Of anguish there is none greater in any other illness than that of mental disorders, although fortunately, it is mostly free from the excruciating pain that is associated with other illnesses. And this anguish does not come as much from the illness as that from the sense of humiliation, of being ridiculed, neglected and rejected. Ironically, anguish is suffered mostly by the family members when the patient is in an acute stage and has no control over his speech, actions or behaviour. But as the patient recovers, this suffering is most strongly felt by the patient himself. This is very dangerous as it could lead to relapses and finally impairments and disabilities that could affect him permanently.

Ashadeep was formed in 1996 at Guwahati to provide psychosocial rehabilitation to individuals who are impaired or disabled by a mental disorder. The focus is not on interventions at the clinical level, but in trying to reduce the impact and burden of mental disorders on the lives of both patients and families.