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High-functioning depression: Symptoms, causes, and treatments

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

What is high-functioning depression?

Sudhir (name changed ) has been managing his large company for years together and didn’t believe it could happen to him when he was told by this psychologist ,” you have been suffering from high functioning depression”. “ But how is this possible ,I have been managing all my affairs well and attending to all my routine .However the family could notice him being bored quite quickly and Sudhir has of late been getting tired often ,showing signs of irritation and impatience .

Often it is believed that a high functioning individual can never be depressed or even tired because he seems to always be active ,agile and his metabolism could be working at its best .But that may not be the case always .

High-functioning people always seem to be on the drive manning not only their work but also of others work too. High functioning depression is a term used to describe people who experience symptoms of depression  while largely maintaining their daily responsibilities and outward appearance. Such high functioning individuals often are able to maintain high flying careers, professional relationships, and social lives, making it difficult even for themselves to recognize their own depressed state of mind .It could generally be taken as tiredness and distraction and they shrug it away ,when told that they could have a depression.

Is high -functioning depression a mental illness or an emotional disorder ?

The term high-functioning depression has not been officially recognised anywhere till now neither in ICD 10 or even in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). It is thus obviously not diagnosed by your psychiatrist or a psychologist.

It’s possible for a person to meet the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) or persistent depressive disorder (PDD) while hiding many of the signs and symptoms by their being busy active and over the situation.When this is the case, they may be informally described as having high-functioning depression.

Persistent Depressive disorder is a recognised mental health condition characterized by long-term, chronic bouts of depression.

High-functioning depression and PDD share similarities, but they’re not the same. The term “high-functioning depression” describes someone who mostly keeps up appearances ,despite depressive symptoms.

If you think you or a loved one may be experiencing any form of depression and feel that because of your high functioning you are not able to decide what it is , it’s important to seek professional help. A professional psychologist or a psychiatrist can provide a proper diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment options.

Symptoms of high functioning depression

Because it’s not an official diagnosis, high-functioning depression doesn’t have distinct symptoms. Warning signs of high-functioning depression, and of depressive disorders generally, can include:

  • Persistent feelings of aloofness ,sadness  or emptiness
  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions with clarity
  • Periodic low self esteem and self-doubts
  • Persistent fatigue or regular low energy
  • Erratic or altered sleep patterns (not able to sleep or oversleeping)
  • Change in eating habits .Appetite changes (increased or decreased)
  • Irritation or restlessness
  • Loss of interest in normally previous enjoyed activities
  • Feelings of giving up ,hopelessness or pessimism
  • Physical symptoms like headaches or digestive issues
  • Thoughts of self harm ,death or suicide .

The situation can be different for different people.Depression can look different for everyone, and you don’t need to hit a bout of actual sickness or depression. Now is the good time for you to seek help.

People with high-functioning depression may try to hide their symptoms from others, often out of fear of being judged or a feeling of embarrassment.Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness. Even if coping with high-functioning depression seems possible on your own, you don’t need to manage without help. Treatment can help alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent the condition from worsening over time.A person attempting to hide symptoms of depression may aggravate the problem hence let’s not delay further but talk now .

You can reach out to us

Call 7224896739 or email

mansikpramarsh@gmail.com

http://www.mansikpramarsh.com.

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Panic Attack :How to identify one and calm down during a panic attack

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

When Rashi had her first panic attack she was appearing for school board exams .She didn’t know she was having one till her throat felt dry ,her hands started trembling and all of a sudden she felt she was going to faint .That made her cry out loud for help .She wanted to immediately get out of the examination hall.

However a timely intervention by the people around helped her recover faster as she was given the first aid support in time.

Panic attacks do not come with a warning and they become too scary to those who suffer one all of sudden and if a timely help is not available the same can turn a little damaging too .

Rashi did have some stress of her ensuing examination but she had also been suffering from fever for a few days and had not yet fully recovered . She had been feeling weak, a bit tired and sleepy . In this kind of stressful situation she had suddenly developed an anxiety   and lost control of mind .Her breathing seemed to have become very shallow,rapid and she had hyperventilated .

The feeling passed after little first aid support and within a few minutes she felt better although still dazed .No one knew that she had experienced her first panic attack that day, until it happened again when she was in a crowded shopping mall .

How to know if it is a panic attack

It can happen to anyone and can take place in any situation.We discuss hereunder the early signs and symptoms indicating about panic attack :

Usually it begins with a dizziness of the head and the person feels a little disoriented to the environment around .The other symptoms not necessary all of them together can be :

  • Mild pounding of heart in the middle of chest and feeling of fast heart beats
  • Shortness of breathing and feeling of suffocation
  • Breathless and major discomfort breathing even though the environment is not claustrophobic
  • Feeling a sense of numbness in the arms or legs or both
  • Chest pain
  • Hot flashes or cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Trembling and shaking of body parts

Anxiety attack vs. panic attack

An anxiety doesn’t come all of a sudden but it builds up over time ruminating or apprehending some of the anticipated events and it remains there even when the event may not take place .Thus anxiety is triggering of the apprehension but it stays as a constant feeling disrupting the normal functioning .

