08/05/98 - 1967

Let's Not "Diagnose" Harikesa Swami

USA (VNN) - by Madhusudani Radha dd

First of all I would like to concur with two of the points made by Citrakara Prabhu in his text "Saving Harikesa Swami". 1) it is very important that we not assign any stigma or blame to devotees who are mentally ill and 2) it is crucial that they receive appropriate professional care.

However, I find it inappropriate for Citrakara Prabhu to diagnose Harikesa Swami with schizophrenia at this point. I do not know what specific background that leads Citrakara Prabhu to call himself medically trained. No respectable mental health professional would make a diagnosis based on the paucity of data available and they certainly would not broadcast such a diagnosis all over cyberspace. I'm sure he means well and, as already stated above, I fully agree with the need to involve trained professionals in the assessment and treatment of Harikesa Swami. Citrakara speaks of forced hospitalization. Unfortunately, this is not always an option. Most western countries have civil rights laws that specify exactly when you are allowed to take this drastic action. Harikesa Swami would need to be assessed by a competent local professional before involuntary hospitalization would even be considered an option.

Based on my training (PhD in clinical psychology) and work with numerous individuals displaying psychotic symptoms such as delusions, I would also like to urge all readers not to jump to any conclusions regarding the diagnosis of Harikesa Swami. That could be both harmful and hurtful. Not only are there other mental health diagnoses (such as the major mood disorders) that can produce the delusional symptoms described, but there are also many medical conditions that can cause them. Such conditions include primarily neurological, metabolic, and endocrine disorders or cancer. I am *not* saying that harikesa Swami suffers from any of these disorders, or even if he is, that they are indeed causing his symptoms. It is simply important that we do not jump the gun and assign labels which may be hard to remove, even if later found to be incorrect.

So let's not "diagnose" Harikesa Swami in the absence of sufficient data, but let us pray that his team of caretakers are able to get him to appropriately trained professionals who can conduct the tests needed to identify and treat the cause of his symptoms. And yes, let us stop the "gossip."