Sabita at Paripurnata he concealed the position in regard to the properties of Sabita initially. Lastly he admitted that all the things were with him and he was the only person maintaining everything.

Incidentally, it was observed that whenever her cousin brother came to visit, Sabita became very angry and was afraid of speaking with him. Her cousin brother also behaved rudely with her whenever he visited Paripurnata. The matter was brought to the notice of her maternal uncle and Paripurnata took Sabita to her maternal uncle’s house 4-5 times. Ultimately Sabita got back her properties by concerted efforts through Paripurnata.

Meanwhile, Sabita got stable and went back home. Paripurnata helped her to repair her flat and arrange for a full time lady who is now staying with her because she is alone. She is now maintaining her own affairs.

Story 3. Rekha returns her home

Raydighi is a partly developed village at South 24 Parganas. Rekha is from that village and grew up there with her parents, brothers and sister. Father was not solvent as per the financial position. Since her childhood Rekha was noticed as having some mental problems as she used talk to herself, sometimes she would smile, and she did not want to stay at home, and wander off.

One day suddenly she left home without informing anybody. Family members searched for her but she remained untraceable. She came out from her home and boarded a train and came to Kolkata. She was wandering without any purpose and the police picked her up and admitted her to Govt. mental hospital through Magistrate orders. She was being treated in the hospital then Rekha was only 14 years old. Doctor diagnosed her as suffering from Schizophrenia. After 16 years in a mental hospital she saw a light of hope, when Paripurnata staff brought her for psychosocial rehabilitation at their centre. Rekha could not remember her home address. After one year the staff of Paripurnata got some information about her location, but on search could not find the address.

Often she spoke of Raydhighi. To go to Raydighi it takes almost three hours, by train, auto and cycle rickshaw. Then Rekha was taken to the local spot which she mentioned. One old lady was sitting there, sent information to the nearest village saying that one girl who was missing from that village for the last 14/15 years is here. Immediately more than 100 people gathered there to see Rekha. One Bhandari family asked some question to Rekha and they said that Rekha was their missing daughter. Suddenly Rekha saw a young lady among the overcrowded people and shouted her name “Oh! Mita” ! Mita came forward and said that she was her cousin sister Rekha. The problem started with Bhandari family, wether they would not left Rekha so as they believed she was their daughter. The Panchayet was called and along with the local community it was agreed that Bhandari’s information was not correct. In the meantime the information spread to another village. Her elder brother and sister-in-law came to see Rekha. Rekha recognized them and called “dada” (elder brother). The sister-in-law recognized a burnt mark on her right wrist and confirmed that Rekha belonged to their family, as the actual burnt on her wrist took place in their house. Rekha is now placed back with her brother. Rekha has found a new hope of sunrise in her life.

Story 4. Sikha lost and found a new life

1983, Placed in Presidency Jail, Kolkata, from there at a Govt. Hospital in the year 1994, and finally at the center for psychosocial rehabilitation centre ‘Paripurnata’ in the year 2007. It is hard to believe how Sikha Sengupta of Ranaghat, West Bengal had crossed her 25 years at jail and mental hospital. Sikha now 43 years old is one of the 9 siblings: 5 sisters and 4 brothers and economic conditions of the family were poor.

As per her family members, her trouble started in 1977 when she saw her younger brother drowned and died. She suddenly became violent and beat her mother and neighbors. Then her family members took her to the hospital for treatment but she did not improve. Thereafter family members made contact with the local police station to seek their assistance to get admission at the hospital. But the police authority advised that there was no provision at the hospital to get admission of mentally ill patients. On the contrary they used to send such patients to Krishnanagar court and the admission were made at hospital through the court. But Sikha was sent to Presidency Jail in the year 1983. Family members used to maintain the contact till 1990 on a regular basis. Sikha was transferred to Govt. Hospital in the year 1994. As per doctors observation Sikha was chronic schizophrenia and she got a few chronic shock several times.

There after, family members were advised Sikha had been cured, so she could then back to the family. Although all the siblings love Sikha and was waiting for her cureness vis a vis her return, surprisingly they were reluctant to accept her on plea of space constraint. This apart matrimonial negotiations were contemplating in respect of her younger sister as per previous experience they understood that presence of a mentally ill sister at this stage might jeopardize the negotiation process. Finally, Sikha was shifted to Paripurnata, psychosocial rehabilitation centre in the year 2007 and contract was maid with her family. After staying 9 months her family took her back to her home. After a long period her old feeble mother got back her daughter Sikha. After staying at a certain period at her home, Sikha has started her new life after 25 years through imparting necessary training on incense stick making, bori, papad making, sewing and block printing etc.