A panic attack on the other hand has more debilitating effect , comes out all of a sudden and much more intense episode of fear ,anxiety and a feeling of oncoming loss of consciousness and breathing difficulty takes over .

Anxiety and panic attacks even though have similar symptoms, but panic can make one feel like one is losing control of one’s awareness,orientation .The person feels that brain and body are not coordinating . This can happen repeatedly leaving one helpless and worrying of being vulnerable all the time .Resultantly one may stop stepping out of home alone .

Some of the ways to calm down during a panic attack

Rashi was lucky when her first panic attack lasted only a few minutes and went away after help from the people around but the second time she wasn’t because it occurred in a shopping mall and help took a little longer .

Panic attacks tend to peak within a few minutes and go away also sooner but for some occasions these attacks can last longer and the person becomes restless with fear of something happening to him or her and gets panicky .

How do we control when a panic attack seems to be occurring or seems imminent:

Perceptive and Meditative Breathing;

Deep breathing has often been recommended as the compulsory activity to do when stressed .

In anxiety and panic perceptive breathing can really do magic on your mood.Lets understand how :

  1. Close your eyes softly
  2. Keep your body and spine supple and stress free
  3. Now focus on the lower end (tail end ) of your spine and breathe from the nose very slowly .The mind must be completely involved in the breathing .
  4. Inhale slowly from the nose feeling it’s impact on the lower end of the spine .
  5. Exhale slowly from the nose taking as much time as you took inhaling
  6. Continue for five to seven minutes
  7. Soon you would realise your mind and body relaxing and the anxiety level coming to almost nil .
  8. Repeat this exercise as often as you want to .

Relax your muscles and body by kayotsarga (progressive muscle relaxation exercise )

Anxiety and panic can cause your whole body to tense up making you feel uncomfortable. You can help reduce the stiffness of muscles of the body relaxing them one muscle at a time .Focus on each muscle beginning from the toes of the feet one by one and going upwards covering all parts of body one by one .An auto suggestion like ( my toes are relaxing ,my calf muscles are relaxing cover till the top of your forehead .

Move your body:yes that’s true:

Rather than sitting or lying down in panic going out for a walk or doing brisk walk in the room itself can help you bring your stress anxiety and the impending fear to a much reduced level .

Preferably you can, go for a walk outside or do some light stretching. Take yourself out of the environment that’s causing your anxiety .It will help ease your symptoms.

If you feel a panic attack coming on in a closed environment like bus ,train or an aircraft while travelling and you can’t get up and move , try these basic breathing exercises to help ground yourself and reduce the intensity of the attack.

  • Do some deep breathes and focus on the tip of your nostrils to feel the air getting in and exhaled air coming out . Soon you will feel better with diverted focus .
  • Breathe in deeply and exhale every breathe from the fingers of your feet one by one and later through each finger and toes of your hands .You will feel an ease coming to your mind and body soon.
  • Rub the palms of your hands slowly and putting the palms on your eyes later will help .

Doing this activity with your hands can help take your mind off anxiety a calmness sets in .

Repeat positive affirmations to yourself

A positive affirmation is a phrase or a sentence you repeat to yourself over and over but if you can write it and read it aloud ,the impact is many times more and empowering .

The statement can be

“ I am a calm person I am a powerful person “

or “I am a powerful person I can handle this situation “

Or “ I am a powerful person I have the power of mind “ .

Reading and saying these affirmations out loud can help, but if you’re in a public place and don’t feel comfortable with that, just say it silently to yourself. Make sure to read or speak the words slowly in your mind.

Get help of psychologist /Counselor

In order to prevent repeated occurrences ,you must seek the help of a psychologist .You can reach out to us at

Alka Mansik Pramarsh Foundation

http://www.mansikpramarsh.com

Family Therapy India

http://www.familytherapyindia.com

Or email

mansikpramarsh@gmail.com

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Healing Dysfunctional Family Relationships

Posted in The psychology counselling services available, tagged , , , , , on May 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Families are often envisioned as the cornerstone of love, support, and growth. However, the reality is far more nuanced, with many families grappling with the complexities of dysfunction, unresolved conflicts, and intergenerational trauma. In this blog post, we will deep-dive into the profound impacts of dysfunctional family dynamics, exploring real-life examples and therapeutic insights to understand the journey towards healing and restoring familial harmony.

Healing Dysfunctional Family Relationships

The Ripple Effects of Dysfunction:

Meet Kritika and Vijay (names changed), whose experiences epitomize the enduring repercussions of dysfunctional family environments. Their stories resonate deeply with countless individuals who have experienced familial dysfunction. Kritika and Vijay, having weathered tumultuous family dynamics in their formative years, continue to grapple with the emotional scars, even a decade into their marriage. Their unresolved traumas have cast a long shadow over their parenting journey, as their children inherit the legacy of unresolved conflict and emotional turmoil.

Dr. Kritika, a pseudonym for a real individual, provides a poignant example of the intergenerational transmission of dysfunction. Raised amidst the daily tumult of her parents’ disputes, she and her siblings bore witness to a triangular drama that played out with agonizing regularity. Lines were drawn, allegiances shifted, and familial bonds strained under the weight of unresolved grievances. 

