Mumbai: The court's order asking Bollywood star Aamir Khan's actor-brother Faisal, advised to undergo treatment for mental ailment, to attend the police station on alternate days has been criticised by psychiatrists here.

Mentally-ill persons get stigmatised when equated with criminals and asking them to report to the police station may retard their recovery, they said today.

On October 31, a Magistrate's Court, while granting Faisal's custody to his father Tahir Hussain, directed the actor to report to the Khar police station.

The court also advised Faisal to take the treatment recommended by the psychiatry doctors of the state-run J J Hospital. "Sending Faisal to the police station to mark attendance is a human rights violation," said Dr Harish Shetty, who had earlier treated him for schizophrenia.

The doctors felt it would be a better alternative to direct Faisal to attend the OPD at the psychiatric department of a hospital for faster recovery. "Psychiatrists don't just treat patients but also advice on the family's well-being as they have to take care of the patient," said Dr Bharat Shah.
Family disputes aggravate the illness, added Shetty.

Paranoia, in such patients, maybe directed towards the people who take care of them, said Dr Anjali Chhabria.

Patients hurl accusations, cast aspersions on the motive and display hatred and suspicions towards their loved ones, added Dr Henal Shah. Some of them hallucinate and visualise imaginary persons asking them to initiate violent action and poison their mind, she added. 

Source : PTI