Month: November 2018

More often than not, the subtle signs of a bigger internal crisis may be perceived as normal. Thus ignored and forgotten while the storm within brews. The non verbal, not so apparent cues may hint to deeper rooted issues.

Seemingly unreasonable attitudes may be mistaken for social inadequacy, rudeness or lack of manners. What we may fail to recognise could be an underlying struggle within mind and it’s works.

Mental Health Issues are not a far fetched phenomenon affecting few and far between.They are not limited to the rare, discriminated minority. Mental health is not about being ‘mad’ and being labelled like so. They are us, within us and among us. As we stand isolated individually; starkly bare and unconsciously vulnerable to these so brazenly stigmatised conditions of brain.

The Twenty First Century human brain, stands prone to trauma and breakage. Inadequate safety networks,vulnerable mindsets, fragmented relationships, unrealistic socioeconomic competitiveness and a perpetual strive with negligible passivity in the daily grind renders this scrambled lifestyle a perfect breeding point for less than ideal attitudes and behaviors.

As a psychiatrist I see countless cases where the Inadequate network of close relationships is a major perpetuating factor to multiple affective disorders. The expected knee jerk reaction to any mental or physical health issue is pharmacological intervention, conveniently ignoring the crucial importance of basics like effective social networks. There are countless pills and potions but as per evidence and experience the efficacy of any intervention is increased significantly if additive of positive social and interpersonal circumstance.

Its my personal belief that secondary prevention can start at places closer to home. It might not be very tedious a task, to spare moments from our screens and cast an eye on those near us, offer a patient ear, extend a helping hand, to help, and to be there ( in whatever capacity one can)when things take a tow for nears and dears ( or even complete strangers)

Not on all occasions would you meet with encouragement, people going through rough patches would seldom engage in niceities, they wouldn’t be weighing social appropation of their relative interactions. Expect to be ridiculed, misunderstood and often misjudged. There’d be projection, displacement and transference. These are some of the challenge we face every day as health care professionals, however for the bigger good of the community, I believe we as a force, as professionals and as members of the general public need to extend this attitude beyond just the confines of work. There would be instances when you’d make someone’s day a little better, a little bearable.Help someone see that silver lining ( however short lived) and a brighter prespective of seemingly dim and dark situation.

It’s the little things that matter, it’s the little things that turn big. A hand to take a tiny step towards a slightly better next day. You never know what difference a minute effort on ones part can make to another life 🙌

Somewhere between catching school vans to checking train schedules for work, somewhere in quest of saving time and rushing through tides, from reaching bench marks to meeting deadlines, in desire of saving time I’ve actually lost most of it.

Now I sit back and think of all those petty issues I spent time mulling over, all those school exams that had me panicked, the challenges the pressure the constant strive to do more.

Now still, the faff remains. So does the hustle and humdrum. The only thing lost is peace and that probably was the entirity of it all !

Lest you let it pass unnoticed, there is a perpetual noise that you find yourself engulfed in.Noise of all sorts, shapes and forms. Opinions, ideas – broadcasted,propelled and propagated. Individual and collective. I am not talking about a two way conversation that is both inviting and therapeutic.Pacified, collaborated and appropriately reciprocated. I am referring to a cluster of dialogue and dialects followed by chaotic rebuttles hurled out in air by utter strangers in name of being social. The small talk, or bigger talks just because sitting silent is not great manners.

I struggle to engage with utter strangers, I struggle to start conversations with people I don’t know, more so continue the conversation. Is it an utter necessity?! Is it important to win friends left right and centre. Is it crucial to being socially appropriate ?

For an age the thought dwelled in my mind, to a point where I felt almost handicapped. I had this urge to literally force my self to make desperate efforts in order to initiate shallow almost meaningless conversations.

May be a tad bit tardy, came the realisation, of power of Quiet, rather hidden within the awkward uncomfortable apparant inadequacy all along !