The ripple effects of dysfunctional family dynamics extend far beyond the immediate participants, permeating the lives of subsequent generations. Individuals like Sejal, Sonia, Kamolika, Anand, and Sumit, though fictional in name, embody the collective struggles of those who have endured traumatic family events. From PTSD and anxiety to deep-seated mistrust and unresolved phobias, the psychological toll of dysfunctional family dynamics reverberates through every facet of their lives. Moreover, their own children and spouses find themselves unwitting participants in a cycle of dysfunction, perpetuating the cycle unless intervention occurs.

Understanding Triangulation:

Central to our understanding of dysfunctional family dynamics is the concept of triangulation. What begins as innocuous interactions can quickly devolve into accusations, misunderstandings, and unresolved emotions, with family members unwittingly assuming roles as perpetrators, victims, or mediators. Left unchecked, these patterns of dysfunction can become entrenched, eroding familial bonds and hindering individual growth.

Yet, amidst the turmoil, there is hope. Through innovative therapeutic approaches, families can take on healing and reconciliation, managing past trauma to embrace a future defined by mutual understanding and support.

The Path to Healing:

At our organization, we offer a framework for addressing the underlying issues that contribute to familial dysfunction, empowering you to break free from the shackles of intergenerational trauma. Central to this process is the cultivation of empathy and understanding, both within the family unit and in the broader community.

By creating a safe space for open dialogue and honest communication, we begin the healing process, allowing individuals to confront their past traumas and head towards a brighter future. Through individual and group therapy sessions, families learn to navigate conflict constructively.

For individuals like Kritika and Vijay, the journey towards healing is challenging, but ultimately important. By confronting their past traumas and embracing a future defined by mutual respect and understanding, they lay the foundation for a closer bond.

Conclusion:

Through therapeutic support, families heal and reconcile, overcoming past trauma for mutual understanding. Together, we can break the cycle of dysfunction.

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Mindful Perceptive Meditation and Talk Therapy can help Schizophrenia

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 3, 2019| Leave a Comment »

pm2Ashu (name changed) could not do anything in life ever since he had been diagnosed of schizophrenia by the psychiatrist. He had been prescribed psychotic medicines by different psychiatrist doctors wherever his family had taken him to them .Yet nothing helped. His fears and phobias had worsened with time. The voices in his head continued disturbing him. His logical cognitive ability had been completely distorted and for him all the delusions had become the real images and characters.

meditation singleSimilarly Sheena (name changed) continued with the fear and phobia of persecution at the hands of a person who had long moved out of her life five years ago. Sheena had been diagnosed of delusional disorder (a psychotic disorder).Her life had become completely miserable as she would often get lost into her phobia and would not be able to conduct her normal day to day routine life.

Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder that disables and distorts the logical thinking and cognition of the individual affected by this chronic brain disorder involving “positive” and “negative” symptoms.

Positive symptoms relate to hallucinations (hearing voices or seeing visions that aren’t real), delusions (fixed false beliefs), and disorganized thinking or speech. People suffering from active positive symptoms often respond to those symptoms in ways that are obvious to others around them (e.g., agitation, disorganization).Ashu, mentioned above had suffered from imaginative voices in his head hearing that someone is out to prosecute him and that he would be sent to prison. While these thoughts were not visible to others but he often complained of hearing voices and attributed the voices to one of the persons he had been dealing with in his family business.

Negative symptoms relate to substantial decline in the affected person’s social interactions, communication, and motivation to conduct day to day affairs. Sheena had displayed negative systems when she had been referred to us for, a “split personality.” behavior, but Schizophrenia has nothing to do with split personality. She had been suffering from delusional disorder, a kind of schizophrenic psychotic disorder.

Ashu and Sheena both exhibited resistance to antipsychotic medications and their family members were definitely at a stage when nothing could help them. Ashu did sometimes show partial improvements only to go back to from where it had all started. We noticed that Sheena’s problem continued to be more chronic and affected all aspects of her life. She did not respond to any psychotic medications being administered by the psychiatrist.

But both Sheena and Ashu found it difficult to establish and maintain relationships within the family and externally. They were unable to carry on their day to day work on account of mood swings and delusions that would take a toll of their logical thinking. Both had virtually cut themselves off socially. Their disordered thought process prevented them to understand that they were not normal in their thinking faculty like other people in their lives. Their family too found it quite an uphill and expensive task   to follow the treatment handed out to them by the doctor every fortnight on account of heavy cost and also due to the patient’s refusal to take the medication.

We decided to make good use of Mindful Perceptive Meditation Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy together to treat both Ashu and Sheena regularly on every alternate day basis in order to maintain regularity and without giving them a chance to revert to their pre conditioned schizophrenic way of thinking and cognition. Initially we found it difficult to communicate with the subjects as they would either not come for counseling or if they had come, they would not pay attention to what was being discussed. Gradually they started to respond to our instructions. We had begun the treatment with “Shwas Preksha ‘(Mindful Perceptive breathing exercise on the psychic centers) conducted under the watchful eye of the expert instructor. Soon we started noticing a significant improvement in both of our clients.

