Mental Health and Wellbeing

Exercise and yoga can improve quality of life for people with mental illness and reduce risks of strokes, diabetes, auditory hallucinations and other health problems, informs Dr R Padmavati, Additional Director, Schizophrenia Research Foundation. World Health Organisation defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity is not just "exercise". Exercise, is a subcategory of physical activity that is planned,…

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 350 million people globally who are affected with depression. Maria Luedeke, Counsellor & Psychotherapist, CTRTC, stresses the urgent need to establish healthy physical self-care to battle Depression. Depression and chronic conditions have a cyclical effect. Those with chronic illness are more susceptible to it and those with depression have a higher risk of other medical issues. This can become a vicious cycle that is difficult to…

The theme of the World Health Day 2017 is ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’. Encourage people with depression to talk about their feelings. Depression can easily be treated with psychological therapies and medicines. Learn about these and some other basic information on depression issued in public interest by SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation). The wounds of depression are unseen, but they hurt more than the ones that bleed. Seek professional help and get better. Facts about Depression…

Nigel Ng suffers from a rare condition called Selective Mutism, an anxiety disorder, which makes him a loner amidst a group of people as he is unable to speak or communicate in specific situations when he gets a panic attack. He shares his experiences: In your book (shown below), you talk about the bullying you underwent in school from classmates and even from teachers. Do those memories still bother you, haunt you? Do you remember how you felt then? What is your reaction now? Yes, these…

Millions of people round the world are chronic users of sleeping pills or other intoxicants to rest each night increasing the risk of death and poor health. Dr A Banerjee, Director Sleep Medicine and Research Center at MGM Institute of Health Sciences emphasizes the importance of good sleep to regenerate the body’s mechanisms and ward off diseases like diabetes, hypertension and bipolar disorder. #WorldSleepDay Sleep is essential for a healthy life. Every person requires the right amount…

The parents and families of children with special needs go through a lot of stress and anxiety in bringing up their children. Dr Roma Kumar, a Senior Consultant in Clinical Psychology, discusses various issues that these parents have to tackle on an almost everyday basis and possible solutions. Q1. Different research and surveys across the world show that more than 50% of the parents of children with disabilities suffer from anxiety, stress and depression. In your experience in India what are…

Worldwide, medical hypnosis is being increasingly accepted to ease acute and chronic pain arising from burns, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis and reduction of anxiety associated with surgery. What is hypnosis? Hypnosis is a state of increased suggestibility with constriction of peripheral awareness and increased focal concentration on task at hand. Heightened suggestibility is an essential characteristic in hypnosis. Hypnosis is like a meditative technique that encourages inner search and the…

Does stress cause acne and eczema to flare up? Does it cause dark circles and pigmentation to appear? Yes, stress does all that and a lot more. Dermatologist Dr. Vinu Kripalani recognizes the mind-skin connection and recommends tips to reduce stress and make your skin glow skin naturally.    What is stress? Stress is caused when the pressure on the individual exceeds their coping mechanism. It is the mental/emotional response to adverse or demanding circumstances. Skin can react in…

Janet Wong (52) from Singapore has had to deal with Selective Mutism in her son from an early age, but she wishes she could have detected the symptoms earlier to make her son feel more at ease. The child in this case needs to be loved and cared for by the family at every stage, she feels. What is Selective Mutism?  Selective Mutism (SM) an extreme form of anxiety disorder in which a person who is normally capable of speech does not speak in specific situations or to some specific people.…

Shubhrata Prakash, an officer with the Indian Revenue Service currently on sabbatical in Bangkok, went through a very long episode of depression. At the end, she was inspired to write a book The D Word: A Survivor’s Guide to Depression that not only became therapeutic but grew into a handbook on depression. 1.    Would you consider depression a mental illness? Depression IS a mental illness, which also has physical dimensions. Unfortunately, most people who have not had a close…