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How to Concentrate Better?

We are living in a fast-paced world where everyone seems to be multitasking. It is a race against time out there. No wonder clients often come to us with complaints of poor concentration. This article gives an overview of the science and art of concentrating better.

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Life with dementia can be very challenging, both for the patient and the caregivers. Let us understand why.

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Borderline Personality Disorder: The most colourful of all personalities is the one known in medical parlance as Borderline Personality. Is it a boon or a bane? Let us find out. These people walk the thin line between normalcy and psychosis. They can be quite happy one moment, and screaming with anger or crying their heart out the next. It is the unpredictability of their temper that makes them so interesting, and difficult to deal with. If you ask them, these individuals do not know how to deal with these overwhelming emotions. It is the source of their greatest suffering, as also their creativity. Art comes naturally to them. They feel intensely and connect to others immediately. But after a time, maintaining interpersonal relations poses a great challenge.

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Internet addiction is one of the commonest complaints put forward by parents of teenage kids. Another common complaint is disinterest in socializing in the real world. Youth today are like isolated islands, glued to their i- pad, i-pod and all kinds of intelligent gadgets, lost in the  virtual world.

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How to Overcome Depression

Depression is as commonplace in today’s world as is obesity. Whether we accept it or not, these disorders are the price we pay for ‘progress of civilization’. We live in a fast paced hi-tech world, surrounded by every possible material comfort. Why then, are we unhappy?

This is because we hardly have the time to stop and enjoy ourselves. We are so caught up in the rat race that we cannot socialize beyond Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. When we are having a bad day, we can hardly expect family and friends to drop their work and come rushing to comfort us. Everyone has work commitments. So do we. Whoever heard of taking a day off from work to nurse heartache? A headache or flu would make a better excuse. Sadly, despite all the talk about the importance of mental health, we are still embarrassed to talk about our depression in public. So we keep the feelings bottled up within and brave another day at work. Before long, we are in the middle of a major depressive episode. But do we realize that?

Depression is a great masquerader. It may present as insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, headache, malaise, generalized bodyache, palpitations, inability to concentrate or remember things. Unless we are careful about what is going on in our head, it is usually quite a while before we realize that these are actually signs of depression. And even when we do, we are clueless about how to deal with it.

There is a rule of thumb regarding when you should rush to your psychiatrist immediately. If you are having suicidal thoughts or have lost your sleep and appetite for a few days in a row, do not wait any further. Usually when you realize that the usual orderliness of your life, be it in terms of personal, professional or social functioning, has been seriously disrupted, you must seek professional help. Many people resort to meditation videos and online pep talks, while others think it is wise to party hard to wash away the blues. But these are not effective measures in clinical depression. A balanced mix of psychotherapy (read, counselling) and pharmacotherapy (read, medications) will yield better and faster results. And yes, there are a few standard misconceptions about treatment. Treatment for depression does not necessarily continue an entire lifetime. And the antidepressants do not make one drowsy and stupid. If at all you experience any side-effects, speak to your psychiatrist before abruptly discontinuing treatment.

There are couple of other things that you should not do. Do not take alcohol or other recreational drugs while on treatment. Do not shy away from taking a break from work if you need it. Do not binge on social media or Netflix just because you find trouble falling asleep. And more importantly, do not try to hide your problems from the world. Being depressed is as legit as going down with flu, so there is nothing to be embarrassed about.

Just accept that you are presently unwell, follow your psychiatrist’s advice meticulously, give yourself time to heal and you will bounce back shortly!

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Dealing with Insomnia

Insomnia is fast catching up as one of the commonest complaints among people of age all groups. Psychiatrists are treating clients with various sleeping disorders on a daily basis. This article covers the basics of good sleep hygiene to help you sleep better.

Time is of Essence

Remember that the body has an internal clock. And it needs to be trained to function properly. It is important to go to bed and wake up at fixed times. If the sleeping schedule is erratic, the internal clock begins to dysfunction and the person in question has trouble falling asleep.

Place is Important

The bedroom should ideally be completely dark, silent with comfortable temperatures. The bed should not be used for any other activities. It should be clean and comfortable. Stuffing the bed with too many pillows and soft toys is not healthy.

