The Secret Diary of The Beautiful Mind

  Around 700,000 people die by suicide every year, with over 75% of suicides occurring in low-and-middle-income countries . Suicide is a global concern and a serious public health issue in every country; however suicides are preventable. By raising awareness, reducing the stigma around suicide and encouraging well informed action, we can reduce instances of suicide around the world. "Creating Hope Through Action" is a reminder that there is an alternative to suicide and aims to inspire confidence and light in all of us; that our actions, no matter how big or small, may provide hope to those who are struggling. Preventing suicide is often possible and you are a key player in its prevention. Through action, you can make a difference to someone in their darkest moments – as a member of society, as a child, as a parent, as a friend, as a colleague or as a neighbour. We can all play a role in supporting those experiencing a suicidal crisis or those bereaved by suicide. Suicidal t

  Neurological Complications of Alcohol Use Neurological Complications of Alcohol Use - 1. Alcoholic Neuropathy      a. Acute Alcoholic Neuropathy      b. Alcohol-related - Compressive Neuropathy - Excessive alcohol consumption is traditionally associated with ‘Saturday night palsy’, caused by compression of the radial nerve against the humerus for several hours.      c. Chronic Alcholic Neuropathy - The onset of symptoms is insidious and symmetric, predominantly sensory, in the form of dysesthesia, burning sensation and burning pain on the soles of the feet that later develops into cramp in the calves and the hands. Motor symptoms usually manifest later, and are characterised by muscle weakness and atrophy, especially in the distal muscles of the upper or lower limbs. Vegetative vascular and skin defects (sweaty, atrophic, glossy, almost hairless skin) with associated dysautonomia are also typical. 2. Withdrawl symptoms and delirium tremens - The manifestations of withdrawal syn

  With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis related illness – we can’t wait to act on viral hepatitis. People living with viral hepatitis unaware can’t wait for testing. People living with hepatitis can’t wait for life saving treatments. Expectant mothers can’t wait for hepatitis screening and treatment. Newborn babies can’t wait for birth dose vaccination. People affected by hepatitis can’t wait to end stigma and discrimination. Community organisations can’t wait for greater investment. Decision makers can’t wait and must act now to make hepatitis elimination a reality through political will and funding. I can’t wait ‘I can’t wait’ is the new campaign theme to launch World Hepatitis Day 2022. It will highlight the need to accelerate the fight against viral hepatitis and the importance of testing and treatment for the real people who need it. The campaign will amplify the voices of people affected by viral hepatitis calling for immediate action and the end of stigma and dis

  The last 2 diagnostic criteria that we will look at while making a diagnosis of dependence is salience and harmful use. Salience means importance. Progressive neglect of alternative pleasures or interests because of psychoactive substance use, increased amount of time necessary to obtain or take the substance or to recover from its effects; Harmful use: Persisting with substance use despite clear evidence of overtly harmful consequences, such as harm to the liver through excessive drinking, depressive mood states consequent to heavy substance use, or substance-related impairment of cognitive functioning. Efforts should be made to determine that the user was actually, or could be expected to be, aware of the nature and extent of the harm. Any 3 of the 6 criteria, if present in the last 12 months indicates presence of dependence, a condition that requires medical attention to deal with.

  Addictions are characterised by dependence on substance or activity. There are certain features that indicate dependence, 2 which we saw last time - craving and difficulty controlling use. We will have a look at 2 more this time and the last two - salience and harmful use next time. Withdrawal features - A physiological withdrawal state if substance use is stopped or even reduced, as evidenced by: the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance; or use of the same (or a closely related) substance with the intention of relieving or avoiding withdrawal symptoms; This is one of the main reason why people using substance are unable to move beyond it, despite its adverse impact on physical and mental health, on relationships and professionally as well. The discomfort felt and the knowledge that substance will relieve it, creates a viscious cycle that spirals in the downward direction. Tolerance - This reflects that body is getting used to the substance being consumed. Here, incre

  Labeling all people using substance as addicts can be counter productive, as it takes the attention away from those who need help the most. Addiction is a chronic condition that is difficult to diagnose and treat. While the signs can be clear, diagnosis first relies on the person with an addiction or people close to them acknowledging and wanting to address the problem. The first step in diagnosis relies on a friend, family member, or the person with addiction themselves acknowledging a need for treatment. This can often be the most difficult step and might sometimes involve a personal or group intervention if an individual with substance use disorder is not aware of the extent of the problem. So to make this process objective, criterias are set to help diagnosing substance dependance or addiction. Any 3 of the 6 criterias set out, if present over the last one year, helps confirm the diagnosis. We will begin by looking at 2 of these initially. a. A strong desire or sense of compulsio

  Effects on children - Witnessing the trauma of a parent suffering from addiction at a young age has long-term effects on the child. Children who grow up seeing a parent addicted to drugs or alcohol are more likely to develop SUDs in their adulthood. They are also 3 times more likely to be neglected or physically and/or sexually abused. Seeing a parent on drugs often invokes distressing emotions which not only create delays in learning and development but can also lead to prolonged mental and emotional disorders. Since children are still developing their personalities and are vulnerable to external influences, they run the risk of repeating such behaviors. Children may be exposed to aggression or violent behavior due to a parent’s drinking. Arguments between parents may be normal, causing the child emotional distress as they witness family members fighting. Early exposure to a home divided by drug use can cause a child to feel emotionally and physically neglected and unsafe. As a res