Thereafter we had begun with them the activities of “Mindful Perceptive Meditation” which involves both body and mind into deep meditation on the psychic centers, being fully aware of the moment and the breathe present in every living moment in its total intensity”. This continued along with the regular exercises of Kayotsarga to provide the much needed peaceful perception of the body through mind. Kayotsarga is a process of meditation that dissociates the physical body from the mind and it puts the muscles of the body to   complete rest progressively, somewhat similar to progressive muscle relaxation technique.

Peaceful-Mind-Remedies-South-Croydon-426x426Soon a very significant improvement could be noticed in certain negative symptoms, (e.g., negativity about self and family, sense of doom, lack of interest in surroundings and /lack of drive) started yielding to positive thoughts on all these issues .The clients did respond well as we noticed Ashu and Sheena both had begun looking at the positive aspects of their life. Their sense of appreciation for some aspects of their lives could be felt in their daily interaction with us. We could see their interest reviving in their day to day life too exhibiting positive symptoms.

These results had further been strengthened by the process of Mahaprana  Dhwani {greater inner sound effects  produced by the help of mouth and nose while exhaling  the breath by the patients }reformed  on all psychic centers during the process of deep perceptive breathing exercises and exhalation  undertaken by the patients.

Mindful Perceptive Meditation and CBT has been very effectively used by us in a variety of psychiatric/psychological disorders .We had used Mindful Perceptive Meditation and positive affirmative techniques to enable the affected person correct the functioning of endocrine glands producing negative steroids and emotions and subsequent faulty thought process .The practice of CBT generates critical cognition of actual position of the situation and helps analyze all kinds of thoughts with objectivity and factual back up. The Mindful Perceptive Meditation therapy supports written affirmative statements about the self and situations which would be given as homework exercises and are reviewed later with the clients. The whole process was focused on changing the negative perceptions about self and situations to positive emotions and thoughts.

Generally a patient requires 50 to 60 sessions over a period of three to four months. But in severe cases the sessions (each running for 45 minutes to one hour) can go up to 90 to 120 sessions over a period of 6 to 9 months’ time like it had been extended in these two cases for up to 6 months.

It gives us greater satisfaction and happiness that eventually after a hard work of six months , the patients had been cured of their problems to a large extent and with the help of their family and friends,  the process of rehabilitation  of both of  them into the family and society had been achieved.

We have   been making use of Mindful Perceptive Meditation and Cognitive Behavior Therapy successfully in many other cases of depression, anxiety, stress and many other psychotic disorders and many have been restored to their normal life.

Perceptive Meditation enables you live in and with your breath taking your mind away from your anxiety stress and worries of life .It empowers you to live in the moment with complete mindfulness of your soul ,body and mind “. Ramneek Kapoor.

If you have someone in the family suffering from any such disorder,Come and discuss with us how to proceed.

You take the first step today and  we help you  find the much needed happiness.

Call  on us @9179383554 or write to us @ mansikpramarsh@gmail.com

-Ramneek Kapoor – Family Therapist, Psychologist Counselor and Science of Living Expert.

 

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Do you think your spouse is depressed and want to know how to help

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2018| Leave a Comment »

maxresdefaultWhen Deepti (name changed) had called on us the other day , she had wanted an appointment for her husband , who she thought had been suffering from depression for quite long time . I had advised her that she should accompany her husband to the counseling session. After a few sessions with both of them together and separately with each partner ,it emerged that both of them suffered from depression.Yet they have been in a denial mode.I have seen in many cases that partners refuse to believe that what they are suspecting others suffer from could also be happening to them .They would always believe that just because the other person is complaining he or she could be depressed.Deepti had faced similar situation when she had come to me.Explained Deepti,”my husband Sameer {name changed}blames me for the problems in our marriage.He says that we have all the problems in our relationship because I am depressed.He tells everyone in my family and his family that if my wife was not undergoing depression,there would not be any issues in our marriage.But on the contrary I believe it’s always my husband who suffers from depression.He always complains about everything and blames me unnecessarily when things do not workout as per his plans”.

Family therapist during meeting with unhappy, married coupleIt is normal to have little bit difference of opinion in marital life but should each time difference arisen become the cause of a major fight then the husband wife team need to look at their status of their perceptual faculty. It is common to become little dejected after marital argument but to think of the other person being depressed definitely should be a cause of concern for the partners.It is very likely that both partners are perceiving some issues,concerns and a few problems in marriage negatively that has been giving depression to each other.Depression is made out to be a neurotic  disorder  hence people are always afraid of agreeing that they are undergoing such state of emotional upheaval.The usual response to such situation being.”I am o.k. it is the other person who seems to be suffering from depression”.

