"FEAR and HALLUCINATIONS"

 A doctor once in his op saw a man named Mr.X who came running to him and told to him that he was being chased by two persons who are trying to kill him. He was accompanied by his wife and daughter who were also crying and looking very anxious. He was seemingly very tired and restless.The doctor calmly asked him to elaborate his story. 

He without any hesitation started to tell his story. He was working as a carpenter in a nearby village with his family and two daughters. He is very regular to work. He was happily living with his family. He was living in a rented house for past twenty years. So he and his wife decided to get jewel loan from a nearby private firm. He took the loan and started his work to build a house. As months past he found it difficult to continue the house construction due to financial constraints and did not return the loan amount. On Sunday he was very restless tired and was frequently thinking about his future plans. On Monday morning he went to work as usual in his bicycle. He noticed two persons following him from the end of his street. In the meantime his wife tried to interfere the conversation. The doctor just stopped her and asked her to wait in the waiting area and asked him to continue. 

                                                        Mr.X continued, he told he went to his workplace riding his bicycle very fast. In the work place he was getting ready to do his work. He saw a person running towards him with a big knife. He ran inside a latrine and locked the door. He stayed there for few hours and then he slowly he came out. He saw an old man and his wife walking with a stick in his hand. The old man gave him a smile and went away. He could not work properly. He was advised by his coworkers to take rest. He did not take lunch on that day and slept in the workplace itself. Suddenly he heard the sound of three children playing around him. He woke up and saw some school children playing nearby. He saw his watch and it was time and he returned back home. He was very tired and restless. He had his dinner due to his wife's compulsion and went to sleep. Few hours later he noticed few persons running towards his house with fire sticks. He was very afraid. He locked all the windows and sat there. He did not sleep the full night. On morning he wanted to go to work. He went out riding his bicycle towards his workplace. He noticed again the two persons following him again. So he left behind his cycle and ran as fast as he could and came to hospital to save himself he told. When describing the story he was sweating breathing heavily and restless. The doctor just calmed him and asked him to wait outside. He told the doctor that the two persons are standing outside the hospital. The hospital staff might reveal his presence to the two persons. The doctor assured him and asked him to wait outside. 

Then the doctor called the person's wife and daughter to come in. They came in to the room very afraid. The doctor asked Mr.X’s wife to elaborate the incident. His wife broke down into tears. The daughter was the first to start talking. She told her father was very sincere in his work. He first worked as a car driver to a businessman. He was very regular and sincere in his work. The businessman had a job opportunity abroad. So he shifted with his whole family and even sold his car. When going he felt bad for his ever reliable driver who was with for nearly ten years. So before leaving the country he introduced his driver to a close friend

who was a parcel agent. The parcel agent gave Mr.X a job as lorry driver At once Mr.X's wife intervened and told their problem started from that day he joined as a lorry driver. The doctor questioned his wife that Mr.X told him he was a carpenter. She told that now he is working as a helper to a carpenter for past six months. She continued and told her husband started his work as a lorry driver. During that period he got introduced to two other lorry drivers from the same area. They were both chronic alchoholics.They forced her husband into the habit of drinking alcohol. He slowly started to smoke even beedis.Within months he started to drink daily and smoke around two packets of beedis daily. He did not give money for his family. When enquired about that he said the parcel agent has not given him money for past few months. She went and enquired the parcel agent about that. He told her husband has been given all his salary and he has even got advance for the next month and showed even the salary register.. She was very sad and returned home. When Mr.X returned home she asked him what he has done with all the money. He was in intoxicated state. He slapped her and shouted at the daughters and went out. Within a few days the parcel agent came to his house. He called his wife and shouted at her. He told her that her husband and the lorry were missing from yesterday morning. He asked her about his were-about. She cried and told she was innocent.

The parcel agent called Mr.X's wife to the police station to register a complaint. Two days later a police man came to Mr.X's house and called the wife. He told her husband and two others were spotted by the police with the lorry near the state border. They were trying to transport illicit liquor in the lorry. On seeing the police Mr.X tried to speed away and lost control and met with an accident. He was admitted in a nearby government hospital. She was shocked to hear that. She along with her neighbor and the police personnel travelled to the hospital. Mr.X was in a very serious condition. The doctors there informed that the two persons who accompanied him were dead. The two persons were none other than the two lorry drivers from Mr.X’s residential area. The parcel agent told he is going to file a case for compensation. Mr.X’s wife begged the parcel agent and police to let her husband free. The parcel agent accepted compensation and she had to sell their own house and all her jewels to settle the case and the parcel agent. In the meantime Mr.X recovered well and they shifted to a small rented room in a nearby colony. Mr.X felt guilty and wanted to change his life. So went as an assistant with a carpenter for daily wages. But within few days again he started his same drinking pattern of alcohol. He was drinking alcohol daily for past six months. His wife was very upset. On Saturday she made a suicide gesture following which Mr.X promised to stop drinking alcohol and take deaddiction treatment. On Sunday he was in his house. He was noticed to have tremors sweating and was very restless from Sunday afternoon. He did not take lunch properly. He did not sleep on Sunday night. On Monday morning he went to work as usual. Within a few minutes he came running and told the two lorry drivers who died six months back are standing outside to kill him. His wife assured him and he went to work. In his workplace when he was preparing for work he suddenly shouted that a person was coming running

towards him with a knife to kill him. His fellow workers tried to convince him that there was no one there. But he refused to believe them. He was very afraid and ran and locked himself in a latrine and refused to come out. Few hours later he came out and sat down. He told his grandfather and grandmother have come to see him. His coworkers were confused. They asked him to take rest and sleep. He was then noticed by them to be talking to himself and laughing. When asked he told he was playing with his children. The coworkers were afraid and took him back to his house. They advised his wife to take him for magic religious treatment. The magic religious person told Mr.X was possessed by demons due to his previous sins and he offered some prayers and told the problem is over. He got a handsome amount for his prayers from Mr.X wife. Mr.X and his wife returned home happily. In his house again he shouted that the two lorry drivers have come to kill him. He told people are trying to burn his house down. He did not sleep the whole night. Next day morning his wife decided to bring Mr.X to consult the doctor. On the way to hospital he told the road was tilting and everyone are going to die. After elaborating the incident Mr.X's wife cried and asked the doctor for help.

Well what did the doctor say? 

He told her that what her husband was having was visual hallucinations (false sense of perception without any external stimuli). This occurs in a condition called Delirium tremens. It occurs in alcohol withdrawal state. It occurs due to vitamin deficiency and hyperactivity of glutamate neurotransmitters. This impairs the attention concentration and recent memory. The severe presentation can lead to seizures disorientation and even coma and death. He assured her it can be treated. There are many Mr.X in our day to day life. It never late than not taking treatment at all. Please help people understand the symptoms and get treatment at the earliest .Lets make a difference.

Dr.Bevinsathya.