New Delhi, July 22: Delhi University employee Somya Singh (name changed) became the victim of an eight-year itch and was on the verge of breaking off her relationship. The 29-year-old was depressed over frequent arguments with her boyfriend, but could not turn to her family for help.
“We both thought that it will never work out,” said Somya, who has been living with her partner for three of the eight years. “I was depressed and negative. I couldn’t share it with anyone as my family did not know about the relationship. Regular fights and disagreement over issues had become a routine affair.”
She, like many other women going through troubled relationships, has turned to a Delhi University counselling facility – the Mind Body Centre.
Started in February 2014, the centre run by the Delhi University Women Association (DUWA) received 18 cases within a month. Close to a thousand women have approached it for help so far.
Those who can’t visit can seek assistance by phone and email. On average, nearly 50 cases are reported every month.
Those coming forward include teachers, non-teaching staff, and even students suffering from psychological and health-related issues, according to a report by dailymail.co.uk.
The centre also started a helpline in September 2015 that receives 40-50 calls a day. Around 80 per cent of the issues are psychological and stress-related. They tend to concern marriage, live-in relationships, and family trouble.
“Be it trouble with their love life, married life, or family issues, we deal with all of them. Many of the girls who are in live-in relationships also come forward to know how they should go about things,” said Dr Geeta Sahare, secretary, DUWA.
Somya says the counsellors helped revive her relationship.
“I was able to look at the positive aspects and then get rid of the negative elements from my life. After continuous sessions with the counsellors, I managed to come out of the depression. We both are happy now,” said Somya, who is getting married soon.
The centre also has a Naturopathy and Homoeopathy wing, as well as the counselling clinic.
“As problems of the mind and body are interconnected, they need to be dealt with in a holistic manner by the expertise of the physicians, naturopaths and counsellors. In addition to free consultation, the practice of yoga and acupressure techniques is also used at the centre,” said Sahare.
Specialised doctors have been appointed to provide homeopathy and naturopathy treatment to the varsity’s female students and employees. The counsellors interact with patients in a separate room to make them comfortable with the complaints they have.
“The identities of all the visitors are kept safe,” Sahare added.
The centre has been getting calls from students in Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
Officials also said that during the admissions season, a lot of aspirants share problems pertaining to filling in online application forms and submitting them.
Those visiting the facility have to pay an annual registration fee of Rs 50, after which they can use the services for free.
While the homeopathy element addresses ailments like coughs and colds, hair loss, eye infections, and migraine, naturopathy considers health problems through acupressure, yoga, and colour therapy, as well as diet regulation and planning.
The number of users is rising. As many as 53 people visited the naturopathy clinic in January last year, while the number rose to 130 in the same month this year.
Even the homeopathy centre is gaining in popularity. While 27 people visited it in March 2014, the number went up to 152 in January 2016
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