Depression

Resuming Life Your Way: Lessons from Naresh Naik

Stress can be overwhelming, especially when it feels like we’re not getting what we always dreamt of. Whether it’s work, school, family, or relationships, the pressures of everyday life can add up quickly. It’s no wonder that sometimes we find ourselves asking, “how do I restart my life?”

But the truth is, life doesn’t stop there. One inspiring example is Naresh Naik, who, at the age of 58, resumed his life his way. Naresh had spent decades working in the corporate world, but he felt unfulfilled and yearned for something more.

So, he decided to embark on a journey of self-discovery and reinvention. He quit his job and traveled the world, exploring different cultures, meeting new people, and learning new skills. He even climbed Mount Everest, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Naresh’s story teaches us that it’s never too late to start over and pursue our passions. We don’t have to be stuck in a job or a lifestyle that doesn’t bring us joy. Instead, we can take a step back, breathe, and re-evaluate what truly matters to us.

Of course, restarting our lives can be easier said than done. We may face financial or personal obstacles, and it can be difficult to know where to start. But the key is to take small steps towards our goals, and to not give up even when things get tough.

In conclusion, Naresh Naik’s story serves as an inspiration for all of us. We can learn from his example and find the courage to pursue our own passions, even if it means starting over. So, let’s take a deep breath, and begin our own journey towards a more fulfilling life.

Podcast episode below:

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“ The Indian Journal of Psychiatry states that 30% of Doctors suffer from depression at some point in their lives “

Yes, the very doctors we seek to cure our physical and mental problems are the ones that are at risk of Depression.

If you find this fact staggering, you should take a look at the fact below.

The Same Indian Journal of Psychiatry also states that 17% of Doctors and Medical Professionals have thought about ending their lives at some point in time.

It may sound shocking, but it is true. This is caused by the immense stress these medical professionals go through every single day. The High Doctor: Patient ratios in India, paves the way for a highly stressful work environment for medical professionals in our country.
Why will India need more doctors in the future?

While the current number of doctors is too low to look after patients, a lot of us have thought that the coming years will be great for the medical community. But tragically, the future does not look good either. The World Health Organization ( WHO ) states that India has 7 doctors for 10,000 people.

Do the math right and you will find that there isn’t even a single doctor for a 1000 people in the country. The Average count of doctor: people ratio is a shocking 1: 1428.

The research also states another interesting yet disturbing fact. Even with the good number of medical colleges and students opting to become medical professionals, India will take a lot more years to achieve the 1: 1000 of Doctor: Patient ratio.

The calculated facts state that India needs at least until 2030 to achieve this ratio. But by then the estimated level of the Indian population would rise from 1.239 billion to 1.476 billion. The simple solution is that we need more doctors and better resources we need to give them improved working conditions.

Why are Doctors at Risk of Depression?

Depression is a mental condition that negatively alters the way of life, causing a feeling of sadness. It can spring up due to a number of reasons, but a highly stressful life is one of the major reasons people fall into depression.

Doctors lead a stressful life and when they fail to implement proper stress management techniques, they sometimes end up finding depression at their doorsteps.

Reason for doctor falling into depression

Untimely work shifts
Irregular sleep patterns
Lack of support and empathy from superiors
Loneliness in the workplace
Failing to strike a balance between personal and professional life
The sudden death of a patient

And a number of other small reasons that add up over time.

Why do Doctors refrain from sharing their problems with the Community?

Doctors are health advocates and when they claim that they are affected, they simply lose their credibility. Even worse is that Depression can put doctors at risk of losing their rights to professional practice.

Yes, doctors defer from telling their peers and colleagues that they suffer from depression. This is because of licensing boards that prevent depressed and mentally unstable doctors from carrying on with their practice.

The Medical Boards in India always make sure that the patients are safe in the hands of their doctors. Suffering from a mental illness or depression makes a doctor unfit for medical practice.

