The sweet scent of frangipani blooms wafts in the air as you stop by at a serene Buddha statue in meditative pose that rises amidst lush greenery. A sense of calm prevails, away from the din of city traffic and noise at the newly-opened Abhasa luxury Rehabilitation and Wellness Centre in Sowripalayam,. “It’s an exclusive space for the women by women,” announces Gayathri Arvind, founder and managing director of Abhasa adding that though they have women patients at her centres in Karjat, Maharshtra and Thondamuthur near Coimbatore, she felt a space for women was the need of the hour. “In the last one month, we have received patients from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and also a patient from Srinagar settled in Dubai. We noticed that 80 % have issues in the mental health spectrum while 20 % suffered from addiction problems. In most cases, it was dual illness, where anxiety drives them to addiction or an addiction tends to affect their mental health.”
Quoting a WHO study that says, one in every five persons is bound to have an emotional disturbance at some point in their lives, Dr V Naveen Kumar, psychiatrist and medical director draws attention to the fact that a luxury resort like atmosphere takes away the stigma associated with the illness and the concept is picking up in South India. “They are addicted to alcohol, drugs, gambling, online shopping. We have seen patients in the 18 to 25 category, addicted to phone, drugs like cannabis, while women above 30 mostly addicted to alcohol.”
Drawing inspiration from ancient, eastern philosophy of using five elements of earth, earth, fire, wind, water and space, the rehabilitation therapies including homa therapy at sunrise that helps them connect with their belief systems, yoga, art, and animal-assisted therapies, movement therapy with zumba, taught in a clean and green environment attempt to instil positivity. “Nature walk and bird watching are a part of weekend activity. It’s a unique model based on scientific evidence. We incorporate the elements of earth in treatment to promote a holistic healing,” explains Gayathri adding that there is focus on privacy, comfort, fine dining and recreational activities in a beautiful setting. In addition to individual and group therapies, there is attention given to meditation and mindfulness.
