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October 10, 2023 By Divya Thampi 5 Comments

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

mental healthIn 2020, we released a study that revealed how 43% Indians are plagued with depression. But surprisingly, even in large metros like Mumbai, awareness of mental health is low, stigma is high and discrimination against people with mental health concerns is a harsh reality. The very recommendation that one should see a therapist or a mental health professional is received with distaste at best and anger at worst.

What is Mental Health?

The world over ‘Mental Health’ week is being observed but do we understand ‘Mental Health’?  It is important that we first understand what “Mental Health” means. It does not just refer to the absence of illness, rather it denotes a state of mind that allows people to believe in their abilities, work productively, cope effectively with day to day stressors, reach out for help when feeling overwhelmed, relate to others, and to work towards their highest potential.

While the mental health condition of a person is established by the individual’s ability to manage his/her thoughts, feelings, actions and interactions with others, mental illnesses and disorders are  often caused by a combination of factors including social discrimination, lack of protective policies, poor working conditions, poverty, lack of education, below average living standards, abuse (verbal, physical and sexual) and absence of familial or/and social support systems. It is true that certain genetics and specific personality attributes can make people more vulnerable to mental health issues, however contrary to popular belief, these are neither the only nor the most significant contributors to mental illnesses or disorders.

According to a survey conducted nationally, in 2018, on the attitudes towards people affected by mental health concerns, the top three attitudes prevalent in India were found to be the following:

  1. People with mental illness should not be given any responsibility
  2. One of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self-discipline and will-power
  3. Mentally unhealthy people should have their own groups – healthy people need not be contaminated by them.

If one is diagnosed with cancer or with Malaria, would we ask them to get their act together and get better or expect them to use will-power to cure themselves? In terms of its prevalence and the number of people impacted by it, mental health issues are no different to physical health concerns and they need to be addressed with the same care and concern that is adapted to tackle a physical ailment, rather than with disdain and scorn.

With the existing attitudes, it comes as no surprise that the affected people, as well as the families, refrain from talking about their concerns or seeking the support they need due to the fear of being judged or labelled. But there are changes each of us can make that will help in creating an environment that promotes positive mental health.

Here are four steps you could take to do your bit in reducing social stigma attached to mental health concerns:

1. Educate Yourself About Mental Illnesses

General beliefs that people with mental illness are dangerous or are violent are myths which have unfortunately been propagated by movies. Often people with mental illnesses are victims of violence and abuse themselves. Question every stereotype and treat people with respect, irrespective of their diagnoses.

2. Stop Using Labels

Often people say things like ‘she is depressed’ or ‘he is schizophrenic’. The mental illness that someone deals with, is just one aspect of their lives and not their identity. Hence use language that separates the person from the health issue. For example, we could say “she deals with depression” or  “he’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia”. Use language that’s respectful and sensitive.

3. Support People

Remember that people who deal with mental health issues make important contributions to the world. Did you know that Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, the ex-Prime Minister of Norway had suffered from a depressive episode in August 1998 while he was still in power? He took some time out to recover and continued as PM till March 2000. Do not judge people to be incompetent or dismiss their capabilities based on a mental health condition they may be suffering from. Treat people with dignity, just like you would like to be treated yourself, had you been in their position. Encourage the actions that your own family members and friends take to overcome mental illness, support their efforts to get well and lead productive lives.

4. Encourage & Initiate Open Discussions

If you yourself have dealt with or are dealing with mental health issues, talk about it. Your courage will help in creating awareness and empower many others. If it is a family member or friend who is dealing with it, talk openly regarding the illness with their permission and in doing so, you will take away the shame attached to it.

The first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Brock Chisholm, in 1954, had quite aptly declared that “without mental health, there can be no true physical health.” On this very important day, let’s pledge to do our bit by becoming advocates to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and promote a world of inclusion and sensitivity.

For more on Mental Health, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to Emotional Wellness Expert Divya Thampi’s classes on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce

September 21, 2023 By Dr Manali Rao 1 Comment

Everything You Need to Know about Alzheimer’s

alzheimer's dayIf you’ve read ‘The Notebook’ by Nicholas Parks, later adapted into a film by the same name, you might have a fair idea of what Alzheimer’s really is. The book is centered around Allie and Noah, an all-time romantic couple. There’s a beautiful scene in the film where Noah, who is an old man now, narrates a story to Allie about a couple and how their love blossomed through hardships. Amazed by this story, Allie only realizes later that this story is about them. Noah read this to her as he had promised before the disease set in. The disease was Alzheimer’s!

shutterstock_574038220

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disorder which results in memory loss, personality changes, global cognitive dysfunction and functional impairments. It is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. The disease begins at a slow rate. Initially, it captures the brain and slowly overcomes human thoughts, activities, and language as well. People start having trouble in remembering things and the one evident sign is forgetting the names of people.

What Causes Alzheimer’s?

The exact etiology is unknown, but a few risk factors can be marked out.

