lives and problems 109
Mary with hypnosis.^10 For the past three years, however, Mary has come to the
GAMH in Kottakkal whenever her problems return. We asked Mary what
specifi cally led her to seek treatment at the GAMH on this occasion:
Benny: Now is the fourth time. What is the problem for which you have come
here now?Mary: I jumped into the well.Mother: She will jump into the well. She doesn’t take her pills, and then she
takes several pills together. She took four pills at a time. She wants to die.Benny: Will she say that she wants to die?Mother: Yes.Benny: Mary, do you want to die? Th en how can you get married? [Mary had
earlier expressed a desire to get married.]Mary: I want to get married, but when I get married, if my husband beats me, I
won’t be able to bear it.We did not ultimately learn of the cause of Mary’s concerns about domestic
violence. She may have witnessed it or experienced it at home, or she may know
someone in a physically abusive marital relationship. It is also possible that this
is symptomatic of or an aspect of a larger, more generalized sense of distress. On
several occasions, Mary shifted the focus of her concerns and undermined some
of her earlier claims. Mary’s mother then explained that Mary had previously
attempted suicide by overdosing on pills. Unfortunately, suicides and suicide
attempts are not uncommon in Kerala. Th e state’s suicide rate is the highest of
any Indian state and is three times the national average.^11 Mary may be attempt-
ing suicide because she feels trapped. Marriage would be a way to get some
autonomy from her family members, who scold her, hit her and did not let her
become a nun, but fear of being beaten makes her dread getting married.
After learning that Mary had attempted suicide on two other occasions
when she was seeing an allopathic psychiatrist, we asked Mary and her mother
to explain why they changed to ayurvedic treatment after pursuing allopathic
therapy for seven years.
Benny: So why did you change from allopathy to ayurveda?Mother: We believe that they can relieve her illness.