Theta Clinic Bendigo
Sinhala: ආයුබෝවන් (Āyubōwan) Tamil: வணக்கம் (Vaṇakkam)
This website contains mental health awareness information
WELCOME
Welcome, and thank you for being here.
This website is a space for understanding — a place where mental health is spoken about honestly, kindly, and without shame. For too long, emotional and psychological struggles have been hidden away, misunderstood, or explained as something they are not. We are here to change that. Mental illness is not a curse, a weakness, or a punishment. It is a medical condition, and like any other, it can be understood, treated, and lived beyond.
Whether you have come here for yourself, for a family member, or simply to learn, you are welcome. Our hope is that you leave knowing a little more, worrying a little less, and feeling that help is closer than you thought.
Understanding mental health
Here you will find clear, plain-language information about common mental health conditions — what they are, why they happen, and how they are treated. We explain things the way we would to a friend or family member: gently, truthfully, and in a way that respects your culture and your questions. Knowledge is the first step in removing fear and stigma.
The My Manasa App
"Manasa" means the mind — and caring for your mind is at the heart of what we do. The My Manasa App brings mental health support into your hands, in your own language. Built thoughtfully for our community in both Tamil and Sinhala, the app offers accessible tools and resources designed to help you understand your wellbeing, find support, and take the first steps toward feeling better — wherever you are.
Your path to wellness
Recovery is not a single moment; it is a journey, and no one should walk it alone. This website is here to guide you along that path — from first understanding, to seeking help, to ongoing care and recovery. There is no shame in asking for support. Reaching out is not weakness; it is one of the bravest and wisest things a person can do.
About this project
My Manasa is an awareness initiative of Theta Clinic, a psychiatry and TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) service led by Dr Dilani Daluwatte, Consultant Psychiatrist. Driven by a commitment to culturally inclusive and accessible care, this project was created to raise mental health awareness and break down stigma within our community.
Please note: the information on this website is for general education and awareness only. It is not medical advice and does not replace assessment by a qualified health professional. If you or someone you care about needs support, please speak with your doctor — or to arrange an appointment with Theta Clinic, please get in touch with us directly.
Wherever you are on your journey, we are glad you found your way here. Welcome.
Our Services
Mental Illness Is a Medical Condition
-Not a Curse, Not a Punishment
In many Sri Lankan families, when someone begins to struggle with their mind — their mood, their thoughts, their sense of reality — the first explanations reached for are often the wrong ones. It must be the planets. A curse. A spirit. Something done in a past life, or a failing of faith or character. And so, instead of seeing a doctor, the person is taken to have their chart read, or to have rituals performed, while the real problem goes untreated and quietly grows worse.
This is stigma, and it causes real harm.
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD — these are medical conditions. They arise from the brain and the body, shaped by genetics, biology, stress, trauma, and life circumstances, just like diabetes or heart disease arise from their own causes. A person experiencing them has not been cursed and has not done anything to deserve it. They are unwell, and like anyone who is unwell, they deserve care.
When we treat mental illness as a spiritual or astrological matter, we delay the help that actually works. We leave people to suffer in silence, afraid of being judged, shamed, or whispered about. Families hide it. Patients avoid it. And conditions that could have been managed early — with proper assessment, therapy, medication, and support — become far harder to treat.
The truth is simpler and kinder: mental health conditions are treatable. With the right medical care, people recover. They return to their work, their families, and their lives. Seeking help from a doctor or psychiatrist is not a sign of weakness or a loss of faith — it is the same wise step you would take for any other illness.
If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out. There is no shame in it. There is only the beginning of getting better.
Where to get help
In Sri Lanka
-
National Mental Health Helpline (NIMH): 1926 — toll-free from any network, staffed by doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health. You can also text 1926.
-
National Institute of Mental Health, Mulleriyawa: +94 11 257 8234–7
-
Sumithrayo (emotional support / suicide prevention): +94 11 269 6666
-
In Australia
-
Lifeline (24-hour crisis support): 13 11 14
-
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
-
In a life-threatening emergency, call 000
Speak to your GP or a psychiatrist for assessment and ongoing care.