  Postpartum or perinatal depression is a form of depression that occurs following the birth of a baby. It’s a relatively common but serious medical condition, affecting up to 1 in 7 new mothers after birth. Postpartum depression can make you feel empty, emotionless, and sad. It can cause changes in mood, exhaustion, and a general sense of hopelessness for a long time after birth. Postpartum depression can affect people of all gender and all types of parents and their partners, be they birth, surrogate, or adoptive. There’s no singular ‘normal’ way to be a parent. Feelings of postpartum and perinatal depression are always valid and are never your fault. Postpartum depression goes well beyond the fews days of 'baby blues', lasting for weeks after giving birth. Its symptoms can be severe and interfere with your ability to function. Symptoms of postpartum depression can vary from person to person and even from day to day. While symptoms can develop anytime after childbirth, they o

  Your emotions might not necessarily only revolve around excitement when you’re pregnant. So you’re not alone if you’re feeling strong moods and emotions. During pregnancy, a variety of hormones increase dramatically, peak during childbirth, and then crash back down to pre-pregnancy levels immediately after birth – estimated at a 1,000% change over the course of only five days. Since these hormones are linked to emotional states, someone who has just given birth typically experiences an emotional upheaval. Most people (about 80%) experience some degree of emotional upheaval after childbirth — ranging from mood swings and crying spells to a spike in anxiety and difficulty sleeping. You may feel overwhelmed at times, and at others, euphoric. Aside from emotional ups and downs caused by rising hormone levels in the first three months, the feeling of growing a new life can be exciting and awe-inspiring. It is also common for women to feel anxious, vulnerable and overwhelmed by the big cha

  Single - Parenting-tips Being a single parent can be overwhelming at times. However, don’t lose heart over any issues! You can cope with the stress with a great amount of planning and with these simple tips to help nurture and raise kids in a positive environment. Show Love To Your Children. a. Make most of the time: You can spend quality time with your little one anywhere and anytime. Chat with her on the way to her school or child care. Talk to her during the dinnertime rather than encouraging her to watch television. Play sing-a-along on a ride, narrate funny short stories at bedtime, play word games, and you can do more. b. Pique the interest: Talk to your child about her favorite things, from books to sport to music. Try to awaken the interest by playing her favorite computer game or sport along with her. c. Positive attention: Smile with her, laugh with her and hug her as much as you can. Let her know that you are happy to see her in the morning and when she is back home from

  Indian parenting of 2010s The gap between the parents and the children shows up again, but with a twist this time. The gap isn’t from the parent’s side, it is from the side of the children. Although the parents have adapted themselves pretty well to the new technology, nevertheless, the kids have the advantage of being born into it. Now parents are the ones who are trying to find out what’s going on in the lives of their children. However, since their minds can’t take in huge amount of information, they find it impossible to catch up. The parents Just like the 90s and 2000s had the best of children, the 2010s have the best of parents. Now the parents no longer depend upon their traditional wisdom for parenting advice. They absorb whatever information they can get regarding the matter on both social media and the Internet. Thanks to the positive influence of inspirational movies, the parents are often above gender stereotypes. Far from hindering their child’s artistic abilities, they

The 90s - With liberalization kicking in with Rao and Singh partnership, life turned around quite dramatically in the 90s. Parents had more options for better jobs and more time for the family as well. TV serials, especially Ramayana and later Mahabharata helped the family be together. Mobile phones and social media were thankfully absent, allowing for proper conversations and relationships to develop. Life was a playground and you could have fun no matter whether you were staying inside the house or going outdoors. Moreover, for the first time, children could opt for a variety of western games like basketball, football, badminton, volleyball etc. Nevertheless, cricket was the staple diet. Children had loads of time to play and had adorable ways to fight with friends. Katti Batti, standing in lines during assemblies, getting scolded for mischiefs in the assembly were common. Playing pranks with fake insects, especially on teachers still elicit bouts of laughters. Fairs during festival

  In the 80s, many Indians pulled themselves out of the uncertainty of the earlier times and were living stable lives. In fact, the rise of middle class is evident in the significant developments in the intellectual sphere. The 80s marked the beginning of the rise of nuclear families in India. The average family had a father, mother, two or three children, and lots of love. Both the children and the parents were kind of heaving a sigh of relief. They no longer had to bear the pressure of joint families, but they were somehow missing them too. The parents were moral, but didn’t usually go out of the way to teach their kids a lesson. Last but not the least, within limits of decency, they allowed their kids to choose the clothes they wanted to wear and the food they wanted to eat. Father had a job that was usually good enough to take care of the household. Some of the mothers were working too, but they did so only in less time-consuming jobs like those of teachers. All in all, the parents

Know someone dealing with Asthma, then you may have also picked up that stress in their life often brings about worsening of their breathing complaints. One may wonder why? Asthma is one the disorders intricately linked with the psyche. Historically, it was one of the classic psychosomatic diseases; where the mind (psyche) affects the body (soma) to cause physical symptoms.  Asthma is a chronic illness, usually requiring long term management. The need for prolonged medical support and apparent dependency causes depression, fatigue, anxiety in many. It also triggers panic attacks, in turn causing breathlessness of its own and often makes it difficult to completely differentiate these two conditions. Also, there is evidence that anxiety and depression gave a negative effect on Asthma by itself. It can cause increased frequency and severity of attacks, prolonged hospitalisation and delayed recovery. Anxiety, Panic attacks & Asthma: Those who have experienced a severe asthm