Mental Well-Being

7 signs to know that you have ADHD

Attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder or ADHD as it is commonly referred to is a complex disorder that has caused quite a stir in the medical world especially when it is present among adults.

When someone says ADHD, the first thing you would think of is a child who is unable to focus on his or her homework as this disorder is believed to be widely prevalent among children. However, adult ADHD is a real thing and it is believed that some children carry these symptoms into adulthood!

Do you think you just can’t “focus”? Are you missing out on little things or does attending to details make you tired?

Here are a few signs to know if you have ADHD.

Inability to Focus
This is not just about being distracted at work or being distracted when given a task. Do you find yourself drifting off to your own world when someone is talking to you? Do you think you easily lose train of thoughts or conversations? This is a sure sign that you might be suffering from ADHD!

Ability to focus on certain tasks
While ADHD is often about being scattered and not concentrating, people with ADHD can also focus with great details on tasks they enjoy doing. If you find yourself doing with excellent precision the tasks you love doing, it might be because your brain is choosing to selectively focus!

Being Forgetful
From forgetting where you left the car keys to missing out on deadlines because they just slipped off your head, forgetfulness that is a notch higher than every day forgetfulness for people is a sign of ADHD.

Anxiety
With ADHD, anxiety is another complication that arises. If you find yourself fidgety and anxious about tasks that need to be done or you get apprehensive a lot, it might be because of ADHD.

Issues in relationships
With ADHD, people find it very hard to sustain emotional relationships. It can be because of distractions, getting bored, anxiety or the inability to focus but if you have constant trouble holding on to relationships or find yourself in relationship issues every very often, ADHD might be the culprit.

Multi-tasking
While multi-tasking is considered an invaluable trait in the modern world, if you are constantly shifting between one task to another because you are bored or just cannot focus on one task at a given time, it is because of scattered attention. At a given point of time, a person with ADHD might be working on 10 things just because he or she will get bored working on one!

Impulsive Behavior
With ADHD, there is a tendency to act impulsively without paying much heed to the consequences. If you find yourself acting out of impulse every once in a while despite your actions being inconsiderate or socially inappropriate, this is a definite warning sign of adult ADHD.

How to deal with mid-life crisis?

Many of us do hit a stage of life where we realize that time may have caught up with us in which we may suffer a crisis of confidence that impacts our lives and careers. Getting through a midlife crisis is a challenge, but it is something which can be dealt with.

Here are four strategies for coping with this difficult stage of life:

1. Nurture yourself

With midlife challenges, a fast pace lifestyle can be stressful. Taking time off for yourself can make a world of difference and allow you to put events and challenges into perspective. Turn off the cell phone, television or your computer and pursue fun or out of the ordinary activities, such as visiting a park, getting a massage or going for a bike ride.

2. Exercise

Physical activity is the best way to relieve stress and elevate your mood. Even a 20-30 minute brisk walk around the neighborhood will help. Fitness activities are necessary to maintain mental and physical health. You can also include your friends or family members in your fitness activities for additional support.

3. Create New Goals

Taking steps towards positive changes can bring new energy to your life and career. Make a list of everything to accomplish in the next year, in the next five years, and in the next twenty years. Talk to your loved ones about your new personal goals, and how they can be achieved.

4. Talk to someone

Don’t bottle your feelings up. Talk to someone you trust, it can be your friends, family or a therapist. Alternatively, keeping a journal can help you make a sense of your thoughts and feelings and understand the stresses in your life or career.

References:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/midlife-crisis.htm

http://www.moneycrashers.com/what-is-midlife-crisis-signs-symptoms/

Importance of Medication in Curing Mental Illness

Did you know 1 in 5 people experience mental illness in some form? And this is not the scary part. What is scary is the fact that this illness is more common than other deadly diseases yet the most neglected because of the stigma attached. With the advancement in science and research, these disorders can be treated and corrected by medications.

In simpler terms, getting help for mental illness should be equivalent to getting treated for other physical illnesses such as headaches, TB or eyesight problems. Researchers have proved that mental illness is a result of chemical imbalance in a person’s brain and it can be addressed with the help of medication and just like with any other medication, this treatment will also take time to show its effects.

So if you or a person you know is suffering, we request to you break the stigma and get the right treatment. The first step towards treatment is getting diagnosed. Only through diagnosis can a doctor prescribe the option that suits you best.

