Fortis Health Connect Blogs Mon, 13 Jan 2020 18:19:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Know All About Stroke Mon, 13 Jan 2020 18:19:28 +0000 read more ]]>


A stroke is a medical emergency. Prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can minimize brain damage and potential complications. There may be no warning signs of a stroke until it occurs. It is why high blood pressure, one of the risk factors for stroke, is called the silent killer.



  • Trouble with walking
  • Trouble with speaking and understanding
  • Paralysis or numbness of the face, arm or leg
  • Trouble with seeing in one or both eyes
  • Headache
The symptoms of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke may be the same but patients with hemorrhagic stroke may also complain more of headache and vomiting.

When to see a doctor

Think “FAST” and do the following:

  1. Face. Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
  2. Arms. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
  3. Speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is his or her speech slurred or strange?
  4. Time. If you observe any of these signs, rush to the nearby hospital.
Don’t wait to see if symptoms go away. Every minute counts


The longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the potential for brain damage and disability. To maximize the effectiveness of evaluation and treatment, you’ll need to be treated at a hospital within three hours after your first symptoms appeared. Clot buster treatment can only be given if patient reaches a neurologists within 3-4 hours.

Risk factors


Lifestyle risk factors

  • Being overweight or obese
  • Physical inactivity
  • Heavy or binge drinking
  • Use of illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines

Potentially treatable risk factors

  • Cigarette smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
  • High cholesterol — total cholesterol level above 200 milligrams per deciliter (5.2 millimoles per liter).
  • Diabetes.

Other risk factors

  • Being age 55 or older.



  • Paralysis or loss of muscle movement.
  • Difficulty talking or swallowing.
  • Memory loss or thinking difficulties.
  • Emotional problems.
  • Pain.
  • Changes in behavior and self-care ability.
Time is of the essence since the longer a stroke remains unrecognized and untreated, the longer brain cells are deprived of oxygen-rich blood and the greater number of brain cells that die. If you have any of these symptoms, you must get to a hospital quickly to begin treatment. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot or by stopping the bleeding. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Drug therapy with blood thinners is the most common treatment for stroke.

Can strokes be prevented?

Again, the best treatment for stroke is prevention and minimizing risk factors for not only stroke but for heart attack and peripheral vascular disease (PAD). These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. Stopping smoking and keeping the other three under lifelong control greatly minimizes the risk of ischemic stroke.

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UNDERSTANDING STROKE: A DISABILING DISEASE Tue, 07 Jan 2020 10:01:49 +0000 read more ]]>

Stroke is a common brain disorder affecting millions of people universally each year. People at high risk of Stroke include Diabetics, people with hyper-lipedema (high levels of fat in the blood, such as cholesterol and triglycerides) and Hypertension. Stroke can cause a variety of deficits in a person, depending upon the area of brain damaged by stroke.

Stroke can be of three types depending upon the cause and severity of impact on brain.

  1. Ischemic stroke – due to blockage of blood vessels of brain by clots.
  2. Hemorrhagic stroke – due to rupture of blood vessels supplying blood to brain.
  3. Transient Ischemic attack – due to short term hindrance of blood flow of brain, which is reversible but increases the risk of future stroke.

Ischemic stroke, which occurs due to blockage of blood vessels in the brain is the most common type of stroke and can be managed if patient is brought in time to the hospital. Depending upon the area of brain involved due to stroke, patients can have difficulty in speaking (Aphasia), weakness of one half of body (Hemiparesis/Hemiplegia), numbness of half body (hemi-anesthesia), imbalance while walking (Ataxia), or vision problems (Hemianopia). Mostly stroke affects an individual abruptly and leads to gruesome disabilities, even death can also occur.

