An appeal to all Bangladeshi Mariners

I am writing to you today in order to update you on the happenings of the Juldia Marine Academy Alumni Association. In the past few months we have been doing some very exciting things!

The Maritime Museum, that you have helped to build, is a great success. Museum programs were donated to JMAAA and will be sold on the premises. We are hoping to use the funds generated from sales of these books to help support our organization. In addition, we have hired a curator for the museum. JMAAA currently pays him a salary of 7,000 taka/month.

 

In other news, I would like to give you an update on Fakhruddin Bhai. With the support of the caring and devoted membership of JMAAA, we are able to donate 7,000 taka/month to him. Although his wife and immediate family have abandoned him, we are thankful that his maternal family and maternal cousins have come to take care of him. He currently resides with his cousin.

 

The last item I want to speak to you about is membership dues. In order to continue doing the great things that we do, we have decided it would be easier to collect dues before our annual meeting. The membership cost still remains $100 US. Please send this to JMAAA as soon as possible. Checks can be made out to JMAAA and will be sent to: JMAAA, c/o Farah Suhrawardi, 236 Ernston Road, Parlin, NJ 08859. Also, in order to continue supporting your brother, Fakhruddin Bhai, and the Maritime Museum we have built; additional donations sent for these purposes would be more than appreciated.

Thank you for your continued devotion to the Juldians!

All the best,

Ghulam Suhrawardi, Treasurer

 

About Fakhruddin Bhai

Those who do not know him, he was a perfect gentleman who was very compassionate besides being very intelligent. He was from the 5th batch of the Marine Academy.

He disappeared from the radar for many years. In our 5th get together of Juldia Marine Academy Alumni Association (JMAAA) on August 7, 2010 in Montreal, Captain Kamal Ahmed of 15th batch (nautical) brought to everyone’s attention the dire condition Fakahruddin Bhai was living in. In the annual meeting, this matter was brought up and all agreed that we should help him in any manner we can. Funds were raised at the meeting and thus we started an arrangement to send 7000 takas a month as a subsistence allowance for him. Even though, with inflation in Bangladesh, it is a meager sum, nonetheless, it give some comfort to Fakhruddin Bhai.

A brief history of his condition

He was sailing in a ship in 1968 which was apparently sinking. During the crisis, he was in charge of handling the anchor and his palms were torn due to heavy struggle with the fat string/chain. And he abruptly slipped on the deck and got injured. The vessel was saved but his physical condition deterirated. When he returned to Bangladesh, he started taking treatment for his hands.

After a while, his family members found him to be acting a bit abnormally and detected some  mental disorders. Even in this condition, he resumed his sea career.

When he came home in 1996, his wife found that he was still suffering from the mental disorders. She informed her in-laws and commenced a treatment with Herbal (Kobiraji) medicine. This medicine made his condition worse.

His younger brother shared the problem with Mr. Abdul Awal Mintoo. Mr. Mintoo started supplying him some kind of medicine from USA which worked positively. However Mrs. Farkuddin arbitrarily stopped giving that medicine and resumed herbal treatment again. His situation again deteriorated.

The name of the diseases is Schizophrenia. Presently he is under going herbal treatment.

Schizophrenia

 

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Schizophrenia is a complex illness. Mental health experts are not sure what causes it. However, genetic factors appear to play a role.

·         Certain environmental events may trigger schizophrenia in people who are genetically at risk for it.

·         You are more likely to develop schizophrenia if you have a family member with the disease.

Schizophrenia affects both men and women equally. It usually begins in the teen years or young adulthood, but may begin later in life. It tends to begin later in women, and is more mild.

Childhood-onset schizophrenia begins after age 5. Childhood schizophrenia is rare and can be difficult to tell apart from other developmental disorders of childhood, such as autism.

Symptoms

Schizophrenia symptoms usually develop slowly over months or years. Sometimes you may have many symptoms, and at other times you may only have a few.

