IT is unlikely that a mentally ill man would go to a conventional psychiatric clinic and relax on a couch to reveal his secrets with the Internet offering new ways to treat the psychological disorders. Which will be more effective? Traditional sessions in a clinic at which a psychiatrist takes great pains to reach the source of the problem or the patient’s own living room where he can discuss his problems with the doctor by e-mail in the most relaxed atmosphere? As he feels more at home, the treatment will be more comfortable to the patient and it will be easier for him to open up and express his fears and unfulfilled wishes.
The patient seeking online treatment need not look fearfully into the doctor’s eyes and tell him the disturbing things lying deep in his subconscious. Some psychiatric researchers have found that a patient prefers to interact more in an e-mail than in a direct doctor-patient situation. Another feature of the new style of treatment is that a patient is able to read his doctor’s statements and diagnosis several times. The patient also gets an opportunity to put all his thoughts down in an e-mail message.
There are a number of websites offering psychiatric help. The sick person need only choose a website and press the mouse. The doctor is only a click away. The online clinics, which were launched first in the United States, have now spread to other countries as well. Since the system is new, doctors and patients are not completely familiar with the operating methods. There is a fixed time for each online session. A red light on the screen signifies the end of a session. The patient must then fix the next appointment. A new patient may get the uncomfortable feeling that the clinic’s door has been closed unexpectedly in his face. The patient should of course take normal precautions when he chooses online treatment. He or she should take care that the psychiatrist he chooses is approved by the authorities. This is to avoid the patient falling into the hands of unscrupulous quacks who might do irreparable damage.