Stroke brings misery to the sufferer and his/her family as it affects the physical & mental health adversely. It can also be financially very straining, depending upon the patient’s condition. It is important to understand this illness to tackle it effectively and prevention and early recognition of stroke is a key to it. Below are some important facts about stroke-

  1. People at risk-
    People with following diseases are at a higher risk of Stroke-
    • Diabetes
    • Hypertension
    • Dyslipidemia ( abnormal amount of lipids (e.g. triglycerides, cholesterol and/or fat phospholipids) in the blood)
    • Heart diseases- Like rhythm and valvular disorders
    • Obesity
    • Sedentary life style
    • Addiction- Alcohol, smoking and other drugs of abuse
    • Stress
    • Some genetic factors: Basis genetics, few people are at a higher risk owing to diet & lifestyle
    How to ascertain, if it is a stroke or not?

    Many times, symptoms of stroke are detected late due to being in evolution. Therefore, it is important to recognize the stroke by remembering the pneumonic “FAST”.
    F – Stands for Facial deviation
    A – Arm weakness,
    S – Stands for speech abnormality
    T – Stands for Time, crucial for treatment of stroke
    By memorizing this, anyone can remember initial problems associated with stroke and can rush to stroke treatment Centre within the window period i.e. less than 4.5 hours during which stroke buster drugs can be given to the patient.

  2. What to do next:

    Once confirmed, immediately rush the patient to a stroke treatment Centre with thrombolysis (clot buster drug) and Thrombectomy (clot retrieval system) facility. Confirm whether stroke is Ischemic or Hemorrhagic type. An urgent CT brain is recommended.

    For Ischemic stroke, it is said that “Time is Brain” and it is crucial for the patient to be brought within 4.5 hours to avail clot buster injections known as thrombolytic agents. It can achieve dissolution of brain clots in most patients. If the clot is not dissolved with clot busters, removal of clot can be achieved with mechanical Thrombectomy, a procedure where clots are retrieved by a guide wire in brain vessels. Mostly patient undergoing treatment show effective results within 24 hours of treatment.

    For Hemorrhagic stroke, control of blood pressure is most important.

  3. What needs to be avoided?

    Please avoid quack treatment i.e. treatment by unqualified or incompetent people such as a Baba who give multivitamin injections or non-conventional drugs. It would only amount to loss of time. Some patients & their relatives go in a denial mode, in terms of accepting and think that the symptoms will subside with time.

  4. Stroke aftercare

    Most of us would have seen patients who suffered from stroke and they either partially recovered or got grossly disabled. They have to fight with disabilities in daily life. Therefore proper rehabilitation needs to be started as early as possible. Those patients who have not received proper treatment or did not reach on time develop disabilities despite getting treatment. Rehabilitation in these patients does not mean just physiotherapy of limbs, but it also involves social, occupational and mental rehabilitation. Self-dependence should be the goal of rehabilitation. It should include – Active limb physiotherapy, speech therapy, gait training, counseling for mental health, occupational skill training, relatives’ awareness campaign and regular stroke Centre visits.

    Besides this, proper clot dissolving, blood pressure, diabetes and anti-spasticity medicines need to be taken into account.

  5. How to prevent stroke?
    • Healthy diet & Lifestyle – Avoid fatty and spicy foods. Decrease use of dense fats like Ghee, Dalda and add fiber and fruits to your diet. Follow it up with regular walk and exercise, sound and adequate sleep; avoid stress in professional/personal life.
    • Control Diabetes, Hypertension & Heart Ailments – Maintain timeliness of diet and medication with ensure periodic consultation with Stroke and Heart Specialist.
    • Avoid addictions – Alcohol, tobacco chewing or smoking, and other recreational drugs need to be avoided.

At last, stroke can be prevented if proper measures are taken before the onset of this fatal disease and if somehow it occurs, with advance and timely management by stroke specialist distressing disabilities can be prevented. Therefore, live a life full of joy and independence, not disability bestowed by stroke.

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TACKLING WINTER BLUES Thu, 26 Dec 2019 08:33:28 +0000 read more ]]>

Changes in the environment around us are known to have an impact on our moods. Be it simply the weather on a particular day, where rains could be a welcome change for some, others might be dreading the rain, feeling dull and low in the process. Experiencing such changes during transitioning seasons is also a common phenomenon.