argu cplSomewhat similar is the story of Seema and Jatin (names changed) both budding doctors still in their process of setting up their household. The problem arose when a fine day Seema threatened to commit suicide on a very small whimsical issue. She had convinced herself that her husband does not pay her as much attention as he is giving to his other female colleagues in the hospital where he works . This came as a very major shock to Jatin. Jatin had nowhere ever thought about his coworkers in this manner. No amount of explanation could convince his wife and she continued to fight with him from time to time on the same subject forcing her husband to lead a solitary life away from the friends and acquaintances.What began as a depression with one of the spouses had pulled the other partner too into the same state of mind ,giving him depression. Jatin explains his situation in the following words,” My wife Seema has been idealising suicide from her college days. Our relationship dates back to seven years now. We had begun  dating in the first year of our college. In the college too she was always throwing tantrums on me.It is quite surprising that she acts in this manner only when I am around and with me only.She would often break up with me on small pretexts and remain incommunicado for days together. She  will come out of her shell on her own. She would then hardly remember that she has not been in touch with me for so many days. Everything becomes very normal for her soon , but it leaves me completely drained out emotionally.I can never discuss about such a behaviour of my wife to any one in the family or friends as she behaves normal in front of others.I do understand that she does it to gain my attention . For me she is my wife .I do give her the required love and affection. My whole life revolves around her . But I fail to understand why would she want me to be exclusively with her  only all the times. This kind of obsessive  behaviour from my wife has started telling on my professional responsibility. I can not be a doctor in such a big hospital where I am working by living in isolation and yet I do not know how to solve the problem.You being a psychologist could possibly understand the situation better and help us”.

A few sessions with the couple revealed that they both in spite of their long dating history had failed to emotionally connect with each other so far. Seema had wanted to make the emotional connection but had not understood how to proceed with it. She had always wanted to make Jatin part of her inner life. Each time she tried she sounded more pathetic and distressed and felt completely remorseful  when she did not get the desired attention and response from Jatin.

arguing coupleJatin understood her well but he too could not connect with Seema.He did not know how to make her feel loved and understood.She just wanted him to love her and care about her. But her such behaviour had put  off Jatin, leaving him cold and at times uninterested in her .Both the partners had been frustrated and didn’t know how to handle such a situation.

It has been observed by us that one partner in a marriage is depressed , the cause would always  be a marital situation  between the two spouses.  The solution to such a situation has to be found within the marriage situation only.There can be no solution by putting the onus to only one of the  members to the marriage, as the reason is not individual but a common factor is responsible for  whatever is happening to the spouses.

psychologist-helping-couple-relationship-difficulties-office-49310915In the event of either of you suffering from depression , both of you should help each other explore how your relationship dynamic could be  causing such a depression. Though you may want the other person to get individual treatment to his or her complaints by way of the intervention of a psychologist, it is in truth be your total marital situation that needs to be looked in a different perspective as different from your own point of view.  In such a situation you would do well to get your self assessed by our   professional family therapist and counselor. We will together then  work out a plan  that works to revive your marital relationship .Always remember that  you both are equal partners to the happiness and bliss of your marriage and hence let us find the way to the resolution of the differences in marriage too together with each partner respecting and trusting the other equally.

-Ramneek Kapoor – Family Therapist, Psychologist Counselor and Science of Living Expert.

family therapyFamily will survive all storms with a little patience and perseverance

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#MentalHealthMatters-Achieving emotional balance

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 25, 2018| Leave a Comment »

emotional intelligenceWhen we achieve balance of emotions in our day to day life , we get a sense of self  mastery and well being. But instead of managing balance of emotions we tend to get swayed by  the event. We brood over the event and the person that has stirred the emotional upheaval and bring about the imbalanced attitude of negative emotions.

Emotional balance on the other hand would mean giving ourselves the necessary   preference, importance, care , nurturing and intelligence to conduct our life in such a way that it should offset the negative tilt and bring about the positive uplift within our mind and heart .We are designed to live in a healthy combination of emotional balance and wisdom. But we get carried away as we mentioned above.

Emotional balance would not mean controlling emotions . We can not mute our emotion by the use of any remote device , nor can we make them very loud. Life in both cases will become very bland and uninteresting . What if we keep on saying all the time that, ” I am very sad today”, or we just brood over the event and present a sad face. Similarly living in one emotion always is not desirable. Can we always be happy, buoyant and celebratory all the times ? if not then why should we remain sad, anxious , melancholic and stressed all the times. Such downs and ups of the moods and emotions add spice and entertainment to our life.The Downs present us with the challenges and Up would always make us happy. But the Ups too present to us the challenge  for not going overboard.

We do not need to avoid the unpleasant feelings, relations, events or places . On the contrary feel empowered to balance the negative with the positive of life, by looking at and perceiving all aspects of life.  Most of the times we get overpowered by the negative emotion and get stuck with that. Such negatives take over our life in the morning itself and we continue with it through most of the day.

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Balancing emotions must remain a consistent , constant, factor of our life. We must keep balancing with different moods in the day. All free time available should be utilized for balancing. Think  of the good times that you have had, the good things of life , the good events that you had participated in , to offbeat the bad happenings. Learn to soothe your mood by treating your self nicely, differently and importantly .Give importance to yourself .Have a say in how long you will stay in bad mood. Thereafter shift your focus , hit upon the new entertainment, the new treatment of self. The intensity of the bad emotion and the bad mood will come down.

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Chronic pain, chronic bad mood , chronic losing yourself into  bad emotions should be broken by intermittent good mood. Bad mood can be balanced by small wins of good mood . Before we get into clinical or manic depression , balancing emotions with small good treats, small wins will prevent the coming of the anxiety, stress, fear, and subsequent depression.

