Introduction to Cadabam’s

Cadabam’s was founded in 1992, and was named in memory of the founder’s sister. It
started with one ward, and was shifted in 1996. This ward is called the Amita
Campus, and still exists today. Another campus called Christa was started in 2000. In
2007, a charitable trust was started in its name. In 2009 the ward named Adrita was
founded.

It is known as a “half-way home” as those with disorders that warrant full-time

medication are admitted there. They do not spend all their time in the institution, but
they cannot lead a normal life without the facilities of the institution, and specific
medical care.

At present, there are 5 wards that are spread across different Cadabam’s campuses.
These are as follows:

1) The Old Block

2) Namgiri

3) Rehabilitation

4) Vinodhamma

5) Adrita

Most patients admitted to the Rehabilitation centre are reinstituted to normal life, after
therapy. Of the residents, 70% have schizophrenia. The remaining 20% suffer from
BPD, OCD, autism, addiction, and so on. A team of expert counselors regularly
counsels all residents. Often, diagnoses are made on campus. S.M. Channabasavanna
is the medical director at Cadabam’s.
Visit Schedule

The staff at Cadabam’s organized the day into different segments so that we could get
a comprehensive view of the various processes and relationships that went into
running the institution. The schedule was as follows:

9:30 – 10:30 An orientation to the institution, and its rules and regulations.

10:30 – 11:30 A resident’s experience at Cadabam’s.

11:30 – 12:30 A resident’s experience at Cadabam’s.

12:30 – 1:30 Mental health and rehabilitation: An introduction.

1:30 – 2:30 Lunch.

2:30 – 4:30 One on one interaction with the patients.

4:30 – 5:30 Open House Discussion.

Residents’ Schedule

We were told that the residents are awoken every morning at 7 am for a session of
yoga. This aids calming down thoughts, particularly in those suffering from
schizophrenia. After breakfast, between 11 and 12, there are outdoor activities. These
also take place between 3 and 4 every day. These are aimed at skill development. The
residents play indoor and outdoor games, such as volleyball, cricket, etc. These are
carried out in order to reduce stress, develop interactions and friendships, and so on.
Every Saturday, there is dance therapy carried out.

For the first month after being admitted, residents are allowed no contact with their
families. They can interact only with counselors. They are usually informed of their
symptoms within a week. After being given medication for a month, they can be
visited by their family members at least every six months. Often, family therapy is
also carried out.
Resident Experience: N. Mohammed

The first resident to address us, Mr. N Mohammed, is a B.E. from Mysore University,
in Computer Science. He is forty-two years old. He suffers from schizophrenia.

In his address to us, he said that computers were his passion, and began to talk
extensively about them. He claimed to have read every word in the Oxford English
Dictionary, and his command over the English language was, indeed, excellent. He
spoke very eloquently, and at first, we could not recognize that anything was wrong
with him. He said he believed in the power of knowledge:

“The roots of knowledge are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

It was only later, when he started to say that he is the best mathematician, physicist,
chemist, linguist, etc. in the universe that his symptoms began to show. He said that
he was invincible, because God would protect him. We found out that he had been
admitted to Cadabam’s because he tried to drink concentrated sulphuric acid to prove
that he was invincible. He expressed the belief that he is a genius, and has read every
branch of knowledge extensively. He claimed to have known every word of every
language in the universe. He also claimed to have read over 7000 books, and to have
designed the robotic probe that NASA sent to Mars. He also said that his heart is the
purest in the universe. He claimed to have seen heaven, and described it in great
detail. He told us that he is very religious, and that he talks to God every day. He also
had an odd ritualistic way of performing namaaz. He read us a beautifully written
poem, and sang us a song, very coherently.

We were then encouraged to ask him questions.

He expressed no knowledge as to why he was a resident at Cadabam’s. He seemed

resentful of his family for admitting him there. He also said that he always knew that
he was the most intelligent person in the universe, as if it was imbibed in him. His
dream is that some day Dark Matter will be visible to all human beings.