Below are the medication categories from which doctors generally prescribe:

1. Anti-psychotic – Used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, this drug helps reduce or eliminates the tendency to hallucinate and helps maintain a balance in mood. It also promotes focus on reality, sleeping habits and effective communications.

2. Antidepressants – Used to treat insomnia, depression and anxiety, this drug is helpful in suppressing the chemicals in the brain that upset one’s mood and emotions while promoting sleep and concentration.

3. A mood stabilizer – As the name suggests this drug helps one maintain a balance in their mood and helps to cope with life’s ups and downs with ease. This drug is more commonly combined with antidepressants to treat severe forms of depression.

4. Stimulants – Are prescribed to treat people diagnosed with ADHD – a disorder that causes hyperactivity and reduced attention span in an individual. This drug stimulates the brain and paves way for it work more effectively.

While these medications help treat the actual illness, the patient undergoing the treatment might experience a few side effects. It is highly recommended that the patient or the care taker is watchful and in touch with their doctors periodically to face undesirable situations.

Reference:

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/medication#types

Anger & Hypertension

You live in India where – the roads are bad, the traffic is worse, the power cuts in summer are frequent and of course the gundas and the politicians are a class by themselves. Just reading that sentence must have you nodding and possibly a little angry right? Imagine how you react when you are faced with all of the above and many other scenarios and people – irritation and maybe even full-fledged anger!

Reports indicate that low to moderate levels of anger are ok but explosive anger can definitely lead to long time problems. Remember the ‘Fight or Flight’ stress hormone from your childhood textbooks? Well uncontrolled anger triggers the ‘Fight’ hormone causing your heart to beat faster and your arteries to constrict, leading in the long run to – Hypertension as a condition.

If all this sounds like you, than we suggest that this World Hypertension Day, you take some time off and go check on your blood pressure numbers. We have 5 quick tips to help you stave off the anger:

1. Take a break: Take a deep breath, count till 10 or step away from the problem.

2. Think first, react later: Give yourself time to think things over and if getting angry about the situation is really worth it.

3. Exercise regularly: All categories of physical activity – moderate to extreme – can offer a channel for your emotions, particularly when you’re about to explode.

4. Talk through the problem: Express your frustration in a non-confrontational manner with the person or persons involved.

5. Look for solutions: Analyze the situation and see how you can prevent it from happening again or what the solution to the problem is.

All said and done, always remember that you are not in it alone. There are many like you out there and there are professionals who can help you deal with the anger and its management so that you do not end up with a dangerous condition such as hypertension.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/rein-in-rage-anger-heart-disease#2

http://www.resperate.com/11-steps-to-outsmarting-anger-better-blood-pressure-management

http://www.hindustantimes.com/fitness/world-hypertension-day-keep-your-blood-pressure-under-check-we-tell-you-how/story-0PxWMBX5JJFMWa4Lk2OP7I.html

4 WAYS IN WHICH THE WEATHER CAN AFFECT YOUR MOOD

Happiness and sunshine are almost synonymous to most of us. Think of a moody day – an image of dark clouds that refuse to pour flashes before our eyes. Not just this, why is it that we feel like getting started on work when the weather is warm and all we want to do is sit by the window with a cup of coffee on a rainy day?

Does the weather affect our moods? Most definitely!

Here are 4 ways in which the weather can affect your mood.

Lack of sunlight

“Get outdoors more often!” Have you heard someone say this when you tell them you have been feeling low? Getting outdoors is important because the lack of sunlight can affect your mood and appetite. It is not without reason that we say some people are like the sunshine – sunshine is well, an actual mood lifter!

Physical lethargy during cold

By reducing your sensory feedback, dexterity and muscle strength – cold weather actually makes you feel lazy. If you find yourself continuously feeling lazy in winter, make sure you stretch for at least a couple of minutes every morning.

Rain and hunger

A cup of coffee, something fried or at least junk food – why do we crave for such foods when it rains? While you might think it has something to do with you, it has a lot more to do with the weather. With a dip in your serotonin levels because of lack of sunlight during rains – your carbohydrate craving naturally increase and you feel hungrier.

Pleasant weather and creativity

What has the weather and creativity got to do with each other? A brisk walk in pleasant weather when it is sunny or breezy can improve not just your mood but also your productivity and ability to think. It is also said to be a good memory booster!