Go Gadget-Free

All electronics gadgets should be switched off at least an hour before going to bed. Going to bed with your smartphone and net surfing while you try to doze off is a strict no-no. The artificial light and the constant feed of information on your screen does not let you fall asleep. It hampers with both the onset and quality of sleep. Watching the news before turning in is not a good practice, nor is the practice of watching thrillers or TV series that show a lot of violence.

Avoid Caffeine

If you routinely have trouble sleeping, skip tea/coffee post afternoon. Caffeinated drinks are stimulants and hinder with the process of falling asleep.

Avoid Alcohol/Recreational Drugs

Most people rely on alcohol or other recreational agents to help them relax and fall asleep. This is a dangerous habit. There is a tendency to increase the amount of this agent with time to achieve the same effects. This is because the body develops tolerance to the agent. Also, the quality of sleep that is induced is poor, so you wake up feeling lethargic and irritable.

Self-Medicating with Sleeping Pills

This is another dangerous practice. Not only do people become dependent on pills over time, they also inadvertently subject their body to the medicine’s adverse effects. Long term use of sleeping pills can wreak havoc on the brain and body. Therefore it is mandatory that they are not taken casually over long times beyond the prescribed period.

Taking Daytime Naps

This is a no-brainer. Many people complain they get very little sleep at night. Often this is because they have already taken long afternoon siestas. We really do not need to sleep twice a day. If you feel fatigued, rest for a while in the afternoon, but avoid napping.

Relax Before Bedtime

Before turning in for the day, it is important to switch off the mind. Stop working at least an hour before bedtime. During this hour, do anything that you find relaxing, like listening to soothing music, doing breathing exercises or taking a leisurely walk. Once your mind and body are relaxed, you are ready to turn in for the day.

Religiously following the above techniques should help with a lot of sleep problems. If your sleep related woes still persist, make sure to see your nearest psychiatrist and follow his/her advice properly. Here’s wishing you a sound sleep and sweet dreams.

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How to Deal with School Refusal in Children

Parents often are at their wits end since they cannot get their kids to attend school. By the time they show up at a psychiatrist’s clinic, they have usually exhausted all possible means they could think of to get the child to school. Most of the time, particularly with very young kids and teenagers, parents cannot figure out the reason for such refusal and the child is determined not to speak.

This article is a short overview of the common reasons for school refusal in children and the best course of action guardians can take.

Criticism and comparisons

Kids are more sensitive to criticism than we think, especially when done in presence of their peers. Drawing comparisons with their peers at academics or sports does not boost their performance, rather it increases their aversion to the activity. While it is essential to point out their mistakes, how we put our words is crucial. In practice, we come across many kids who refuse to attend school because their performance is not up to the mark, inviting constant criticism from parents and teachers. In these cases, it is important to get to the root of the problem. The child might be suffering from learning disorders, attention deficit, autism or intellectual disability, and no amount of criticism will help them perform any better.

Bullying

This is a no-brainer. Kids who are shy by nature are bullied regularly by other kids at school. While most schools have disciplinary measures in place to deal with such incidents, the problem is not reported to the authorities in most cases. The child in question withdraws into a shell, and is ashamed of giving away the details of their ‘cowardice’ when questioned by elders. Their self confidence is shattered. It often takes multiple therapy sessions to help the child get over the trauma,

Abuse

In today’s world, child abuse is a reality that we do not want to wake up to. It is surprising how often it happens and how under-reported the cases are. The child is too scared or embarrassed to share their horrifying experiences with guardians. Often, the child has been abused multiple times before they begin to understand what is going on. These children often come across as gloomy, withdrawn and moody. Elders are at a loss as they refuse to give satisfactory explanations for this change in behavior. What is more distressing is guardians, after discovering the truth, are in a dilemma. While reporting the case is necessary, it would also invariably attach a stigma to the abused child, especially if she is a girl. Kids who have been abused are most often permanently scarred. It leaves a lasting impact on their personality. The importance of rigorous psychotherapy in their cases cannot be overstressed. It is very wrong to assume that the child will forget the incident as he/she grows up. That never happens.