We were told that his symptoms include delusions and hallucinations, wherein he has
conversations with God and keeps banging his forehead to the ground until injured.
He is also highly suggestible. He also has racing thoughts and speech, which were
evident in the talk he gave us.

Resident Experience: Sangeeta

Sangeeta is a 47-year-old woman who suffers from Bipolar Disorder. She was
formerly married, but her husband left her, and took her daughter with him. She
hasn’t seen her daughter since she was 7 years old. She formerly lived in Pune, and
worked as a travel agent.

She told us that she felt like she was at home in Cadabam’s. She said that she had
been admitted because she was sick, and that her family couldn’t take care of her
because of how time consuming it was. She has accepted that something is wrong
with her, and that is why she is here. She told us that sometimes she feels very
depressed. However, she was feeling good that day.

She also told us that she tries to cope with every experience, but that sometimes she
can get a little angry. She realizes the importance of her medicines, without which she
cannot sleep. She has often felt shame and embarrassment due to her condition, and
this is because she has suffered from the stigma of having Bipolar Disorder.

She seemed in a jovial mood. She joked with us on several occasions. She said she
liked to sing, dance and travel.

We later found out that she was going through an episode of hypomania, and that in
the weeks prior to the visit, she had been very withdrawn and silent. Prior to her
admittance, she had broken things in anger on several occasions.
Resident Interaction: Yeshwant Singh

The resident I was assigned to interact with was Mr. Yeshwant Singh.

I met him and requested him to talk to me for a brief period of fifteen minutes. He
told me he was having a great day, and that he had just been reading the Bhagavad
Gita. I asked him if he was spiritual, and he told me that he was, very.

He told me he had been admitted at Cadabam’s for his alcohol addiction. He said that
he had been drinking for several years. He had just lost his job at a Delhi NGO two
years prior, and his drinking had increased drastically. He said that he had been
involved in several violent episodes when drunk. These took place at least 5 to 6
times a year. They were at public places, as well as in his own home. He broke
furniture and other objects during these episodes.

He said that he appreciates his family for admitting him at Cadabam’s. He told me
that he respects his father and would do anything for his approval. He also told me
that he was addicted to marijuana, and that he had tried several other substances
including cocaine, LSD, and Ecstasy. He said that he planned to quit smoking
marijuana as it upset his father too greatly.

He came across very friendly and amicable. He was conversational and open in his
interaction. He displayed acute awareness of the reason for his admittance, and told
me that he felt that it was working wonders for him. He was positive about this
opportunity to start afresh and turn over a new leaf.

Mr. Yeshwant Singh has been diagnosed with addiction, and addiction induced
psychotic symptoms. This means that he often has delusions and hallucinations as a
consequence of his various addictions.
Resident Interaction: Lina Khurana

I also interacted with a resident named Lina. I visited her with my classmate Richita.
This was because, initially, I could not find Mr. Yeshwant as the residents were
having their afternoon rest.

She did not know why she was at Cadabam’s, but said that she had been there for
several years. She grew up in Manchester, England. Her parents separated in her early
childhood. Her father is a renowned doctor in Delhi, who recently founded the
Vishwas Centre which deals with mental disorders.

She was thrilled that my name began with an ‘L’, just like hers. She spoke extensively
and repeatedly about her father, showing us newspaper clippings and brochures of the
centre he founded. She claimed to have read over 5000 books when we told her that
we were students of English Literature. She showed us two of her poems that she had
written. She then told us that she had taken to drawing, and showed us a notebook
filled with recent drawings. She seemed very interested in zodiac signs.

She said that she missed her family, but got to see them a few times a year. She was
very friendly, and showed us around the dormitories of the residents introducing us to
her friends. She said that her best friend’s name was Radhika, and introduced us to
her, as well.

Lina is diagnosed with Manic Depressive Disorder. She is believed to have been
racially abused in England, and this is the cause of her disorder. In one of her poems
that she showed us, she writes about how she was called “a f***ing Paki” while her
classmates taunted her.

We also interacted with Janet, who was in her room at the same time. She seemed
quite friendly at first, but soon became withdrawn and started to glower at us. She
suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.