For some people, the onset of winters is often associated with individuals feeling ‘the blues’, where the person feels low and down in the dumps, and doesn’t feel like stepping outside, especially during the cold wintry times. A person experiencing the winter blues could be having low moods, lethargy and fatigue, and a tendency to avoid going out of the house.

Points which you could keep in mind which could help an individual in tackling winter blues could be as follows:

  • Make a conscious effort to be bright and cheerful. Typically, the winter blues are associated with dullness, darkness and gloom. Therefore, when winter is approaching, it could be helpful if you redo the room, put bright lights and cheerful colour around the house. You could make a garden, ensuring there are colourful and bright blossoms throughout winter, to add to your cheer.
  • Regular exercise. Despite of the lethargy, it is important to incorporate regular physical activity as a part of the routine, even in winters. Ensuring regular physical exercise on a daily basis, preferably stepping out of the house for a change in environment is also helpful.
  • Increase outdoor involvement. Especially when the winter season is responsible for you feeling dull, it is all the more important to force yourself to step out of the house, and be involved in outdoor engagements as much as possible, and frequently, even if for short durations during the day, especially to maximize exposure to sunlight as much as possible.
  • Wake up early in the mornings. Winter is known to induce a sense of laziness in us, with most of us struggling to be able to get out of the comforts of our warm beds in the morning. However, in order to deal with these winter blues, it is essential to get ourselves out of bed early in the morning itself. This is to ensure we avoid falling into the pattern of lazing all day, which is likely in turn to only add to our feeling blue throughout the day.
  • Be socially active. Do not avoid going out of the house. Even if it means forcing yourself, make a conscious effort to be involved in social engagements. And try and plan for such engagements in advance, so it reduces the chances of you dropping out at the last moment.
  • Take out time for yourself. Despite of the impact the season has on us, we must not neglect our own self. We have the right to give priority to our self and our needs, so as to ensure we are able to stay healthy enough to remain capable of fulfilling our roles and responsibilities with justice.
  • Use humour. If you make an effort to find opportunities to smile and laugh often, not only would this help lighten your mood, but it will also have a positive effect on the others around you. This is the cheapest and easiest stress-buster ever!

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How to Protect your Bones as You Age Tue, 24 Dec 2019 12:38:09 +0000 read more ]]>




  • Indulging in regular exercise for minimum half n hour keeps the muscles and bones strong. Strength building, weight training exercises and dancing are one of the best ways to keep fit and healthy bones.
  • Avoid tobacco and alcohol abuse. According the medical advice, women should not consume no more than one drink per day and men should not consume no more than two drinks per day.


  • Exercising daily for 30 minutes least
  • Being cautious from falls or accidents
  • Going for regular eye check-ups
  • Regular bone density tests. Especially, after age of 50 with a fractured bone
  • Additional intake of calcium and vitamin D over the age of 50
  • Regular medication, if prescribed by doctor, for bone density
  • Periodic Dexa scan test for high risk or vulnerable patients.

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WINTERS AND HEART ATTACK Mon, 23 Dec 2019 06:45:56 +0000 read more ]]>

Winters are very harsh for the cardiac and pulmonary patients.
According to a study published in JAMA Cardiology, heart attack risk was the greatest on the when the temperature was below freezing point. There is also an increase in heart attacks by 31% in winters as compared to summers.
Other studies suggest that such risk further increases if a person has had a heart attack, has underlying heart disease or is above 65yrs. of age.
Along with the cold temperature, strong winds, snow and rain also tend to steal your body heat. Wind blows away the layer of heated air from around the body making it even more dangerous.
At -1 degree Celsius in a 50 km/hr. wind, the cooling effect is -9 degrees Celsius. In a similar way the humidity in the cold weather makes the body to lose heat faster than it would do in a dry weather.