Ramneek kapoor,Clinical Psychologist and family Therapist,Science of living ,Preksha Meditation expert.\

family therapywsi-imageoptim-family

 

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#MentalHealthMatters – releasing second video on our Youtube channel

Posted in The psychology counselling services available, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 1, 2018| Leave a Comment »

on the occasion of Doctors Day  we are releasing the second video by Dr. Ramneek Kapoor on youtube.

In this segment, Dr. Ramneek Kapoor, Psychologist, Family Therapist, Science of Living and Preksha meditation expert, talks about the need for self acceptance to deal effectively with depression, anxiety and stresses of life.

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Matters of Mind and Heart -reaching Emotional Stability and Life Balance

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 18, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Matters of Mind and Heart -reaching Emotional Stability and Life Balance

Much has been written by thinkers, philosophers, scientists, sages and preachers on the subject of mind and heart. There has been  endless research on the issue of restless mind and spirit of human beings, yet the peace still eludes many of us. The world still suffers from many diseases of the mind and heart. Words like depression, anxiety, stress and phobic disorder, mental disorder, behavioral disorder are being used like the common place flu and colds happening to ordinary people. The medical world abounds by all kinds of medicines and treatments, offering little respite to those who suffer. People  continue to suffer .Their restless minds and souls are constantly being tormented. Through the columns of these pages we will try to understand how do we establish  better understanding  of these matters of mind and heart to reach emotional stability in our lives and keep our lives balanced.

We humans are connected with the organic world with the most developed brain and thinking powers. In the organic world three kinds of living beings exist i.e., those that have the instinctual survival bereft of any emotions, those that survive only on the basis of their physical strength and display only momentary emotional awareness .Humans have been bestowed with the powers that can generate emotions in our system involuntarily and activate our thinking system whether we like it or not.  We also have a fully developed mental perception, which can take cognizance of the matter and connect it to the events and consequences. We have a fully developed memory. We think, we imagine, we connect and we activate. Much as man would like to become thoughtless at times, sleep without any connection to the real world, the brain continues working either voluntarily but mostly involuntarily.

The involuntary emotional system activates our mind all the time. It forces the mind to imagine, to create and to dream. The dreams motivate us to plan which are executed by us to realize all those that we dreamt of. But in the law of our land where we have the thought, the power to dream and the power to reflect, we do have the situations that cause conflict and pain. For wherever there is a mind, the thought, the power to reflect, the analytical skill, there we have the conflict, the contradiction. No mental activity can ever be without the contradictory and opposite situation. Wherever we have the mind, we have the pain and we have the misery. Man however does not want to suffer. He wants to always be in comfort, in happiness and in the enjoyment of a happy life. This is a natural phenomenon .All living beings look for a life full of comforts. The inanimate only do not know the difference between   the comfort and discomfort. The living beings who do not have a mind suffer only for a short while. Their sense of discomfort is only short lived,  is unexpressed on account of lack of emotions . They do not consign their discomfort to their   memory bank. Nor do they draw upon their memory bank to reflect and compare their current and past discomfort. But man being a thinking organic sensitive emotional mind feels, expresses, analyses ,compares  and consigns  all comforts and discomforts to his   memory bank, thus in a way being always under the load of misery .

Can the mind be free from worries and miseries? 

We are all part of the larger organic world in which we are all living beings like millions of other kinds of living being inhabiting the solar system. Our world in fact as compared to the world of other living beings of the universe is too small. We are very miniscule in numbers, barely a few trillions all over the globe. The other planets must be peopled with many more living beings which the science is continuously researching into. Whether those living beings too have similar emotions, thoughts, mind and heart developed like us, only the research will find out.

But humans of our dear earth are endowed with a developed mental faculty. we all think .Thinking ,reflecting is an activity of the mind. We remember, we consign our thoughts to memory bank. We imagine. We create thoughts. Creation of thoughts and imagination is a mental exercise. We plan larger things for our life by the strength of our imagination .We dream of things that are larger than our life. We aspire for making these dreams come true. we do realize some of these dreams, imagination, and aspirations yet many other remain out of reach  . 

In order to understand the malady that has befallen the modern mind we will have to know the functioning of the mind in the modern age .the modern times are the reflectors of the cerebral psychological problems. Every individual is    involved fully into the mental day to day stresses of life. The involvement of the human mind into the cerebral problems becomes the major detriment to the peace and happiness of the human intellect.  Every human being wants to become free of the mental stress that he is suffering from.  We need to understand as to what mind is, in order to get liberated from the stresses and problems of the mind. Without really looking into the functioning of the mind it is simply irrelevant to solve the problems that exist in our psyche today.

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What Is Schizophrenia?

