Chencho Dorji

In this lively podcast, Dr. Chencho Dorji and Dr. Caroline Van Damme discuss treating religious psychosis, mental health stigma, and supernatural beliefs in Bhutan and Belgium. They delve into emerging mental health laws, innovative treatment models, and the pros and cons of religion in society. The conversation also touches on the decline of Christianity in Europe and the challenges of integrating technology with tradition in Bhutan.

Dr. Chencho Dorji shares challenges establishing modern psychiatry in Bhutan, involving patients possessed by ghosts and local avatars, and the role of religion in stigmatizing mental illness. He discusses rising mental illness rates, collaboration between modern medicine and traditional healers, and the need for greater integration of practices. Topics include training healthcare staff, community-based mental health services, traditional healing methods, and treating cases in remote areas.

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.