Cold weather has following effects on our body:

  1. Vasoconstriction:
    During the winters when temperature falls, the blood vessels constrict and blood flow increases to keep the body warm. This also leads to salt and water retention in the body leading to increase in total body fluid volume and cardiac output. This also results in rise in BP during winters.
  2. Lack of activity:
    In winters due to the extreme cold weather there is lack of regular physical activity. People tend to become lazy and stay away from regular walks also. In this case the heart has to pump hard in order to keep the body warm.
    Inactivity also leads to weight gain along with the salt and water retention in this season as mentioned above.
  3. Worsening of Diabetes:
    The cold weather is a stressful condition for the body. This often leads to release of stress hormone like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones direct liver to release more glucose for energy thereby resulting in higher blood sugar levels.
    Higher blood sugar levels tend to make you feel warmer as sugar in the blood makes it hard to cool down. Cold climate can also affect the supply of your medications leading to deranged blood sugar levels.
  4. Festivals:
    Winter is the season of so many festivals. People tend to eat a lot especially unhealthy dietary habits like junk food, high-fat goodies, sweets and alcohol during the festivals resulting in deranged blood sugar levels and dyslipidemia.
  5. Pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections:
    According to the researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, blood levels of immune system compounds that help your body to fight infection are much higher in winters. This may have a little protective phenomenon against cold and flu but this may also increase the plaque load in the coronaries resulting in increased risk of heart attack in winters.
    The flu is more serious for the patients with existing heart disease.

Practical tips to help you during winters:

  1. Keep your body warm by wearing multiple layers of clothing. These layers will trap the air in-between creating insulation as air is a bad conductor of heat.
  2. Wear hat, gloves and socks. Heat loss is mostly from the peripheries (head, ears, hands & feet).
  3. Give frequent breaks from shoveling so as to reduce stress on heart.
  4. Keep yourself hydrated. Drink lots of warm liquids like homemade vegetable soups. Stay away from caffeinated and carbonated drinks as they tend to dehydrate the body.
  5. Prefer going for a walk during the day hours when the temperatures are little better or it is sunny.
  6. Avoid alcoholic beverages before or immediately after any physical exertion. Alcohol may give a false belief of warmth and underestimate the stress of cold on body.
  7. Be more vigilant about the cardiac symptoms (warning signs) like chest pain, chest heaviness or discomfort. Other symptoms may be like dizziness, epigastric burning, nausea, vomiting, pain in the upper part of body – arms, back, shoulders, jaw, neck or abdomen. There may also be shortness of breath.
  8. Bystander CPR: An effective bystander CPR immediately after a cardiac arrest can increase a victim’s chance of survival by 2-3 times.
  9. In case of such symptoms call an ambulance immediately. Then you can chew and swallow one 325 mg uncoated aspirin (or four 75 mg uncoated aspirin tablets) to help prevent clots from forming in your coronary arteries.
    In such a situation NEVER think of driving yourself to the hospital.
  10. Pneumococcal vaccine (influenza vaccine) is recommended before the onset of winters if you have a heart condition, asthma, diabetes or above 65 yrs. Of age.

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Psycho-oncology: The Liaison between Cancer and Mental Health Tue, 10 Dec 2019 05:35:16 +0000 read more ]]>

In recognition of the relationship of psychology with an individual’s overall health and well-being, the field of health psychology was born. While any medical condition could bring with itself some of level of physical as well as psychological distress and some kind of limitations in the individual’s daily functioning; however there are certain medical conditions which tend to be more chronic in nature, implying that these limitations would be increasingly having an adverse impact on not just the individual suffering from the illness but also on the significant others and caregivers caring for the patient. One such illness is cancer, and one of the sub-fields within health psychology is called psycho-oncology, which is centered around the tenet of liaison between cancer and mental health.

Palliative care and terminal illnesses are undoubtedly the most dreaded amongst chronic illnesses. And in spite of the growing advancements in the medical sciences in the recent years, even today the word ‘cancer’ is often associated with extreme distress, discomfort and anguish, for the patients, their families as well as caregivers. In itself, the sense of uncertainty becomes one of the most significant factors influencing an individual’s journey in coping with cancer, adding to the fears, worries and apprehensions in both the patients as well as their caregivers.

