Dr. Aayesha Sameer, from New Delhi, India, has just completed the MA in Addiction Studies from DBS. She told us all about her experience with the course and her plans for the future.
Why did you choose the course?
My decision to undertake the course was finalised by several people. My friend, who has been working as a Director in a renowned hospital and rehab in Bangladesh for 15 years now, was the main driving force. Prior to that, I was heading up the clinical department of training in an Israeli firm where I was responsible for the India and South Asian regions. I desperately needed to change my work profile as the corporate life was taking its toll. Anyway, I was encouraged by this friend and another famous psychiatrist who is based in India but practices in different countries, as they feel that I have a strong persuasive power and possess the art of listening to others patiently, two important requirements to work in the field of drug addiction.
How has the course benefited you personally and professionally?
Psychoanalysis and Transference were the two subjects which introduced me to a totally new domain which lays the foundation towards understanding an addict's psychology and can prove to be of immense use while dealing with them. These two subjects helped me a great deal to think beyond the regular boundaries which prevail in the society regarding addiction. It clearly developed a belief in me that there is much more to the problem of drug addiction than just the drugs and the addict.
The lecturers gave a good overview of the status of addiction prevalent in the society and social policies related to the same. I learnt so much about the English language, its literary importance and the specifications one needs to keep in mind while creating an academic document like assignments, presentations and a dissertation. I absolutely loved it! All of this benefited me in more ways than one as one can see clearly. Speaking from the professional viewpoint, I would be able to tell you about it in a better way once I start to work in this field but I can say with full assertion that it has helped me develop a better understanding of the subject "addiction".
What are your future or current study / career plans?
I plan to join my friend who encouraged me to enter this field as soon as my break ends. I want to use all the knowledge I gained from my lecturers and the topics that were discussed in the classes to the benefit of the substance abusers who wish to be assisted in getting rid of their ailment. I have a couple of other options as well like online emotional health services for addicts which is gaining a lot of popularity these days Personally, I like to interact with people in person. Also, I would also want to pursue some study in Psychoanalysis as I found it pretty interesting, but lets see. No point in counting chickens before the eggs hatch!
What did you feel was the best thing about studying in DBS?
The teachers are definitely the best thing about DBS!