56 chapter
the Caraka Samhitā does provide guidance on how to interact with people
who are suff ering unmada. Ayurvedic healers often tell stories and give moral
advice illustrated with examples from their own life experience when counsel-
ing patients. In describing his approach, Dr. Sundaran explained:
I do not generally use basic learning from any book or from my academic experi-
ence or philosophy. I’m from a very big family, and I have many experiences with
many types of people. I have much experience from my family itself. I have some
experience with [people who have] problems of intoxication, the problems of
alcoholism et cetera... I know some [Western/allopathic, clinical] psycholo-
gists, but their approach is, I think, very diff erent from mine because they mostly
depend on the classical texts or the texts they are learning. But I mostly depend
on my previous experience. I generally do not promote the patients. If a patient’s
arguments are too much against society, I will claim that your argument is wrong
with examples and examples and general stories and general events from general
family life or from cinema. From popular cinema also I have used examples.Dr. Rajendra Varma, an ayurvedic doctor who sees patients with mental
problems as part of his general practice at Th aikkattu Mooss’ Vaidyarathnam
Oushadhasala in central Kerala, describes a similar orientation to talk therapy.
He says his methods are “self-developed,” and he also uses stories from his
personal experience to help his patients develop insights: “sometimes we will
tell them, I also had such a problem in my early childhood. I recovered from it
because I did this and that, to convince them.”
Although ayurvedic psychiatrists listen to the patient and their relatives
describe their problems, the doctor spends more time speaking to the patient.
In an appraisal of his experience with Dr. Sundaran, a patient I will call Suresh
explained:
Kavitha: Do you talk to the doctor about your problems for a long time? Does
he tell you about your problems?Suresh: Yeah, he talks a lot. I get relief from his talk itself.Kavitha: You get relief.Suresh: He talks. His talk is very loving.Likewise, in Dr. Abdu’s consultations at the GAMH, we see a teacher-
student style of interaction in which the therapist gives advice to the patient.
Hamid came with his mother and another relative to see Dr. Abdu
about his problems, which included trouble sleeping and eating, exhibiting