overpaid

depression

job

Bangalore

Mental Health

An M Tech with an electronics engineering company thought he was being, leading toand quitting hisMeet a 32-year-old M Tech from a reputed engineering college who returned his paycheque twice, because he thought he was ‘‘overpaid’’. Unlike his peers, who are busy chasing the IT dream of big bucks and glossy lifestyles, money does not drive Bhuvan (name changed).The guilt pang of being overpaid (he was drawing Rs 40,000 a month) has played so much on his psyche that he has plunged into depression. An alumnus of R V College of Engineering inand an employee of an electronics manufacturing company in Belgaum, this father of a three-year-old might be the employee every boss hopes for, but his mental trauma has thrown light on an issue that a handful of the workforce is grappling with.With eight years behind him, Bhuvan was part of the team that designs chips, which is the core of the integrated circuit in various electronic goods. A Bangalore-based IT professional said the average salary for someone with Bhuvan’s experience and expertise would be Rs 60,000-plus oer month.But, Bhuvan was gripped with guilt that his salary of Rs 40,000 monthly salary was too much for the work he did. When the salary got credited into his account, he refunded the same in cheques to his bosses. The recurring feeling finally led to depression and he quit his job. While his colleagues and employers were at a loss with this unusual behaviour, doctors have given a name to his predicament – ‘Schizo affective psychosis’.Two years ago he started developing feelings of depression, restlessness and anxiety. His unusual spurts of anger often took people around him by surprise. His family members claim his condition worsens on a full moon day. He was recently brought to Dr Vinod Kulkarni, senior consultant in neuro psychiatry and head of Hubli-based Manas Institute of, who did a thorough analysis of his case.Trying to reconstruct Bhuvan’s case, Dr Kulkarni told BM: “Stress can trigger this condition in individuals who already have such a pre-disposition. It is because of a dispute between unlimited ambitions and limited capabilities. It could be also because of certain bio chemical changes that occur in the brain. These changes can occur suddenly or gradually. This could also happen in people who want to be perfect in everything they do. Their discipline puts them in such a state of mind that even if they make a small mistake, they think they have committed an unpardonable sin and have to punish themselves for the consequences. They often tend to develop an inferiority complex as well.”A native of of Tikota in Bijapur district, Bhuvan hails from a family of wealthy agriculturists, and was a bright student in college. His younger sister Rakshitha told Bangalore Mirror: “He excelled in studies. We have huge acres of land in the village and he could easily have lived off it. But his hard work and intelligence spurred him to chase his dreams. After graduation, he started working as a part-time lecturer in Bangalore and also got a merit seat in R V College to pursue M Tech.” His sister says he even funded his own education without taking any money from their parents. After studies, he worked for eight years.Dr Kulkarni said the Schzioaffective disorder is characterized by disordered thought processes called psychosis and abnormal emotional responses called mood disorder. Common symptoms include delusions, auditory hallucinations and disorganised speech and thinking, he said. “If this gets severe, it may also lead to suicidal tendencies,” Dr Kulkarni added.While Bhuvan is receiving treatment, Dr Kulkarni says his is not an isolated case. “A few weeks ago we had a bank manager who broke down into severe crying spells as he thought there were several others who were superior to him in caliber, and hence they should be promoted instead of him. Unable to bear the depression, he eventually resigned.”Explaining Bhuvan's line of treatment, Dr Kulkarni said he was being counselled and also receiving cognitive behaviour therapy where he is made to see his merits and talent. “We work toward bringing out the best in such patients. Apart from this, we have already put him on anti-depressant medication."