The type of doctors that are at risk of getting depressed

trauma surgeons
Emergency care doctors
vascular surgeons
general surgeons
The specializations of a medical professional put them in a state where they have no people to relate to. There is also a pressure to make Life-Saving decisions in their practice adding to the stressors of life. When these professionals fail to allocate their time to take care of their mental health, falling into a cycle of depression seems inevitable.
Are Junior Doctors safe from these pitfalls?

If you consider junior doctors and early medical professionals to be safe from depression, you need to think again. Junior Doctors are at more risk of suffering from depression due to another set of reasons.

Errors with prescription
Humane Errors while taking care of patients
Losing patience with patients/caregivers
Inability to communicate with patients.
Lack of empathy and understanding from seniors.
Let’s Take a Look at the case study from a Tertiary care Hospital in North India

This Live study was implemented to serve as proof for the claims of increasing psychological disorders and burnout among medical professionals.

An online survey was forwarded to the 1721 doctors and hospital staff. A total of 445 professionals responded to the online survey and the results were quite shocking

Here are the test results of this online survey.

30.1% of Professionals were reported to have depression or experienced it in the past
16.7% of professionals had suicidal thoughts in the past
And a whopping 90% of them were evidently burnout

This proves that Doctors are going through extreme sets of depression and other mental health problems. We need to act quickly and fiercely to put in measures that will save the people who save us.

Jai Hind
Vivek

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We all commonly perceive health as just a lack of illness. It has a much broader definition, which has changed manifolds over the course of history.
The World Health Organization states that  “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”. Human Health is distinguished into 5 different aspects.

5 aspects of Human health

  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Emotional
  • Social
  • Spiritual

Even though they seem independent, all aspects of human health are interlinked and a slight change in their normalcy affects each other.
We’ll just cover the important aspects of Physical, Mental, and Social health in a short description below.

Physical health:

Physical health is considered to be the most crucial one out of all aspects of health. If your body functions are at peak performance with no signs of illness, then you are considered to be physically healthy.

Mental Health:

However, we forget to take the super important mental health into account. You are considered to be mentally healthy if you can experience all the basic human emotions like happiness, Sadness, Anger, despair, etc
If you are able to regain your natural rhythm after experiencing these emotions, you are considered to be mentally healthy.
For example, a person with depression is considered to be mentally unhealthy because he loses his ability to experience other forms of emotional happiness for a long time.

Social Health :

Human beings are socially wired and require frequent interaction with their species to be healthy and sane. We have the urge to feel connected with our fellow human beings at every moment of our lives. A study conducted by Harvard revealed that having a good set of relationships leads to inner happiness and a fulfilled life.

Why should we take care of our mental health?

Mental health is closely connected with all other aspects of human health. Failing to take care of it disturbs your physical, social and spiritual wellbeing. Not taking the time to acknowledge your mental health has a major impact on the way you think and behave.

The quality of your relationship and overall productivity can take a hit if you do not focus on your mental health.

Research has found that mental disorders can produce chronic physical illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. Moreover, mental illness is declared as the “10th leading cause of death”. This states the importance of the fact that mental health needs to be given equal or maybe more importance over physical health.

If you have some concern related to relationship, work from home stress, depression, study, concentration, or anything that needs attention, you can listen to my podcasts on God Is Not Fair? podcast channel available on all the leading podcast platforms.

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Prevent Suicidal Thoughts

As we reach mid-way of 2019, one shocking study we came across is the suicide rates among young people.

Suicide rates have reached its highest peak since the start of the 20th century. In the last twenty years most of the studies have focused female suicide rates, but the latest study confirms the worst fears that has been lurking around for a long time.

In 2018 alone, there was a 21 percent rise in suicide rates among male teens, from 2017. This study, conducted by the Harvard Medical School, conducted the study with the premise that even thought the female suicide rates have been increasing, the rise in the suicide rates among males is quite unprecedented.

Various studies have been conducted in the 15-19 age group for long. The collection of data among this age group has been extremely difficult simply due to the fact that the warning signs of depression ie. moodiness and withdrawal is often associated with hormonal changes that the teens go through. Also it is not possible to look out for pin-pointed symptoms, while looking out for depression. While for one person it may be manifestation of anger, in another it can be headaches while another can be excessive crying.