සිංහල
මානසික රෝග — එය ශාපයක් හෝ ග්රහ දෝෂයක් නොවේ, වෛද්ය තත්ත්වයකි
අපේ රටේ බොහෝ අය මානසික රෝගයකට ලක් වූ විට, එය ග්රහ අපල, ශාපයක්, හෝ අධ්යාත්මික ප්රශ්නයක් ලෙස සලකති. ඒ නිසා වෛද්යවරයෙකු බැලීම වෙනුවට, නියම ප්රතිකාර නොලැබී රෝගය වඩ වඩාත් උග්ර වේ.
මානසික අවපීඩනය, කාංසාව, බයිපෝලර්, ස්කිට්සොෆ්රීනියාව වැනි තත්ත්ව — මේවා දියවැඩියාව හෝ හෘද රෝග මෙන් වෛද්ය තත්ත්වයන් වේ. රෝගියා ශාප ලත් කෙනෙක් නොවේ; ඔහු රෝගියෙකි. ඕනෑම රෝගියෙකු මෙන් ඔහුට ද ප්රතිකාර අවශ්යයි.
සතුටුදායක කරුණ නම් — මානසික රෝග සුව කළ හැකි බවයි. නිසි වෛද්ය ප්රතිකාර ලැබුණු විට මිනිසුන් සුවය ලබා, නැවත ජීවිතයට පැමිණේ. වෛද්යවරයෙකු හමුවීම දුර්වලකමක් නොව, ඥානවන්ත පියවරකි.
ඔබට හෝ ඔබේ ආදරණීයයෙකුට අපහසුතාවක් ඇත්නම්, කරුණාකර උදව් පතන්න. ලැජ්ජා විය යුතු කිසිවක් නැත.
උදව් ලබා ගත හැකි තැන්
-
ජාතික මානසික සෞඛ්ය උපකාරක සේවය (NIMH): 1926 (නොමිලේ)
-
සුමිත්රයෝ: 011 269 6666
-
හදිසි අවස්ථාවකදී: 1990 (සුව සැරිය ගිලන් රථය)
தமிழ்
மனநோய் — இது சாபமோ கிரக தோஷமோ அல்ல, ஒரு மருத்துவ நிலை
நம் நாட்டில் ஒருவருக்கு மனநோய் ஏற்படும்போது, அதை கிரக தோஷம், சாபம் அல்லது ஆன்மீகப் பிரச்சினையாகப் பலர் கருதுகிறார்கள். இதனால், மருத்துவரிடம் செல்வதற்குப் பதிலாக, சரியான சிகிச்சை கிடைக்காமல் நோய் மேலும் மோசமாகிறது.
மனஅழுத்தம், கவலை, இருமுனை நோய் (bipolar), மனப்பிளவு (schizophrenia) போன்ற நிலைகள் — இவை நீரிழிவு அல்லது இதய நோய் போன்ற மருத்துவ நிலைகளே. நோயாளி சாபம் பெற்றவர் அல்ல; அவர் உடல்நலம் குன்றியவர். மற்ற நோயாளிகளைப் போலவே அவருக்கும் சிகிச்சை தேவை.
நல்ல செய்தி என்னவென்றால் — மனநோய்களைக் குணப்படுத்த முடியும். சரியான மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை கிடைத்தால், மக்கள் குணமடைந்து மீண்டும் இயல்பு வாழ்க்கைக்குத் திரும்புகிறார்கள். மருத்துவரை அணுகுவது பலவீனம் அல்ல, அது ஞானமான ஒரு படியாகும்.
உங்களுக்கோ உங்கள் அன்புக்குரியவருக்கோ சிரமம் இருந்தால், தயவுசெய்து உதவியை நாடுங்கள். வெட்கப்பட எதுவும் இல்லை.
உதவி பெறக்கூடிய இடங்கள்
-
தேசிய மனநல உதவி இணைப்பு (NIMH): 1926 (இலவசம்)
-
சுமித்ராயோ (Sumithrayo): 011 269 6666
-
அவசர நிலையில்: 1990 (சுவ செரிய ஆம்புலன்ஸ்)
Care at Theta Clinic
Our Philosophy
We focus on providing a calming environment for mental health treatment. Our dedicated team of doctors and a psychologist offer expert consultations to address various mental health concerns, utilizing both traditional and neuro-modulation therapies.