  • Age: Incidence and prevalence increases after the age of 60
  • Family History: First-degree relatives at greater risk
  • Genetic: ApoEepsilon 4 gene
  • Lack of Sleep
  • Regular and high consumption of junk food

Clinical Features 

  1. Progressive memory loss and decline of higher mental functions
    Example: problem-solving small issues, confusion in time, date and month, the problem faced in doing family activities of daily routine, misplacing things, poor judgment and problem in speaking and writing as well
  2. Difficulty in naming and understanding what others are speaking
  3. Apraxia: The inability to carry out skilled motor activities, inability to recognize objects, places and people
  4. Behavioral changes: Agitation, aggression, wandering and persecutory delusions, loss of insight, depression
  5. Loss of inhibition leading to inappropriate social behavior
  6. In advanced stages, a person may be mute, inactive and can succumb to different infections
  7. Inability to recognize color and visual picture
  8. In case there is an underlying cause, additional clinical features may be present

Management

The most important management for Alzheimer’s is support – Physical, mental and moral support from family members and caregivers.

  • Antioxidants (Vitamin E) can slow the decline of cognitive function
  • Drugs like anticholinesterase inhibitors (like donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine), memantine, N-methyl-D aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist
  • Ginkgo biloba, a plant extract has been shown to be useful
  • Treatment of the underlying cause, if any

3-7

Alzheimer’s and Ayurveda

According to the principles of Ayurveda, Alzheimer’s is caused as a result of the imbalance in vata – this imbalance is quite common as a person begins to grow in age. It affects the vata – in the tissues of the central nervous system of the body – mainly the brain which then slowly becomes imbalanced.

Treatment begins with a Vata balancing diet. Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) in the powdered form along with either ghee or milk is included in the patient’s daily diet. This helps charge and soothe the Vata. Herbs such as Brahmi and Ashwagandha that serve as nerve tonics are mainly used.

An oil massage daily, prior to a bath is also considered significant in this form of treatment. Ayurveda specialized preparations for Alzheimer’s treatment that are made from rice have proved highly beneficial to the patients besides providing the required nutrients to the old age person.

How Can Turmeric Help?

Turmeric or Haldi, as it’s known in Hindi, is a part of almost every Indian recipe. It is known all over the world for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-spasmodic, anti-allergic properties and hence is used in medicines, cosmetics etc.

Curcumin that is found in turmeric has radical scavenging properties thereby preventing damage that can be caused to the cells of our body by free radicals. Alzheimer’s alleviation could be based upon the ability of curcumin to combat the development of amyloid plaque (accumulation of protein) in the brain leading to inflammation and impairment of cells.

Prevention

There’s no real guarantee when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s. The only way to minimize your chances is by living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

  1. Make sure you don’t stop learning new things. Continuous learning like a musical instrument, a new language or any subject that you didn’t have knowledge about keeps the memory intact.
  2. Forget your phone and start memorizing important numbers like bank accounts, mobile numbers, life insurance/investment policy numbers, credit and debit card numbers, passwords and recalling them when needed is an easy way of jogging your memory.
  3. Make sure you get your hands on challenging puzzles like Sudoku, different crosswords, etc.
  4. Consumption of antioxidants via diet/supplements is helpful in preserving memory function.

We hope this blog helped you lean more about Alzheimer’s and what we can do in case a loved one is ever affected by it. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

For more informative topics, check out Healthy Reads or speak to an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

August 31, 2023 By GOQii 2 Comments

Simple Ways to Overcome Depression

Overcome DepressionMost of us tend to feel low when things don’t work in our favor. At times, we give a 100% to a task expecting something good in return. When these expectations aren’t met, we succumb to negative thoughts and depression.

Depression drains you of energy and hope. At times, it makes you feel helpless. It makes any task all the more difficult. Depression becomes a problem when it fails to pass and we don’t fight back. Feeling low is a part and parcel of life and is completely natural. But if this feeling intensifies and stretches over weeks or months, it could become problematic.

Are You Really Depressed? 

It is important to identify whether we are really depressed or we are just upset. It is easy to work on it once you know for sure. If we are upset, it is just a matter of time and everything is normal. If we are in depression, the sinking feeling of helplessness, loneliness and other negative feelings can go on for weeks or months with no end in sight. Depression is unhealthy for your mind and body but you can fight it!