From the very beginning, at the time of getting a screening, with its fears and apprehensions of a positive result, to the time of having to accept a diagnosis, with questioning ‘why me?!’ Such apprehensions in themselves breed a sense of hesitation in getting oneself screened, further coupled by the stress of prognosis and treatment outcomes.

Therefore, the process from diagnosis until the treatment stages in itself is coupled with numerous challenges including psycho-social, financial, emotional, as well as physical stressors. In fact, cancer in itself could also have an adverse impact on the individual’s interpersonal relationships, self-esteem and sense of self, body image, career, and daily lifestyle, thereby impacting the overall quality of life as well.

Further, the impact of coping with cancer is not restricted to the patient but also tends to extend to the caregivers and significant others involved in the care, as it is also shared by the entire family. It seems to be completely natural for caregivers of any patient to experience distress, worry and concern regarding the patient; in addition, the caregiver tends to become responsible for providing for the other needs of the patients including physical mobility, self-care, dietary restrictions, or any other forms of dependency. What becomes important to understand is that this experience tends to take a greater toll simply when the duration extends to a longer time period in a chronic illness, or with a palliative care. The caregivers can experience something that is called a caregiver burnout!

Considering all these factors in interaction, it therefore becomes all the more important to be able to recognize the role of psychological support for patients as well as their caregivers when coping with cancer. Supportive counseling can help deal with the transitions and challenges associated with the disease, and a positive attitude can go a long way in helping the cancer patient and family to cope. This does not necessarily mean negating the fears, frustrations or distress that cancer may bring with it, but rather equipping the individual with more adaptive coping mechanisms to cope with the psychological as well as physical distress.

During the process of this journey, both for the patient as well as the caregivers, there could be a lot of challenges experienced, dealing with fears, bereavement, or with unanticipated setbacks or crises as well. In such cases, the individual must have a strong support system in place. In fact, this is where the role of professional help being available and accessible is a must. And one of the best and most effective ways of doing so is in the form of a helpline number, where a trained psycho-oncologist and a team of mental health experts could be available to listen as well as provide support to the patient as well as their caregivers. All of this can actually go a long way in maintaining a psychological well-being and an overall quality of life.

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Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s Disease Fri, 29 Nov 2019 07:04:44 +0000 read more ]]>

Most common symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are tremors, slowness of body movements, rigidity of body and postural disturbances. Since PD is a neurodegenerative disease, it means that the disease slowly progresses and patient’s condition worsens over time. There is no cure for PD so far. The treatment given to patients only reduces the symptoms and makes life a little easier. There are several medicines available for PD, each with its own problems. It is also seen that after taking medicines for several years, the response to the medicine does not give relief from symptoms for an entire day and some patients feel as if the effect of these medicines wane off in 2-3 hours, requiring frequent dosage of medicines.

In some patients, some bizarre movements appear such as restlessness or aggression in movements of limbs or trunk. These are Dyskinesia (Dys = abnormal, Kinesia = movements). Once these develop, it becomes difficult to manage them, still keeping the patients active. It is at this time that we have a saviour in the form of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) operation. It is called DBS because deep structures in brain are stimulated with the help of fine wires connected to a pulse generator, which contains a battery stimulating these areas in the brain.

This operation is done in two stages. In the first stage, the patient remains conscious and MRI of brain is done to locate the deep brain structure which is to be stimulated. It also oversees what the route of the stimulating electrodes will be and that there are no major blood vessels in the route. After that, the exact position of the deep nucleus is calculated and the electrodes are placed in it. The nucleus is stimulated slowly and the patient is assessed simultaneously.

During this period, the patient is awake and does some movements as told. Once the correct position is identified the electrode is left there and its position is fixed. This procedure is repeated on the second side as well. After this, the patient is put under anaesthesia and the wires from both sides are tunnelled under the skin and the pacemaker which generates the stimulation is connected to the wires and placed on the chest under the skin, in a way similar to the heart pacemaker.