The above list is by no means comprehensive. Childhood depression, epilepsy, temperament problems and a variety of other things may contribute to school refusal in kids. Whatever may be the cause, it is important to be patient, gentle and seek help from a psychiatrist whenever needed.

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Common Mental Health Disorders Seen in Young Adults

With time mental health issues are becoming one of the major health concerns for all of us. From teens to young adults, we are witnessing types of unusual happenings among them. For example behavioral change, abnormal sleeping patterns, expressions of restlessness, unnatural anger, including other signs. Parents as well the near ones of the individual should take prompt measures if any uneasiness/changes in kids are evident in their gestures. This article will take you through the straight truth of common mental health disorders, that are frequently experienced by our young adults.

Common Mental Health Disorders Seen in Young Adults

Depression: one of the most challenging mental health disorders among young adults. Depression leads to a persistent depressed mood, influences sleeping patterns, eliminates energy, affects contraction, and more. People with this mood disorder find trouble in coping with daily activities, which undoubtedly reduces their productivity. At the same time, their relationships confront challenges.

Types of other health conditions that get worse with depression are-

·       Asthma

·       Cardiovascular disease

·       Arthritis

·       Diabetes

·       Obesity

Prominent symptoms of depression

·       Constant sadness that never goes down over time

·       Irritability, anger, restlessness

·       Feeling hopeless, empty

·       Decreased sexual desire

·       Tiredness, loss of interest

·       Insomnia, hypersomnia

·       Self-harming thoughts, substance dependency

·       Headache, body pain, digestive issues

Anxiety: experiencing anxiety initially is normal, as we all have certain levels of such feeling in our life. But when one sees her/his feeling of restlessness is not declining with time, then the person requires professional support. Acute anxiety refers to a state of facing intense fear, worry sourced from day-to-day life.

People use to experience anxiety disorders like-

·       Social anxiety

·       Generalized anxiety

·       Separation phobia

Prominent symptoms of Anxiety include-

·       Feeling of danger, fear, nervousness, restlessness

·       Increased heart rate

·       Weakness

·       Trembling

·       Trouble controlling worry, mental triggers

·       Sweating

·       Breathing abnormality (rapid breathing)

 Bipolar Disorder: Also termed Manic depression, in which a person undergoes episodes like hypomania and depression.  It causes severe mood swings sometimes emotions go extreme, in the next moment it decreases. Bipolar disorder can be treated with medications including psychotherapy.

 Prominent symptoms of Bipolar disorder-

·       Severe sadness, hopelessness

·       Lack of energy, changes in sleeping patterns

·       Suicidal thoughts,

·       Experiencing hypomanic depression

 Schizophrenia: this mental disorder affects the ways an individual thinks, perceives, senses, behaves. Schizophrenia is an acute mental illness, it’s a chronic situation that may require life-long medical support.

 Prominent Symptoms of Schizophrenia-

·       Delusions

·       Out of order speech

·       Hallucination

·       Sleeping difficulty

·       Dearth of motivation

·       Lack of interaction with family and friends

·       Not maintaining minimal hygiene, ignoring eye contact

Seek medical advice for supporting health complications, the sooner the better. Get in touch with Dr. Debasmita Dey, the best psychiatric doctor in Kolkata.

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Is Your Child Stuck On The Phone?

Internet is arguably the biggest boon and bane of our times. The easy availability of internet facilities on the phone, with fast data streaming and an array of apps to keep one hooked for hours, life has become phone-centric. Although the problem is fast catching up among all age groups, it is arguably causing most damage to young minds. Frustrated parents are repeatedly seeking out the best therapist for phone addiction.

With the Covid enforced lockdown and the advent of online classes, children have daily access to smartphones. Given that the younger generation is much more tech-savvy than their parents, they are often using the phone to chat on social media or play games on class time. There is precious little that parents can do about it. It is impossible to sit with the child during the entire school session. Attempts to discipline the child by punishment often results in unhealthy altercations, particularly in case of adolescents. There are instances when the child has harmed himself/herself if the phone access was denied. An interesting observation among parents is that with increasing time spent on the phone, the child’s attention span is decreasing proportionally.

