Mental Health and Wellbeing

On World Suicide Prevention Day, Sunitha Ramachandran, senior volunteer and mentor in Samaritans Mumbai, a suicide prevention helpline, gives us a gamut of vital information on how to recognise and prevent suicidal thoughts and acts and seek timely help to save lives. Could you tell us a little bit about the work being done by Samaritans Mumbai? Samaritans Mumbai offers emotional support for those who may be stressed, distressed or even suicidal. Our helpline is available via both phone and…

दो ऐसे बयान पढ़ें जो ऐसे लोगों ने साझा करे हैं जिन्होंने आत्महत्या का प्रयास करा था पर असफल रहे। हम उनकी आप-बीती आपका ध्यान इस बात पर आकर्षित करने के लिए पेश कर रहे हैं ताकि आप यह देखें कि यदि परिवार वाले और मित्र थोड़ी सी संवेदना और सहानुभूति दिखाएं तो कई आत्महत्या के प्रयास रोके जा सकते हैं। दोनों स्थितियों में आत्महत्या का प्रयास करने वालों के अनुभव से दिखता है कि वे चाहते थे कि कोई उनकी बात बिना आलोचना के, बिना मूल्यांकन किए सुनता। ट्रिगर वार्निंग (चेतावनी: कुछ लोग इस लेख की सामग्री से परेशान…

Join us as we speak with Hvovi Bhagwagar, Clinical Psychologist and Trauma Therapist on how covid-19 pandemic is causing a lot of stress and tension in people. Previously defined coping and self care mechanisms are not available or not working. So what we can do to find strategies to cope Topic Pandemic Stress and Burnout: Relearning How To Cope When: 5th September, 2020  3:30pm IST, 6pm SGT    To join the webinar, click on the link below https://us02web.zoom.us/j/…

कैम गिलर, संज्ञानात्मक व्यवहार मनोचिकित्सक, चिन्ता और अवसाद का सामना करने के आसान नुस्खे बताती हैं । साथ ही, अपने दिमाग की नकारात्मक आवाज़ को कैसे रोका जा सकता है क्या आप उदास, चिंतित, नकारात्मक महसूस कर रहें हैं ? निम्नलिखित कूट नीतियां  आपको इन भावनाओं का बेहतर सामना करने और खुश रहने में मदद करेंगी। 1.   अपने लिए कुछ समय निकालें धीमी गति से सांस लें, आराम करें, संगीत सुनें, ध्यान करें, मालिश कराऐं, या विश्राम  तकनीकें सीखें। समस्या से पीछे हटने से दिमाग को शांति मिलती है।…

Dr. Manvir Bhatia, Senior Consultant in Neurology and Sleep medicine, says that the pandemic has severely affected the crucial sleep-wake rhythm of people impacting their mental and physical health, leading to chronic insomnia. She highlights the role of sleep in building immunity and recommends some tips for better sleep. We have been hearing and reading about an increase in the number of people suffering from disturbed sleep patterns and poor quality of sleep due to Covid-19. Have you seen a…

Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) India recently did a cross sectional study on the association between family distress on loneliness and coping during COVID-19. Researcher Sanjana Goutham explains findings and suggests solutions. Can you describe the study on loneliness during Covid-19? The present study was done to estimate the prevalence of loneliness among general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Along with that, association between family distress and loneliness…

Parmeet Kaur Soni, Consultant, Clinical Psychologist, Mental Health Foundation, Kolkata, talks about how family members can support their children, when a family member or a close relative is diagnosed as Covid positive. We are increasingly hearing of children of all ages becoming increasingly anxious and even clingy when a family member is affected. We spoke to Parmeet Kaur Soni, a clinical psychologist on how families can navigate these difficult pandemic times.  The following steps…

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives and livelihoods and is causing a lot of stress and anxiety. Psychotherapist H'vovi Bhagwagar advises people on how they can learn to accept uncertainty and channel unproductive worrying into problem solving.  As humans, we find safety in predictability and certainty. We prefer having information about our family’s whereabouts, making a list before going shopping and knowing we have a stable job. The COVID-19 pandemic has made life uncertain and…

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors, nurses, attendants and other healthcare workers are actively engaged on the frontlines to manage patients. They have a high risk of developing anxiety, depression and stress during this period. Dr. Milan H Balakrishnan MD DPM, Consultant Psychiatrist and Counsellor at Bombay hospital and Masina hospital, Mumbai helps us understand the issues better.   A few studies have been carried in the recent months to assess the mental impact…

We have to break the silence surrounding grief, especially around death by suicide, and learn to deal with sorrow in a healthy and sensitive manner, writes psychologist Chandra Ramamurthy. I am a Clinical Psychologist by training. I lost my son, Naman Dutt, age 17 years, by possible suicide. The reason why I say possible suicide is because the circumstances of his death still baffle me. Naman was diagnosed with depression and though I have seen severe clinical depression in my practice, I never…