How can one prevent thoughts of suicide?

We gave it a long thought, discussed, read and here are our best suggestions.

1. It’s okay not to be okay

Yes. It’s okay not to be okay. “Happily ever after” might be the goal for everyone in life, but the simple fact is that you cannot ever cherish happiness or for that matter anything in life, without getting to know the opposite of it. When you are sad, or feel that you are in depression, take a moment to breathe out and understand that this is just a phase. Just like every phase, it moves on and all you have to do is last until it does.


2. Look out for others

Help others in need, for nothing will give you a bigger purpose that that. When you look out for others, you can yourself throw the negative thoughts of suicide out of your mind.

There are innumerable number of examples of people who have attempted suicide and failed at it, who comes out of the shell and understand the true value of life. A huge percentage of these people have dedicated their lives to helping people who are going through the same pain. Almost all of them acknowledge about how lucky they are to be present here in flesh and also that they find salvation in helping other people going through suicidal thoughts.


3. Seek Help

Periods, Sex and Suicide. These are the taboos in society that are never talked about. Please do not put yourself in this baseless ideology and make sure to seek help.

The professionals out there can break across the clutter of your thoughts/ symptoms and give you clear cut directions on how to improve your life. Their advice and help can be considered invaluable.


4. You are needed.

The feeling of being unwanted, the most common symptom of both suicidal thoughts and depression, is also one of the biggest lies that your mind plays on you. While your mind makes up these thoughts to protect you from perceived danger, its your responsibility to quieten it down and make it understand that you are truly needed <3


PS- If you are ever in need or seeking help, please do not hesitate to call me on +91-9819888048.

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Postpartum Depression is one of the most widely reported cases of depression in India. It is the depression that occurs after childbirth.

Although 10 million cases are reported in India every year, most of the women and sometimes even men going through this phase do not seek help.Unlike the baby blues, postpartum depression rarely disappears on its own. The condition can occur days or even months following the birth of your child and last for many weeks or months without treatment.

Let us first talk about the most important point first –


Postpartum Depression happens due to hormonal changes. It does not make you a bad person and for that reason do not be hard on yourself. The biological and bodily changes are the reason that you are facing this.
Postpartum Depression is curable. Please consult a doctor to get a detailed plan but below we are offering you a couple of points to keep in mind to cope with postpartum depression.

1.Eat and Sleep right


Consuming a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in oily fish such as herring and salmon, during pregnancy may lower the risk of postpartum depression. It is also a good alternative for treating postpartum depression

2.Also Nap

While many moms will be rolling the eyes here, it is really important you squeeze in as much sleep as possible.

3.Bond With Your Child


Emotional bonding is highly important between newborn babies and their
parents. The bonding eases out the child and it goes beyond just the initial days. Successful bonding allows the child to feel safe enough to develop fully, and having this bond will affect the way in which they communicate and form relationships throughout their life.

A secure bond forms when you tune in and respond to your child’s needs or emotional cues, such as picking them up, soothing them, and reassuring them when they cry. Being a dependable source of comfort shows your child to learn how to manage their own feelings and behaviors, which, in turn, helps to strengthen their cognitive development.

4. Start exercising


Multiple studies have shown that exercise can successfully combat postpartum depression. It helps ease out the symptoms as well as help you achieve a better psychological state.Walking is a good starting point, with the added bonus of being able to push your stroller at the same time. Aim to be active for around 20–30 minutes per day. Even exercising for 10 minutes can benefit your body.

5. Breast-Feeding


A study on breast-feeding concluded that it may reduce the risk of PPD. This protection can help you until the fourth month after delivery.

There have been some cases where women develop depression symptoms
while breastfeeding. Known as Dysmorphic Milk Ejection Reflex or D-MER, you might experience sudden feelings of sadness, agitation, or anger that last several minutes after your milk lets down.

Conclusion


A proper diet, constant consultation 6 months into the birth of the child, sleep and breastfeeding should keep PPD away.

If you are still feeling the effects of it, please do consult the help of a professional.

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