The batteries are then programmed according to the needs of the patient. It takes several rounds of programming to calculate the right amount of current to be sent to the brain, which may take 3-6 months. There is one more issue here. There are two types of batteries, one which lasts 2-5 years after which the battery has to be replaced by and for a cost. The other type of battery is rechargeable and it can be charged periodically from outside. The life of this battery is about 10-20 years.

After optimum programming, patients generally feel very good. Their quality of life improves, slowness improves, Dyskinesia disappears and stiffness also reduces. The requirement of dose of medicines also reduces. All this to the tune of 60-70%. It must be remembered that it does not prevent progression of the disease and so regular programming is required, depending on needs of the individual. However, there are some problems which do not improve. These are falling, disorders of gait (walking), speech and memory disturbance and depression. Some patients who develop some features like suspicious nature or hallucinations due to high dosage of medicines also improve after DBS operation, which results in reduction in the dosage of the drugs.

Overall, one can say that DBS has come as a boon to the patients of Parkinson’s disease as it rescues the patients from load of high dosage of medicines, long term reduction of cost of therapy, treating almost all the main symptoms of PD. Tremors usually do not respond very dramatically, though there is still some reduction in tremors as well. In addition, dyskinesia is completely cured and several medicine dependent side-effects like psychosis and hallucinations are also treated. It must be remembered that one should not expect it to cure memory loss, depression, speech problem and falls. These symptoms are not treated by DBS.

Dr. Madhuri Behari

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Bully to Buddy – Time to Stop Bullying Wed, 20 Nov 2019 05:31:50 +0000 read more ]]>

The fact that bullying incidents are occurring, is a fact. The fact that such incidents are being increasingly noticed, along with a growing prevalence is also a fact. The fact is that bullying has become a reality, not just in schools and colleges, but in all spheres of our lives, be it in our workplace, be it in a relationship, be it at a public place, be it with family members, in a mode of public transport, or even in traffic on the roads!

However, the point to be remembered is that, in spite of such a growing prevalence of bullying incidents, along with an increasing awareness of the accompanying adverse consequences brought on by such incidents, there are still numerous incidents which are being unidentified and underreported! In fact, there are also many times when the victim of bullying himself/herself is unable to identify or label the behaviour as bullying and would be dealing with the same without even registering that the behaviour needs to be reported!

Understanding Bullying: What does it mean?
First and foremost, it is important for all of us to be able to get a complete and correct understanding of the phenomenon of bullying as well as what all it entails. Most commonly, bullying has been recognized only in terms of physical aggression, which could include behaviours of hitting, beating, kicking, pushing or physically hurting someone intentionally. However, what is vital to understand is that bullying does not have to be restricted to a physical action. It could, in fact, be manifested in a variety of behaviours, including verbal behaviour (calling names, teasing, insulting or threatening individuals, etc.), non-verbal behaviour (like making rude or offensive hand or finger gestures, unpleasant facial expressions at a person, etc.), stealing, hiding or destruction of another individual’s property or belongings, or actually coercing someone to do something against his or her own will, deliberately ignoring an individual, avoiding an individual deliberately, alienating the person, spreading false rumours, or finding means to say or do things to embarrass the other person, not letting another individual get their rightful place in a public transport or on the roads… and the list can go on! Yes, bullying therefore can be any form of physical or non-physical action which is intended to cause hurt or harm to another individual, without any further ulterior motive besides causing the individual to experience distress. The basic premise underlying the dynamics between the bully and his or her victim is the interplay of an imbalances sense of power, be it real or perceived.

Going Beyond the Perpetrator and the Victim: What is the Role of the Bystanders?
Most of the times, efforts are made in order to understand what made the victim be singled out, why did the victim not be able to stand up to the bully, etc. At most, there is also an effort made to try and reason what could be the reasons leading the actual perpetrator to be indulging in such a behaviour. Yes, in order to completely understand the phenomenon of bullying, it is important to get an understanding of the mindset and psychology of the victim as well as the bully. However, something that is often neglected, and in my opinion, happens to be the most important aspect, especially if we are to try and avert such incidents of bullying from occurring, is to understand the role of the bystanders.

