Ep237: Bhutan’s First Psychiatrist - Dr Chencho Dorji

Jan 19, 2024

Dr. Chencho Dorji, Bhutan's first psychiatrist, talks about his childhood with a violent father, his brother's psychosis, and traditional vs modern approaches to mental health. He shares his medical training and compares Bhutanese and Western societies, advocating for an integrated approach to psychiatry.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Reflections on Strong Family Bonds in Bhutanese Communities

03:25 • 2min

Social Change and Abolishment of Slavery in Bhutan

05:27 • 3min

Family Trauma and the Journey to Psychiatry

08:45 • 24min

Journey to Becoming a Psychiatrist

32:48 • 31min

Migration to Australia and Education System Differences

01:03:47 • 21min

Balancing Supernatural and Scientific Approaches in Mental Health Care

01:24:28 • 2min

In this episode I am joined by Dr Chencho Dorji, Bhutan’s first psychiatrist and the Professor of Psychiatry at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan. Dr Dorji recalls his traumatic childhood growing up in Bhutan with a psychotic, alcoholic father. He describes the impact of living in constant fear of violence on he and his siblings, the resultant psychotic breakdown of his elder brother and the extreme methods used by the shamans, lamas, and traditional doctors who were recruited to heal them. Dr Dorji also recalls his arduous progress through medical training, special placements for psychiatry in Sri Lanka and Australia, compares Bhutanese and Western societies, and begins to consider the interaction between modern psychiatry and traditional Bhutanese approaches to mental health. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep237-bhutans-first-psychiatrist-dr-chencho-dorji   Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Life in Bhutan before modernisation 03:23 - Community and family networks 05:26 - Ashi Kunzang Choden 07:08 - Radical social change in Bhutan 08:45 - Living in fear with a psychotic father 12:00 - Father’s traumatic background 17:23 - Elder brother’s breakdown and psychosis 20:31 - Devastated by brother’s illness 21:44 - Attempting to cure Nima’s psychosis through shamanic and religious rituals 26:30 - Supernatural vs modern approaches to mental health 29:58 - The limits of modern medicine 32:48 - Struggles and successes in education 37:28 - Deciding to become a psychiatrist to help family 41:42 - Lost opportunity to pursue psychiatry 47:00 - Studying psychiatry in Sri Lanka 49:03 - Fever and depression 52:22 - First experience of holiday 55:32 - One year clinical placement in Australia 57:40 - Problems in Australian society and healthcare system 01:00:56 - A challenging case 01:03:24 - All societies have problems 01:04:40 - Children’s schooling experience in Australia 01:09:15 - Warning to young Bhutanese emigrating to Australia 01:13:06 - Return to Australia and hosting Bhutanese migrants 01:14:28 - Social impact on Bhutan of large scale emigration 01:18:14 - Time travel and predicting the future 01:19:47 - Interactions between psychiatry and traditional medical models 01:21:16 - Praise for Dr Caroline Van Damme 01:24:59 - Reflections on the US healthcare system … Previous Bhutan episodes playlist: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=bhutan To find out more about Dr Chencho Dorji, visit: - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057403100633  For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James