People with any type of schizophrenia may have difficulty keeping friends and working. They may also have problems with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

At first, you may have the following symptoms:

·         Irritable or tense feeling

·         Difficulty sleeping

·         Difficulty concentrating

As the illness continues, problems with thinking, emotions and behavior develop, including:

·         Lack of emotion (flat affect)

·         Strongly held beliefs that are not based in reality (delusions)

·         Hearing or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)

·         Problems paying attention

·         Thoughts “jump” between unrelated topics ( “loose associations”)

·         Bizarre behaviors

·         Social isolation

Signs and tests

There are no medical tests to diagnose schizophrenia. A psychiatrist should examine the patient to make the diagnosis. The diagnosis is made based on a thorough interview of the person and family members. The doctor will ask questions about:

·         How long the symptoms have lasted

·         How the person’s ability to function has changed

·         Developmental background

·         Genetic and family history

·         How well medications have worked

Brain scans (such as CT or MRI) and blood tests may help to rule out other disorders that have similar symptoms to schizophrenia.

Treatment

During an episode of schizophrenia, you may need to stay in the hospital for safety reasons.

MEDICATIONS

Antipsychotic medications are the most effective treatment for schizophrenia. They change the balance of chemicals in the brain and can help control symptoms/

These medications are usually helpful, but they can cause side effects. Many of these side effects can be improved, and should not prevent people from seeking treatment for this serious condition.

Common side effects from antipsychotics may include:

·         Sleepiness (sedation)

·         Dizziness

·         Weight gain

·         Increased chance of diabetes and high cholesterol

·         Feelings of restlessness or “jitters”

·         Slowed movements

·         Tremor

Long-term use of antipsychotic medications may increase your risk for a movement disorder called tardive dyskinesia. This condition causes repeated movements that you cannot control, especially around the mouth. Call your doctor right away if you think you may have this condition.

When schizophrenia does not improve with several antipsychotics, the medication clozapine can be helpful. Clozapine is the most effective medication for reducing schizophrenia symptoms, but it also tends to cause more side effects than other antipsychotics.

Schizophrenia is a life-long illness. Most people with this condition need to stay on antipsychotic medication for life.

SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND THERAPIES

Supportive therapy may be helpful for many people with schizophrenia. Behavioral techniques, such as social skills training, can be used to improve social and work functioning. Job-training and relationship building classes are important.

Family members of a person with schizophrenia should be educated about the disease and offered support. Programs that emphasize outreach and community support services can help people who lack family and social support.

Family members and caregivers are often encouraged to help people with schizophrenia stick to their treatment.

It is important that the person with schizophrenia learns how to:

·         Take medications correctly and how to manage side effects

·         Notice the early signs of a relapse and what to do if symptoms return

·         Cope with symptoms that occur even while taking medication. A therapist can help.

·         Manage money

·         Use public transportation

Expectations (prognosis)

The outlook for a person with schizophrenia is difficult to predict. Most of the time, symptoms improve with medication. However, others may have difficulty functioning and are at risk for repeated episodes, especially during the early stages of the illness.

People with schizophrenia may need supported housing, job training, and other community support programs. People with the most severe forms of this disorder may not be able to live alone. Group homes or other long-term, structured places to live may be needed.

Symptoms will return if a person with schizophrenia does not take their medication.

Complications

Having schizophrenia increases your risk for:

·         Developing a problem with alcohol or drugs: This is called a substance abuse problem. Using alcohol or other drugs increases the chances your symptoms will return.

·         Physical illness: People with schizophrenia may become physically sick, because of an inactive lifestyle and side effects from medication. A physical illness may not be detected because of poor access to medical care and difficulties talking to health care providers.

·         Suicide

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if:

·         Voices are telling you to hurt yourself or others.

·         You feel the urge to hurt yourself or others.

·         You are feeling hopeless or overwhelmed.

·         You are seeing things that aren’t really there.

·         You feel you cannot leave the house.

·         You are unable to care for yourself.

Prevention

There is no known way to prevent schizophrenia.

Symptoms can be prevented by taking medication. You should take your medication exactly as your doctor told you to. Symptoms will return if you stop taking your medication.

Always talk to your doctor if you are thinking about changing or stopping your medications. See your doctor or therapist regularly.