References:

https://www.bustle.com/articles/113278-6-scientific-ways-weather-affects-your-mood-so-you-can-adapt-your-mind-and-body-through

4 tips to forming a habit

Forming a habit can be a big struggle, right from getting started, sticking to the habit, staying motivated and dealing with disruptions. And yet, to change our habits is as big as changing our lives. If we bring in no change, there will no new ways to do things which might get monotonous and which in the long run won’t do any good. If you want to get fit, beat procrastination, keep a journal, start yoga, and live mindfully … you have to push yourself! To make it easier, you have to be committed and really want to make the change. Otherwise you’ll just quit when things get difficult.

Here are few tips to forming and maintain habits:

1. Begin with just one –
You might want to change 5 things about yourself but to begin with, pick 1 and work towards it. Changing or getting used to new habit might not be easy but when you’re working towards it one at a time, you know you have to give it your all!

2. Remove choice –
Do not let yourself skip days. Make a decision ahead of time to work on it every day at a particular time. And just start. Make it akin to your daily routine – like brushing, showering or having lunch and use that as the starting point. Put a reminder on your phone. Take the decision to do it every day, and then just do it without thinking.
3. Have accountability –
Have a person that you can report to or a group of friends who will push or motivate you. It doesn’t matter how you set it up, but having someone to report to means you are that much more likely to push yourself past the resistance when it comes up.

4. Make it fun and stay committed –
Find different ways to make it fun because when the fun element pops in – there will be lesser reasons for you to quit. The habit is much more likely to stick if you focus on the parts you enjoy, rather than mindlessly trying to check it off your to-do list. And in this way your commitment stays.

Reference:

http://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/seven-steps-to-developing-a-new-habit/

https://zenhabits.net/habit-keys/

http://www.chopra.com/articles/5-steps-for-creating-healthy-habits-0

HOW YOUR MIND AFFECTS YOUR BODY

What happens when you are angry – does your body feel tense?

When you are nervous – do you feel nauseous?

When you are in shock – does your blood pressure increase?

Yes, it might be a revelation that your mind and physical body have closer ties than you think and are not two completely independent systems. Just as how the rest of our organs work together to create a seamless harmony of functions, the mind and the body are connected as well.

Negative emotions like stress, shock, grief, and sadness can manifest physically in the following ways:

High Blood Pressure
Ulcers
Weight gain/loss
Insomnia
Chest pain
Palpitations

Why does this happen? When you are stressed, your brain and body is alerted to react in a way to warn you that something isn’t right. While a lot of these sensations are legitimate, sometimes your mind can even play tricks on you, causing you to feel ill – this is known as a psychosomatic disorder. And no matter what the case, it goes to show that your emotional health is as important as your physical health!

While not all health problems can be solved by just improving your state of mind, there is no doubt that medical treatments can be well-complemented by solid emotional health.

How can you improve your emotional health?

Get to the root of the problem to try and understand why you are so emotionally affected.
Express your feelings regularly and in healthy ways. Make sure to always let it out – whether it’s through a hobby, or listening to music, or talking to a loved one.
Calm your mind. Regular meditation, yoga and breathing exercises having tremendous benefits for your mind.
Take care of your routine: Eat regularly, sleep well, drink lots of water; while these are recommended for your physical health, they do wonders for your mental well being too!

Follow these, and what do you know – you might end up light-headed….with happiness!

The Art of Overcoming Procrastination

Do you know what feels better than getting work done right away? The feeling of knowing that you can afford to push it off for another day!

There is something about pushing things off for the last minute that makes us feel very comfortable at a given point in time. Some people even take pride that they do better under this “last minute pressure!”

Why do we put off things? Does it make it easier? Does it create more time?

The answer is a BIG NO – the only thing that comes out of procrastinating is more stress and chaos when you have to get something done. Not just the burden of finishing the task but the added pressure of meeting deadlines only tend to stress you out more.

Here is how you can get better, stay more organized, meet deadlines and most importantly, not procrastinate!

1. Organize your work

While it is recommended that you sit down every day and put down a list of things to do – if this seems too tedious, just roughly plan ahead for the week.

Having your tasks written down on paper makes you feel like you have to finish it and the feeling of “checking off” a task can actually motivate you.

2. Be Realistic

Why does procrastinating happen? Sometimes because you believed you had time for something but you actually don’t!

Stop setting lofty goals on a daily basis because that way you are either going to push off work or get burnt out.

3. Learn to Say No

Why do most people who put off tasks say they are too busy to complete their own work?

Probably because they are saying “yes” to a lot of other tasks that people are constantly asking them to do.

Defining your priorities and saying “No” when you have to will go a long way in ensuring you are not pushing off important things to do.