Bystanders are the individuals who are witnessing such an act, maybe as a passer-by, an observer, a participant, a follower, a defender or an outsider. Such a bystander is the one who actually has multiple options, as he or she may choose to actively intervene to stop the bully, or may end up being able to encourage the bully to continue such actions, or might even choose to view the bullying passively, without doing anything about it! Therefore, the choice made by such a bystander, is what can go a long way in helping prevent or avert adverse consequences of such bullying incidents, especially in a group setting, whenever this is possible.

At the same time, it is undeniable that we need to have the actual victims also feel empowered enough to be able to deal with such incidents, if possible, and minimize the frequency of such altercations. The role of the bystanders and a strong support system shall definitely go a long way towards such a cause. It is also understandable that a victim of bullying may not always be willing or open to seek help, and this hesitation could actually be due to a multiple reason, including a fear of the consequences, a feeling of isolation or alienation, a fear of being perceived as weak or being labelled as a tattletale, etc.

In addition, there are times when the person may not even know whom to reach out to, whom to trust, and whom to talk to… they may not talk about it for a fear of humiliation, fearing being rejected by peers, and not be understood. And the worst-case scenario could be when the victim might end up believing or being made to believe that he or she could be guilty or responsible in some way for the bulling behaviour.

Therefore, it is essential for us to create awareness amongst people, especially the young children, to know that asking for help is not something to be hesitated, and in fact should also be perceived as a sign of strength.

A Preventive Approach: The Actual Need of the Hour
While we need to remember that bullying is rarely meant to be spiteful in nature, which implies that there are likely to be possible psychological and environmental factors which are making the bully indulge in such behaviours, including a lack of parental involvement, an intolerance for frustration or distress, and an exposure to violence, history of having been a victim of bullying, or difficulty in channelizing anger or emotions. Furthermore, it is also important to understand the factors underlying the target of bullying behaviour, which could include being perceived as different from peers, amongst other factors, who is chosen as an easy target.

Building the skills of assertiveness are essential, so that we all are equipped with necessary skills to learn how to stand up to and say no to the bully. At the same time, it is also important to develop a preventive approach, with awareness programs, assertiveness skills training, teaching emotional awareness and regulation skills, establishing strong support systems, helping in the identification and reporting of such incidents, creation of anti-bullying policies to be implemented, and in addition, bystanders also need to be strengthened, helping them have a sense of a shared concern and responsibility, inculcating the values of empathy, compassion, care and cooperation.

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Unmute Yourself Tue, 19 Nov 2019 06:26:29 +0000 read more ]]> The extent of stigma surrounding mental health is not a hidden fact. A consequence of such a stigma associated with mental health undoubtedly becomes a major factor hindering in the identification as well as treatment of mental illnesses, primarily because of the ‘silence’ and hesitation that is a consequence of such stigma.

It is essential to ensure widespread awareness and sensitivity about mental health concerns in order to overcome the stigma that has been associated with mental illnesses since time immemorial. At the same time, encouraging help seeking behavior is of paramount importance. In the recent times, there has been growing recognition of the significance of mental health and its related concerns. As we all possibly do recognize this importance, there’s actually a simple yet effective means at our disposal of truly bringing about a far-reaching impact. This collective effort could be to simply begin to talk, break the silence and ‘unmute yourself’!