Now that we are beginning to understand the extent and gravity of the problem, the question is if there is a solution. The approach is problem focused and goal-oriented. Behavioral management is the mainstay of therapy here. The child is made to follow a pattern of behavior where the desired behaviors are reinforced by appropriate rewards and undesirable behaviors are diminished by means of punishment/withdrawal of rewards. For example, if the child completes a school assignment properly, he/she is allowed half an hour of game time. Failing to complete the assignment on time would mean cancellation of the game time. To be effective, this reward-punishment routine has to be followed regularly and by all adults in the family. If the child is indulged by one family member while the other is trying to control his/her behavior, the outcome is rarely satisfactory.

Apart from this, the doctor examines the child for presence of underlying problems like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, Mood Disorders or other impulse control disorders. If these are present, they need to be addressed separately, often with the help of pharmacotherapy or medications in addition to behavioral therapy.

Another important thing to note for parents is that as technology advances, children are becoming more tech-savvy. Parents often complain that children are too smart for them and bypass parental locks easily. It is advisable in such cases to read up and learn about the technological advances. If the child can learn about the nitty-gritties of a smartphone, it is impossible that the parent cannot. Within limits, technological advances can and should be used to effectively monitor the child’s activities and mental development. Ultimately, we cannot overlook the fact that in this century, we are all living in the virtual world more than the real one. We might as well get acquainted with it and use it to our advantage.

The bottom-line is, internet addiction is a real problem among children of all age groups and parents should intervene and deal with this as early as possible. The therapy for internet overuse is best left to experts like psychiatrists and psychologists, but requires active participation from all adult members of the family.

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Best Counselling Treatment in Kolkata

If you are wondering about counselling sessions, look no further. Be it depression, marital discord, alcoholism or teenage problems, there is very little that proper counselling cannot fix. It can be used as a standalone treatment option or in addition to medicines. That decision is made by the treating psychiatrist.

If you are looking for the best counselling treatment in Kolkata, you have hit the jackpot! This article is a quick guide to all that you need to know before you get an appointment with a counsellor.

First up, who can do counselling? The answer is a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. These are the only people with the necessary training to counsel you scientifically. If you are looking for an alternative, we are not sure about the consequences.

The next obvious question is who needs counselling? The answer is most of us do. You do not need to be raving mad or morbidly depressed to seek out a psychiatrist. The best counselling treatment in Kolkata is often the one that starts early. That is to say, if there are issues in your marriage that are not getting resolved, do not wait till you are contemplating divorce or murder! Go get marital counselling immediately. The key to good counselling is the client’s willingness, motivation and determination. If you want the best counselling treatment in Kolkata, focus on getting the best out of every session. Which brings me to the next point.

What is counselling? If you are expecting your psychiatrist to conjure up miracles in the first session and fix all your worries, you are bound to be disappointed. Counselling sessions are often multiple, properly spaced, planned interventions with intermediate home assignments. That is, the client is expected to   turn up for sessions on time, listen carefully, share all their intimate details (maintaining confidentiality is the therapist’s duty) and dutifully complete all home assignments. The best counselling treatment in Kolkata, or any place for that matter, depends heavily on the client’s active participation.

So, what are the common issues that can be handled with counselling? Anger, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, low confidence, poor social skills, inattention, marital problems and a lot more. What’s more, you can learn how to lead a more fulfilling and happier life. What I am trying to say is you need not be nuts to turn up for counselling sessions. You can pretty much seek professional help for anything that’s worrying you.

Another point to consider is compatibility. Resist the urge to type the best counselling treatment in Kolkata into the search engine and go with the first hit. Read up on the counsellor. You should look up credentials, age, gender, location etc. before making an appointment. Plenty of time, women are not comfortable sharing intimate details with a male psychiatrist. It is personal choice and we respect that. Younger people are more comfortable going to therapy with a younger doctor than an octogenarian. So, pick and choose, keeping in mind your comfort and the doctor’s availability. If you gave to bend over backwards to accommodate counselling session in your schedule, chances are you will miss sessions.

Hope you found the article helpful. Go get yourself the best counselling treatment in Kolkata. All the best!