Psycho-social Rehabilitation and Lifestyle Management

Dr. Chugh’s Super Speciality Psychiatry Clinic offers Psycho-social Rehabilitation, Neuro-Psychological Rehabilitation and Lifestyle Management programmes for people suffering from Drug or Alcohol Addiction and Chronic psychiatric problems like Schizophrenia. This facility is provided on an out-patient basis where the client / patient takes up accommodation in an apartment and is not required to stay in a hospital or nursing home. Please note that there is no in-patient or day care facility available at the clinic. The clinic provides attendants who accompany the client 24X7. The clinic also provides assistance in the arrangement of accommodation.

Objective of Psycho-social Rehabilitation

Problems like Drug or Alcohol Addiction and Chronic psychiatric illnesses like Schizophrenia can be extremely disabling and tend to impair the functioning of an individual in all spheres of life i.e. social, professional, personal, emotional, physical, and recreational.

The primary objective of this program is to make the person functional and healthy in all these spheres. The program endeavors to re-integrate such people with the families and the society.

We at Dr. Chugh’s Clinic believe that rehabilitation happens best when the patient is in an environment that is closest to his real life environment. Through the out-patient arrangement, we feel that this can be achieved. The patient does not feel bound and at the same time tends to become more responsible.

Process of Psycho-social Rehabilitation

This is a comprehensive process which involves four steps.

• Identification and Planning
  The beginning is made with rapport building and ensuring that the client is comfortable. Each client is assigned to a counselor who supervises and helps with the entire program. There is an attendant / helper with each client who is with him at all times.This is followed by a detailed problem identification and understanding process along with short-term and long-term goal setting. The next step is to tailor a structure that caters specifically to this individual’s needs. This includes a timetable that defines all the activities that the individual will be undertaking and the routine that he has to follow. Since re-integration with the family and society is also a goal, the family members are asked to come and stay over periodically for pre-defined periods. Through the various classes & courses that the individual is enrolled into, his interactions at the clinic and leisure activities, the goal of positive re-integration with society is taken care of.
• Implementation
  This step involves the execution of the plan that has been prepared for the client. This is the most difficult part of the program as the client, due to his problem, has not been in a routine for a long time. So, even routine activities of daily living like sleeping & waking up on time, taking care of personal hygiene, eating regular & balanced meals and pursuing planned activities tend to become huge tasks. Hence, this step works in tandem with the next.
• Review and Fine-Tuning
  This is one of the most significant parts of the program. It works simultaneously with the implementation of the program. As one gets started, there are bound to be obstacles. The job here is to continuously look out for hindrances (practical or psychological) and work towards removing them. As a small example, if waking up early is a problem due to the medication that the person is taking, then the wake-up time is shifted ahead. Or, if an individual shirks away from a dance lesson due to fear of getting embarrassed, the issue is taken up in his psychotherapy sessions.
• Termination of Program
  The program is terminated only once the objectives have been met. The termination is not a one time, sudden event. It is a gradual process which involves a home-stay for a trial period. At the end of this period, all the experiences are shared with a special focus on the problem areas. The problems are reviewed in Solution-focused therapy sessions. Once the treating team and the individual feel confident, the client is sent back for a home-stay of a longer duration. During these periods also, the doctor-patient online contact continues. As a part of the follow-up program, booster sessions after fixed intervals are emphasized and encouraged.