The following are some of the points which could be helpful in making a collective effort in breaking the silence about mental health, thereby contributing towards the vision of changing the scenario of mental health within the country:
  1. Bust myths and clear the stigma related to mental health. One of the primary obstacles which typically comes in the way of identification and management of mental illnesses is the stigma attached. Therefore, an open mindedness is essential to fight the roots of such myths, along with increasing a widespread awareness and education about mental health.
  2. Start talking about it. Talking about one’s distress is undoubtedly a prerequisite to seeking help. It is important to remember not to bottle up one’s feelings inside of us. Instead, we need to be willing to talk it out, vent out our emotions, while at the same time sharing our distress with our near and dear ones. Not only is this process cathartic, but also serves as an agent of encouraging willingness to seeking help.
  3. Encourage seeking support. It is only by talking about your own concerns that it is possible to reach out for the support of others. In fact, sharing one’s problems in itself is the first step as it helps the individual realize that he or she is not alone. Therefore, reach out to your family, friends, or peers, and talk to them.
  4. Have a sensitive approach. Another major obstacle that often blocks help seeking behaviour comprises of worries about being misjudged, not being listened to or fearing betrayal. betrayed, thereby experiencing mistrust and shame. This can be further compounded by the lack of understanding and awareness amongst members of the community. Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to create a sensitized approach within the society in order to ensure greater receptivity as well as understanding of mental health related concerns.
  5. Be aware and informed. It is primarily due to lack of awareness and information that families and individuals frequently turn a blind eye to potential conditions of mental health related problems and do not seek the required help. They may not know who to go to for help, or may be misinformed about the nature of their problem. Often, they may not even be aware that they have a problem and can carry the agonizing pain of feeling responsible for their own suffering, experiencing a lot of guilt and self-blame. Therefore, we need to educate ourselves about these concerns in order to be equipped with the adequate knowledge to identify and guide others.
  6. Be open to reach out to a professional. Remember, struggling to deal with your own stresses alone is not a sign of strength. Therefore, be willing and open to reach out to the help of a professional mental health expert, who can help you identify the concerns and offer more adaptive coping strategies of overcoming the situation while also planning for a better future.
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Importance of Value Systems: An Essential Component of Childhood Tue, 19 Nov 2019 06:20:24 +0000 read more ]]> As the festival season is going on, with multiple holidays lined up, it is natural for all of us, especially children to look forward to this time of the year, and understandably so, as it gives time off. However, most of the times, the actual essence and reason behind the festival tends to get overshadowed by a reason to simply enjoy the holiday. Further, each festival, regardless of religion or community, is inevitably an opportunity for the collective unit of a family as a whole to rebuild and enjoy the relationships we have. It is not a surprise that the fast-paced competitive world of today has almost led to a reduction in the value and significance being attached to such family times, and the original value system being associated with the celebration of the particular festival. With the sized of families reducing, and the transitions in our social systems, it becomes increasingly important for us to recognize the symbolization of festival seasons as a celebration of our relationships and emotional bonds, not to reiterate the festival in itself, but to reinforce the inculcation of value systems within the children. Importance of Imbibing Value Systems in our Children:
  1. Teach them the importance of a value and support system. With human beings having a social nature inherently, being an agency for growth and experience, it would not be incorrect to say that the family serves as a primary ecological niche which provides for the socialization and survival of the next generation. Especially during the festivities, it is an opportune time for us all to remind ourselves and touch base and re-connect with our families.
  2. Help them internalize the cliché of ‘sharing is caring!’ Not just during the festive seasons, but even throughout the year, a family as an institution brings with it the implementation of a division of roles and responsibilities. Moreover, especially in collectivistic societies like India, with cultural connotations emphasize cohesion, especially with the diversity of festive dates marking our calendars, rituals and ceremonies observed as part of festivals is an opportune moment to re-build and celebrate our relationships and our families.
  3. Re-building value systems. The family system is what serves as the foundation for the internalization of an individual’s values, tenets and beliefs. And the rituals and customs associated with each festival tend to be grounded in the traditional belief systems which have been transcended through the generations above us. Ultimately, it is this family which provides the centre for transmission of values and culture through the growing generations.
  4. The true meaning of ‘family time’. The essence of spending ‘quality family time’ has almost lost its meaning in the contemporary world. In addition to the need to emphasize family time, it is also important to pay attention to our family communication patterns, which form the essence of the social institution. Why not utilize the festival season for such a purpose? The quality of communication and relationships within our family members determines the basis of our interpersonal functioning in the outside world, while further serving as the primary model of vicarious learning, not just for children but for the adults as well.
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