118 chapter
Abdul-Rahman: Speaking about allopathy, it’s either “tablet” or “medicine.” If it is
the other one [probably referring to Okiyama], there is nothing to just take inside
or apply on the outside of the body. At that time, if I was taking pills... When I
fi rst took Trika, I completely recovered. I “stopped” it myself. I stopped. Later, it
was December 30, at that time, the doctor scolded me a lot and prescribed a more
powerful drug. He prescribed Amitriptin C+. I “continued” that. Th en I was pre-
scribed Anxit 5 mg. After that, my illness decreased for several days. Th en, again,
it increased. It increased again, and when I went to see the doctor he prescribed
Trika for me. For the Trika, he fi rst prescribed 1 mg. Th e illness decreased for
several days. When it decreased, later on I went to see the doctor who gave me
5 mg. He gave me 5 mg. When again it decreased, I didn’t go to see the doctor.
In the meantime, later on, one day, it was my “sister” who went to see the doctor.
I got the illness again that day. When my “sister” went to see the doctor, I took a
pill. Since Trika was not available, I had Anixit 5. Now when I take Trika, there is
a restlessness in my body. At that time, I had more of a problem. I was in such a
state, I couldn’t bear the dosage. But it was not possible to take it at home.Patients of allopathic medicine commonly off ered medication-oriented nar-
ratives like this in describing their treatment. Medication is usually emphasized
over psychotherapy in Kerala due to the biological orientation of contemporary
allopathic psychiatry, the marketing and promotions of Indian pharmaceutical
companies, and the fact that doctors have little time to meet with patients at
government health centers. Here Abdul-Rahman says he was given Amitriptan
C+ (amitriptyline) which is used for insomnia, anorexia and depression, Trika
(alprazolam) which is prescribed for anxiety and panic attacks, and Anixit 5
(another brand of alprazolam). In our discussion with Abdul-Rahman’s brother
and sister, his sister listed the same medications, and confi rmed that these
medi cines helped at fi rst though their eff ects wore off over time. Th is excerpt
ends with a comment on adverse eff ects Abdul-Rahman experienced from allo-
pathic medications—Trika caused restlessness and eff ects he “couldn’t bear” at a
higher dosage he was taking earlier. Such concerns about unpleasant or abrasive
eff ects of treatments were almost exclusively related to allopathic medications
and procedures. Recall Sreedevi’s mother’s concerns about “side eff ects” in allo-
pathic therapy in explaining her preferences for ayurvedic treatment.
In contrast to the medication-oriented recounting of his allopathic therapy,
Abdul-Rahman’s description of Okiyama is more embodied and experiential—
this might seem to be the result of Biju asking him to describe the therapy in
terms of his “feelings,” using this English term, but Biju asked about allopathy
using the same terms:
Biju: What were your “feelings” when you were taking the Japanese medicine?