4. If it can be done in five minutes…. DO IT NOW!

If there is a task that can be done right away or if it will take you only five minutes to do – making a phone call, replying to an e-mail or doing a quick review, do it right away!

Pushing this for later only means that you are brushing work under the carpet and it would probably never get done and what started as a small task would become a major to-do on your list!

5. Give yourself rewards

It is very difficult to keep up the motivation to not push off things – so when you do well, make sure you reward yourself by watching that one episode of a show you want to or by taking a small break.

Fair warning here – don’t get lost in the moment and forget the other tasks that are waiting for you!

6. Imperfect is okay

One of the major reasons people procrastinate is because they want their work or tasks to be perfect before delivery – sometimes imperfection is okay! While it is important to pay attention to detail and complete tasks with accuracy, make sure you do not compromise on deadlines and push off things just because you are waiting to do them perfectly.

Eating disorders – How are you perceived in society?

When you think of an eating disorder, not only do you conjure up images of someone starving themselves, but also the other end of the spectrum – namely, binge eating. And yet, even as the best of us understand that there is a psychological challenge underlying the outward manifestation of an eating disorder, we are also constant purveyors of a stigma that is attached to it. People who have eating disorders, whichever kind it may be, feel judged constantly by their friends and families. There is a tendency to feel judged by others for being vain, or shallow – to want to pursue an appearance that they deem fit, or to seek comfort in food. But the truth is very different. By and large, people with eating disorders are reluctant to seek help because of the judgment they face.

To be an empathetic supporter of those who have eating disorders, here are a few things to bear in mind.

Social pressure – A person with an eating disorder is not doing this for vanity or attention when they resort to anorexia or bulimia. On the contrary, they struggle with self-esteem issues and social pressure to conform to what is considered an ideal body type.

Body image – There is a common misunderstanding that body image issues affect only women – when the truth is that body image issues are as much a challenge that men and young boys grapple with – and the eating disorder is often coupled with relying on unrealistic techniques to build or sculpt a body to a certain standard.

Binge eating – Binge eating and obesity that stems from that is not a result of just an uncontrollable urge or love for food, but rather, a result of a variety of issues that include loneliness or isolation, devaluation of one’s worth, or even stress.

Psychological problem – In dealing with eating disorders, one of the key elements to bear in mind is that eating is only just a part of the larger picture. The person with an eating disorder is clearly going through a psychological problem and that needs to be addressed before the manifestation is treated.

Reference:

https://www.recoveryranch.com/articles/eating-disorders/public-perception-of-eating-disorders/

http://www.mirror-mirror.org/society.htm

How Does Social Media Contribute To Depression

In today’s world, social media has become a huge part of our lives. With the promise of connecting friends, bringing people closer and constantly giving a space to interact with people, what could possibly go wrong with social media?

The fact is, it just might be making all of us lonelier than we think.

There are significant emotional risks when someone is using social media – the risk becomes significantly higher if it is a teenager or an adolescent in question!

Using social media moderately is a great way to ensure that you benefit out of the positive things without falling prey to the negativity but here are a few ways in which social media can contribute to depression.

1. Online Bullying

Online bullying and cyber-stalking is a serious concern especially if the person being bullied is a minor – since social media is a platform where we share so much private information including our photos and personal details there is a lot of scope for falling prey to this. The inability to handle cyber stalking in the right manner by reporting it and taking further action can really cause someone to sink into depression.

2. Constantly questioning ones self-worth

Facebook gives us an invitation into the lives of people we know very well, friends or even acquaintances – the problem is it gives us an invitation only to the best part of their lives. Everybody is constantly posting about their success, happy relationships, travel and perfect lives while it instills in us a sense of uselessness without realising that nobody is posting about their troubles online!

3. Increases Anxiety

People who use various social media platforms and constantly keep switching between these applications tend to develop attention deficiency and the inability to focus on a job at hand – this tends to evoke mood related disorders and also increase anxiety which can ultimately lead to depression.

4. Prevents you from making actual connections

Being constantly active on social media gives you a false sense of being close to a lot of people – when was the last time you met someone over a cup of coffee? Social media keeps us in this illusion that we have people in our lives even if they are just in the virtual world. This can sometimes make us compromise on actual human connections which would actually make us really lonely.

5. Constant need to be clued in

When you develop a huge network of friends online, you feel the constant need to be clued in to what is happening in each of these platforms – this leaves very little time and attention for the rest of very real world things including focusing on work or relationships! When this becomes a habit it definitely tends to become depression.

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