that-lazy-beauty

[that-lazy-beauty]

A Letter to My Future Self

I wrote this one back in August last year, found it today.

Dear future me,

I don’t know what the cool things are in your time, but right now, in 2021, we are very excited about recent developments in science & technology and fancy about our lives in 2050. Smartphones are a big deal here, but I am sure in 2050 you will laugh at the idea of using physical devices to make calls or stream videos. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new buzz word these days and I read how it will change everything in our lives. Apparently, a computer will tell us our liking and disliking (that’s kinda depressing) but I guess it may have big impacts on healthcare and we may be able to detect diseases before they become untreatable.

I think in 2050 the doctor’s office would have completely changed. I imagine you walking into a clinic and talking to a robotic software program that appears on your living room screen. I have to admit that I hate hospital visits and I’d hate it if they can just walk into my living room. You will scan your thumbprint and it will display a complete record of your genes. Soon you’ll be updated about new mutations in your DNA (and you will blame it on ageing). Based on these new mutations in your genome the ‘doctor’ may recommend a course of medical treatments that takes into account all your genetic risk factors. 

To diagnose a more serious problem, the “doctor” will ask you to pass a simple probe over your body (akin to what you saw in the Star Trek TV series). I think this will be like a DNA chip that has millions of tiny sensors that can detect the presence of the tell-tale DNA of many diseases. I really hope this probe will be able to pre-determine emergence of diseases (including cancer), years before a tumor forms.

I hope you remember that in 1950 we were unaware of DNA’s potential in healthcare. In 2021, we haven’t completely understood the role of epigenetics in diseases, we don’t know the exact number of cells in the human body. At present we are trying to generate a ‘cell atlas’ to identify each type of cell in the human body and how it changes with ageing or disease.

I hope you remember that all these experiments made your 2050 better. I hope, when you open this letter 29 years from now, you will still be passionate about science.

I hope you never stopped learning. I hope your contributions made the world a better place.

Sincerely,

Slayen

August 2021

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The Picture- A Short Story

It was a cold winter evening. Rahul was in a hurry. He came running out of his house. He was feeling very excited. All of a sudden he saw an old man sitting on the footpath in front of his house. 

“Can I help you?” he asked. 

“I don’t think anyone can help me right now.” the old man responded.

Rahul noticed the man might be feeling cold, so he went back inside his house and brought a jacket for him. The man nodded towards him in thanks.

“So what’s wrong?” Rahul questioned. He was curious to know why the man was sitting there on a cold evening, even though he could miss his flight to Vienna if he waited another minute.

The old man told him that he was on his way back home after the funeral of his wife.

“I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“We used to visit this street all the time when we were young. In fact, the house you just exited was our first apartment.”

That brought a smile to both of their faces. Suddenly, Rahul realized something, “If that’s the case I think I might have something of yours,” he said, and ran inside his house a second time and brought a photo frame, a rather old one, more than two decades old, and handed it to the man.

The old man’s face glowed at the sight of the frame. The picture was 27 years old, it was clicked on the day the man moved into the apartment with his wife. He started crying while smiling.

“ I feel pain right now. I miss her.” the old man said.

“ That’s the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.”

[that-lazy-beauty]

“There are times when explanations, no matter how reasonable, just don’t seem to help.”

I’m not a psychology student, but I hope to put forward my thoughts here in a straightforward way and I would love to be corrected wherever I’m wrong. These are all my opinions, and I don’t mean to offend anyone. 

I think depression is real. It’s very, very real. 

But I understand why certain people think it’s fake. It’s usually not their fault, it’s just that they have just encountered people who fake depression because they think it’s cool. Trust me here though, it’s not cool. It’s not cool to fake depression, because ultimately it will take a toll on you, it will affect you, and in turn prevent other actually depressed people from receiving help, because people will think they’re faking it too.

You will, in a way, be responsible for suicides, because those people couldn’t get help since you faked your depression.

Faking depression, I’m given to understand, is called malingering. People might do it because they desire to gain a specific reward (such as an insurance settlement) or to avoid something unpleasant (such as a jail sentence).

It’s not the easiest task in the world to differentiate between people who are really depressed and people who are faking it. However, there are some indications, like exaggerating any existing symptoms, making up medical or psychological histories, or tampering with medical results. 

I personally think the first way might not be very helpful because depression can cause anything from disinterest in activities to physical pain because the brain is under a lot of pressure. This is one of the reasons it’s easy to fake depression.

However, if you are really depressed, here are some things you might want to try:

1. Find small ways to be of service to others.

2. Find realistic goals that will give you a sense of accomplishment.

3. Schedule pleasant activities or events.

4. Stay in the present. Don’t worry about your future, and don’t regret your past.

5. Exercise, and eat right.

6. Focus on people who lift you up.

7. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule.

There is always therapy and counselling, which many people think is only for people who are ‘mentally sick’ or ‘crazy’. But trust me, sometimes talking to someone is the only help you need.

I personally find it very reassuring to dump my sadness on random strangers, but I would advise you to make sure that you are talking to the right type of people. Don’t get too attached.

That’s all for now, catch up later!

[that-lazy-beauty]

My Introduction

I am Slayen. I’ll be posting literally anything.