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , on September 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »

What Is Schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is a chronic, disabling brain disorder that affects about 1% of Americans. It may cause people to hear voices, see imaginary sights, or believe other people are controlling their thoughts. These sensations can be frightening and often lead to erratic behavior. There is no cure, but treatment can usually control the most serious symptoms.
Schizophrenia Symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia may include
• Delusions — wildly false beliefs
• Paranoia — the fear others are plotting against you
• Hallucinations — hearing voices or imagining things that do not exist
Some symptoms, such as lack of enjoyment in everyday life and withdrawal from social activities, may mimic depression.
How Schizophrenia Affects Thoughts

People with schizophrenia often have abnormal ways of thinking. They may have trouble organizing their thoughts or making logical connections. They may feel like the mind is racing from one unrelated thought to another. Sometimes they experience “thought blocking,” a feeling that thoughts are removed from their head. Despite popular belief, schizophrenia is not dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder.
How Schizophrenia Affects Behavior

Schizophrenia causes a wide range of behaviors. People may speak incoherently or even make up words. They may act agitated or appear stone-faced. Many people have trouble maintaining basic hygiene or orderly homes. Schizophrenia can also cause repetitive behaviors, such as pacing. In contrast to common stereotypes, the risk of violence against others is small.
Who Gets Schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia affects men and women at the same rate, and occurs almost equally in all ethnic groups around the world. Symptoms usually begin between ages 16 and 30. The onset tends to be earlier in men than in women. Schizophrenia rarely begins during childhood or after age 45. People with schizophrenia in their family may have a higher risk for the illness.
What Causes Schizophrenia?

The exact cause is not known, but scientists suspect genes and environment both play a role. Inside the brain, levels of the chemical messengers’ dopamine and glutamate may be out of balance. And brain structures may be abnormal, too. For example, brain scans of identical twins show that the fluid-filled “ventricles” can be larger in a twin with schizophrenia, compared with a twin who does not have the illness. Activity levels can also be higher or lower than normal in some areas of the schizophrenic brain.
Diagnosing Schizophrenia

There are no lab tests to detect schizophrenia, so a diagnosis is usually based on history and symptoms. Tests may be ordered to rule out other medical causes of symptoms. In teenagers, a combination of family history and certain behaviors can help predict the onset of schizophrenia. These behaviors include withdrawing from social groups and expressing unusual suspicions.
Medicine for Schizophrenia

Prescription drugs can reduce symptoms such as abnormal thinking, hallucinations, and delusions. It’s thought they work by regulating certain brain chemicals and receptors that influence thinking, perception, and behavior. Some people have troubling side effects, including tremors and weight gain. Schizophrenia drugs can also interact with other medications or supplements. In most cases, long-term medication is essential to managing schizophrenia.

Preksha Meditation

The symptoms associated with schizophrenia can be  reduced and behaviors and thoughts can be brought back to normal  by our regular daily counseling sessions/mental exercises/ preksha meditation and Kayotsarg
Psychosocial Therapies

Counseling can help people cope with their problem behaviors and thoughts, and improve how they relate to others. In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), people learn to test the reality of their thoughts and better manage symptoms. Other forms of therapy aim to improve self-care, communication, and relationship skills. These strategies are are adopted in addition to medication, to help people  manage everyday challenges.
Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation may include job training, money management counseling, and guidance in using public transportation or shopping for groceries. The goal is to help people with schizophrenia stay employed and maintain as much independence as possible. Rehab programs are particularly effective when combined with psychotherapy.
Relapse Prevention

People with schizophrenia sometimes quit their medications because of side effects or a poor understanding of their illness. They may stop attending counselling / preksha meditation sessions  before the actual benefits occur to them. This raises the risk of serious symptoms returning and triggering a full psychotic episode. Regular psycho social therapy can help people stay on medication/CBT/ Preksha Meditation  and avoid a relapse or the need for hospitalization.
Schizophrenia and Relationships
Relationships can be a challenge for people with schizophrenia. Their unusual thoughts and behaviors may alienate friends, co-workers, and family members. Sticking to a treatment plan can reduce social isolation. One form of therapy focuses on forming and nurturing interpersonal relationships. In addition, support groups or family therapy can help loved ones better understand the illness.
Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse

People with schizophrenia are much more likely than the general population to abuse drugs or alcohol. Some drugs, including marijuana and cocaine, can make symptoms worse. Drug abuse can also interfere with treatments for schizophrenia. Patients with a drug problem may benefit from substance abuse programs specifically designed for people with schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia and Pregnancy

Most drugs used to treat schizophrenia have no known risk for increasing the risk of birth defects, but decisions about medication treatment for schizophrenia during pregnancy should be discussed with your doctor.
Tips for Family Members

Schizophrenia can be confused with other mental health disorders so a careful evaluation is key. It can also be difficult to convince someone with schizophrenia to get help. Treatment often begins when a psychotic episode results in a hospital stay. Once the person is stabilized, family members can help prevent a relapse by:
• Encouraging the person to stay on meditation/counselling /medication.
How can we help you: Mansik Pramarsh program for managing schizophrenia disorder is supported to help children and adults to overcome the symptoms associated with schizophrenia by our regular daily counseling sessions/mental exercises/ preksha meditation and Kayotsarg. Hundreds have benefited, it is your /your child’s turn now.  Call 09179383554 or email: mansikpramarsh@gmail.com.

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Bipolar Disorder: What Is It?

Posted in daily writings and musings of the psychologist, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is a disorienting condition that causes extreme shifts in mood. Like riding a slow-motion roller coaster, patients may spend weeks feeling like they’re on top of the world before plunging into a relentless depression. The length of each high and low varies greatly from person to person. In any given year, bipolar disorder affects more than 2% of American adults.

