Bring Mental Health Care to Cambodians

A man, 34 years, was locked in a back room of the house. When TPO treatment team arrived, he didn't say anything, despite trying to question him.

 He started getting sick at the age of 25. He only studied until the 9th grade, then dropped out school and became a Buddhist monk. After he was monkhood for 2 years, he began to have strange behaviors such as talking a lot, shouting, walking around aimlessly, chanting, bowing, and shaking his head when he shouted. He couldn't sleep, less insight, and couldn't communicate. The family took him to a hospital in Vietnam for treatment. Meanwhile he was scanned for identifying illness. The doctor said that the brain was affected. They gave him medicine for a while, but it only helped him relax. When the medicine ran out, he started to suffer again. Then, the patient was taken by relatives to a public hospital in Phnom Penh for treatment for 5 years. He was able to sleep better and less shouting.At the same time, the family took him to see 05 traditional healers, but he did not improve. Then, relatives took him to the district hospital, where he spent about three months, only to be treated for sleep problems. The relatives felt hopeful that he would recover.

After receiving treatment from TPO for 3 months, during Pchum Ben cerenomy season, the patient asked his mother, “Do you want to lock me up forever?” The mother replied, “No, my child.” When you recovered, we would allow him to live together (integrate into family).

After a month later, he became more aware and recognized everyone, so his mother decided to release him and took him to attend Kathina ceremony at the village pagoda. People in the village were really surprised and expressed their joy with the patient and his relatives for recovery.

His mother said, "I've been hopeless for a long time. I never thought my son would recover."