Simple Ways To Overcome Depression

  • Get Into a Routine: If you feel depressed, have a routine and follow it regularly
  • Start Small & Stay Focused: If you feel the work you are doing is too much, break it into small tasks. For instance, if you are unable to walk 10km at a stretch, start with 1 km and gradually increase it. Eventually, you will be able to complete 10km at a stretch
  • Talk to Your Friends: Talk to a friend you trust. You will feel relaxed and your thought process will change
  • Sleep: Depression leads to issues with sleep. We should aim for at least 8 hours of sound sleep
  • Eat Healthy: There is no diet that can fix depression. It is better to keep an eye on what we eat. If Depression makes you feel like overeating, then keep portion control in mind
  • Challenge Negative Thoughts: To overcome depression, a lot of work is mental. Change the way you think. We tend to leap to the worst possible conclusions when depressed. The next time you are feeling terrible about yourself, use logic as a natural depression treatment. Ask yourself why you are feeling this way? Is this really true? Can you do anything about it? Is it possible to let go? It takes practice to clear your mind, but in time, you can beat back those negative thoughts before they get out of control
  • Exercise: It temporarily boosts endorphins and makes you feel good. It may also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways

The solution to a depression-free life is to use all the tools you can to get better. If you feel that your depression is getting worse, seek professional help. Needing additional help doesn’t mean you are weak, it is the most practical solution. It is completely possible to get lost in negative thoughts. Just remember that depression can be treated and you can feel better!

We hope this article helps you overcome depression. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more by our emotional wellness expert Divya Thampi, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to her sessions on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce 

May 24, 2023 By Divya Thampi 1 Comment

Making Sense of Schizophrenia

World Schizophrenia DaySchizophrenia is one of the most misunderstood mental disorders in our society. Hence, let’s start with what Schizophrenia is NOT:

  • It is not split personality or multiple personality disorder
  • People dealing with schizophrenia are not “Mad”
  • A vast majority of them are not violent and do not pose a threat to others

With that out of the way,

Let’s Understand What Schizophrenia Is:

It is a major psychotic illness that impacts thoughts, feelings and behavior of individuals. Schizophrenia is in fact, an umbrella like diagnosis used for categorizing a wide range of symptoms, all of which may or may not be experienced by people with this condition.

The experience of schizophrenia is unique to each person. It impacts about 1.1% of the world population i.e. about 51 million people worldwide and symptoms generally start showing up during adolescence or early adulthood.

The Symptoms Include:

  • Social withdrawal: The person may avoid spending time with others and may prefer being alone.
  • Loss of Interest & Enthusiasm: There may be reduced sense of enjoyment. Things and activities that used to interest them may no longer give them pleasure.
  • Disorganized Thinking: Here, the individual switches from one track of thought to another abruptly and without warning. This may seem bizarre and illogical to the listener, and is one of the defining features of schizophrenia.
  • Delusions: These are beliefs and impressions that seem disconnected with reality. For example, the person may believe that they are part of royalty or in a position of power with special abilities, or that people are plotting revenge against them, or that a catastrophe is about to occur, or that someone is in love with them.
  • Hallucination: This refers to seeing or hearing things that don’t exist, but for the person experiencing it, it feels very real and vivid. While it could involve the sense of sight, hearing or smell, the most common hallucinations include hearing voices speaking, murmuring or whispering.
  • Emotional Blunting: This refers to reduced expression of emotion on face, speech and bodily movements. It may appear that there is reduced interest and personal warmth in the individual dealing with schizophrenia.
  • Cognitive problems: They may have difficulty focusing on any one thing for longer durations and may quickly lose interest when someone is speaking to them. They may forget to do routine things which most of us take for granted and the lack of attention could impact their performance at work, studies and other areas.

Like mentioned earlier, people dealing with Schizophrenia may experience some of the symptoms and may not experience others. Also, the frequency and severity of the symptoms varies from person to person. There may be psychotic episodes where the severity of the symptoms may be more and continue to be severe for the duration of the episode.

World Schizophrenia Day The exact cause of schizophrenia has not yet been established. Studies indicate that a combination of genetics, environmental factors and brain chemistry contributes to the development of the disorder.

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that requires life-long management, just like in the case of diabetes and blood pressure. While there is no known cure for it, with the right treatment, symptoms can be managed and the individual can lead an independent, productive and meaningful life.

Early diagnosis, the right treatment and adhering to the treatment plan, go a long way in helping people manage the symptoms and live a functional life. A psychiatrist is qualified to diagnose the disorder and treatment is generally a combination of medication and therapy. In many cases the impacted individual may not have the insight that the changes in their behavior are due to a disorder and the family may have to take the initiative to take them for a diagnosis and treatment.

However, the stereotypes about this disorder compounded by the stigma around mental illnesses, often prevent families from reaching out for help, thus aggravating the condition. The impact of the ignorance of this illness is obvious in the statistics which show that 1 out of 10 people who deal with schizophrenia commit suicide and 4 out of 10, at the least attempt suicide.

World Schizophrenia DayBeing aware of the diagnosis of schizophrenia can be deeply distressing for the individual and they require a supportive environment for recovery. Due to fear, ignorance or awkwardness, friends, family members and others, may be overcautious or insensitive to people who may be dealing with the disorder.

If you have a colleague, friend or a known person who is dealing with the condition, educate yourself about the condition, talk to them, treat them normally and also let them know that you are there to help and support them. The illness can cause the individual to become socially withdrawn and isolated, hence it is important for them to have contact and connection with others.

Initiating conversations with the individuals dealing with schizophrenia, whether it is purely to discuss practicalities or for fostering a connection, is critical for them to be able to lead a normal life and overcome isolation.

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