Depressive Phase Symptoms: Without treatment, a person with bipolar disorder may experience intense episodes of depression. Symptoms include sadness, anxiety, and loss of energy, hopelessness, and difficulty concentrating. Patients may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable. They may gain or lose weight, sleep too much or too little, and contemplate suicide.

Manic Phase Symptoms: During a manic phase, patients tend to feel euphoric and may believe they can accomplish anything. This can result in inflated self-esteem, agitation, and reduced need for sleep, being more talkative, being easily distracted, and a sense of racing thoughts. Reckless behaviors, including spending sprees, sexual indiscretions, fast driving, and substance abuse, are common. Having three or more of these symptoms nearly having three or more of these symptoms nearly every day for a week may indicate a manic episode.

Bipolar I vs. Bipolar II: People with bipolar I disorder have manic episodes or mixed episodes and often have one or more depressive episodes. People with bipolar II have major depressive episodes with less severe mania; they experience hypomania, a condition that is less intense than mania or lasting less than a week. Patients may seem like the “life of the party” — full of charm and humor. They may feel and function fine, even if family and friends can see the mood swing. However, hypomania can lead to mania or depression.

Mixed Episode: People with mixed episode experience depression and mania at the same time. This leads to unpredictable behavior, such as sadness while doing a favorite activity or feeling very energetic. It’s more common in people who develop bipolar disorder at a young age, particularly during adolescence. But some estimates suggest up to 70% of bipolar patients experience mixed episodes.

Causes of Bipolar Disorder: Doctors aren’t exactly sure what causes bipolar disorder. A leading theory is that brain chemicals fluctuate abnormally. When levels of certain chemicals become too high, the patient develops mania. When levels drop too low, depression may result.

Bipolar Disorder: Who’s at Risk? Bipolar disorder affects males and females equally. In most cases, the onset of symptoms is between 15 and 30 years old. People are at higher risk if a family member has been diagnosed, especially if it’s a first degree relative, but doctors don’t think the disorder kicks in based on genetics alone. A stressful event, drug abuse, or other unknown factor may trigger the cycle of ups and downs.

Bipolar Disorder and Daily Life: Bipolar disorder can disrupt your goals at work and at home. In one survey 88% of patients said the illness took a toll on their careers. The unpredictable mood swings can drive a wedge between patients and their co-workers or loved ones. In particular, the manic phase may scare off friends and family. People with bipolar disorder also have a higher risk of developing anxiety disorder

Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse: About 60% of people with bipolar disorder have trouble with drugs or alcohol. Patients may drink or abuse drugs to relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of their mood swings. This is especially common during the reckless manic phase.

Bipolar Disorder and Suicide

People with bipolar disorder are 10 to 20 times more likely to commit suicide than people without the illness. Warning signs include talking about suicide, putting affairs in order, and inviting death with risky behavior. Anyone who appears suicidal should be taken very seriously. Do not hesitate to call us at 09179383554 or the government helplines available free of charge in emergency situations.

Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder: A crucial step in diagnosing bipolar disorder is to rule out other possible causes of extreme mood swings. These may include brain infection or other neurological disorders, substance abuse, thyroid problem, HIV, ADHD, side effects of certain medications, or other psychiatric disorders. There is no lab test for bipolar disorder. A psychiatrist usually makes the diagnosis based on a careful history and evaluation of the patient’s mood and other symptoms.

Medications for Bipolar Disorder: Medications are key in helping people with bipolar disorder live stable, productive lives. Mood stabilizers can smooth out the cycle of ups and downs. Patients may also be prescribed antipsychotic drugs and anticonvulsant drugs. Between acute states of mania or depression, patients typically stay on maintenance medication to avoid a relapse.

Talk Therapy for Bipolar Disorder: Talk therapy can help patients stay on medication and cope with their disorder’s impact on work and family life. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors that accompany mood swings. Interpersonal therapy aims to ease the strain bipolar disorder may place on personal relationships. Social rhythm therapy helps patients develop and maintain daily routines.

Lifestyle Tips for Bipolar Disorder: Establishing firm routines can help manage bipolar disorder. Routines should include sufficient sleep, regular meals, and exercise. Because alcohol and recreational drugs can worsen the symptoms, these should be avoided. Patients should also learn to identify their personal early warning signs of mania and depression. This will allow them to get help before an episode spins out of control.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): Electroconvulsive therapy can help some people with bipolar disorder. ECT uses an electric current to cause a seizure in the brain. It is one of the fastest ways to ease severe symptoms. ECT is usually a last resort when a patient does not improve with medication or psychotherapy.

Educating Friends and Family:Friends and family may not understand bipolar disorder at first. They may become frustrated with the depressive episodes and frightened by the manic states. If patients make the effort to explain the illness and how it affects them, loved ones may become more compassionate. Having a solid support system can help people with bipolar disorder feel less isolated and more motivated to manage their condition.

When Someone Needs Help: Many people with bipolar disorder don’t realize they have a problem or avoid getting help. If you’re concerned about a friend or family member, here are a few tips for broaching the subject. Point out that millions have bipolar disorder, and that it is a treatable illness — not a personality flaw. There is a medical explanation for the extreme mood swings, and effective treatments are available.

Courtesy : http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/ss/slideshow-bipolar-disorder-overview

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