She was not pre occupied by the ghost !

Dr. Arif Maghribi Khan.MD

Consultant Psychiatrist 

Connect with Dr Arif Maghribi Khan

A young female aged 25 suddenly became violent and refused to take food .

She stopped talking and became mute. Distraught family had no clue. She had no fever, no convulsions and was moving all parts of the body.

However, she had no insight, and  refused  to take any medicine or visit a doctor.

Unfortunately due to lack of awareness ,she was beaten to the pulp and finally  taken to a doctor who  prescribed her some Injectables.

As the bad luck would have been, she was held by four healthy women  so that injections could be given .

Unfortunately in this process she resisted to the extent that   she developed compound fracture of her wrist. 

From that day her family members decided never to visit a doctor and instead they started  visiting various faith healers .

The faith healer diagnosed that a ghost had preoccupied this young lady .

They went on advising so many rituals to heal her .

But all in vain.

The poor family  was duped of valuables.

One day the patient’s mother developed high blood pressure ,as our center was nearest she visited our centre.

She was impressed   the way the counselor and doctor talked with her, her hypertension was controlled and she began visiting the center regularly.

One day  as she could not bear the pain of her daughter she narrated the story of her daughter to us and  tears rolled over her sad face.

Our counselor consoled her  and assured her the best possible hellp

She somehow agreed and was   ready to show her  mute daughter to our team.

But there was a problem, on seeing a doctor her daughter would become violent.

So the mental health officer changed his clothes and visited their house as a distant relative .

It was indeed a challenging  home visit .

We meticulously observed the patient and after sitting there for an  hour we  left.

Her psychiatric assessment was clearly displaying an illness and not a ghost.

Yes, she  was suffering from CATATONIC SCHIZOPHRENIA , a psychiatric illness in which the patient stays totally mute .We do not know what  exactly triggers this condition but treatment can make the difference.

The medicine was prescribed and family members were asked to put the odorless, colorless mouth dissolving medicine in the patient’s food.

For 2 months there were very little signs of improvement,

but one fine day I heard some women shouting ,

“MY DAUGHTER HAS   HEALED,  …

MY DAUGHTER IS BACK TO US.

It was the mother of our  patient who was  shouting with happiness.

Our  joy knew no bounds. 

Our patient who was mute for 5 months had finally started talking.

She  was now happy to   resume  her job.

She   was no more violent

The family members had brought sacred but traditional SHIRINI sweets to the delight of all.

FOR ME IT WAS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE AND AS IF I HAD RECEIVED NOBEL PRIZE.