The 10-Days Concurrent Neuro-Somatic Protocol has been developed by us after a combined experience of over 50000 -75000 counselling and perceptive meditations sessions , conducted over a quarter of a century expertise .For the past twenty five years or more we have been able to help thousands of depressed ,anxious and stressed people overcome their distresses and disorders .
We now offer the same to millions of others to help then come out of their mental , emotional ,behavioural and psychological problems in a more disciplined sustained and medicine free manner . Daily Schedule Commitment: 60 Minutes Total (3 x 20-Minute Modules) Days 1 to 10: The Daily Tri-Phasic Session of an hour both offline in person or online through video calling sessions.
Every Day , the client completes three distinct 20-minute interventions to address the nervous system as a whole system: Module 1: Cerebrospinal Stimulation Therapy (20 Minutes)Mechanism:Fluid dynamics and central nervous system structural regulation. Daily Target: Calming autonomic arousal, establishing absolute physical safety, and preparing the spinal axis to receive neural signals. Module 2: Gut and Mind Therapy (20 Minutes)Mechanism: Central nervous system regulation and vagal nerve processing. Daily Target: Releasing visceral emotional blockages, balancing microbiome-to-brain signals, and stabilizing the chemical foundations of mood. Module 3: Perceptive Meditation & Prefrontal Cortex Connects (20 Minutes Mechanisms ) : Synaptic activation and cortical network integration. Daily Target: Actively re-establishing suppressed neurons and synapses. Removing barriers between the prefrontal cortex and the wider cortex to instantly correct how current real-world situations are perceived and processed. Day 10 : The Post-Protocol Clinical Review and further action plan.
All those who are really keen on helping themselves in a more positive and planned way to treat themselves out of their disorders and lead a better peaceful daily life can connect with us at
First, let’s hear from those who have bravely faced their obsessions and compulsions and, with the help of our four-step strategic therapy, have managed to reclaim control of their lives. Doesn’t it sound surprising that individuals who suffered from OCD for years, despite being on long-term medication, have finally found relief? It may seem unbelievable to many who have struggled with OCD for years. However, this is often due to a lack of proper guidance and corrective approaches.
Let’s listen to the inspiring stories of individuals who have successfully taken control of their OCD and are now leading normal lives:
Aarti’s Journey Aarti, 22 (name changed), doesn’t even remember when she first developed the habit of compulsively washing every piece of clothing she wore outside. Each time she returned home, whether from college or the market, she would immediately head to the washroom, change her clothes, and wash them. Initially, her parents saw this as an attempt to maintain cleanliness. However, their concern grew when they noticed her repeating this behavior throughout the day, from morning until evening.
By the time Aarti came to us, she had been on strong psychiatric medications for over six years. Despite relying on anti-anxiety and SSRI pills, her OCD persisted. It wasn’t until she began our treatment program that she experienced significant relief.
Ahmad’s Story Ahmad, a businessman in Dubai, had achieved considerable success in his career. However, he couldn’t fully enjoy his accomplishments due to intrusive, obsessive thoughts. “An unknown anxiety grips my mind over trivial matters,” Ahmad explains. This overwhelming anxiety would only subside after he performed certain repetitive acts, which frightened his family.
Prakash’s Experience Prakash, an architect, had built a flourishing career and enjoyed a high social status. Yet, he struggled with obsessive thoughts that began in high school. Although medications temporarily alleviated his symptoms, the obsessive thoughts returned with greater intensity whenever he stopped the medications for more than a week.
Understanding OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental and behavioral health condition characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These compulsions are performed to reduce the distress caused by obsessions, perpetuating a vicious cycle.
The cycle of OCD typically includes:
Obsession: Unwanted, intrusive thoughts or impulses.
Mental distress: Anxiety or fear triggered by these thoughts.
Compulsion: Repetitive actions performed to alleviate the distress.
Temporary relief: A short-lived sense of relief before the cycle restarts.
Common Symptoms of OCD
Obsessions
Obsessions are repetitive, intrusive thoughts that are often illogical but feel uncontrollable. These may include:
Concerns about safety or cleanliness.
Worries about relationships or social interactions.
Irrational fears about natural or unnatural phenomena.
Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or rituals performed to relieve the distress caused by obsessions. Common compulsions include:
Excessive cleaning or handwashing.
Repeatedly checking locks, appliances, or emails.
Counting or arranging objects.
Hoarding or obsessive texting.
Our Treatment Approach
We have developed an effective program to help clients overcome OCD and regain control of their lives:
Trans-Cranial Cerebral Spinal Stimulation Using self-projected inner sound therapy (Mahapran Dhwani), this technique targets affected brain areas. Patients undergo daily or alternate-day sessions of 45 minutes for 8–12 weeks, resulting in significant OCD remission.
Gut and Mind Correction Therapy By focusing on the gut-brain axis and ventral vagus nerve stimulation, we address the emotional and mental imbalances that trigger obsessive thoughts.
Kayotsarga and Chakra Meditation Kayotsarga exercises and chakra-focused meditation (Swas Preksha) help patients achieve emotional balance and self-regulation.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Affirmations Guided CBT sessions and positive affirmations empower patients to replace compulsive behaviors with healthier coping strategies.
Transforming Lives
Through a combination of advanced therapies, holistic practices, and expert guidance, our patients have achieved remarkable results. Many, including Aarti, Ahmad, and Prakash, are now living peaceful, medication-free lives, enjoying a sense of freedom they thought was unattainable.
Please let us know if we can help you with your OCD .
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.
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.
Neena felt desolate and lonely, and she suffered a sense of disorientation as she had been denied the job she was so confident of getting.
Rueben had completely given up after he had been passed over for a promotion, with his employer company preferring another candidate much junior to him in experience.
Tamanna felt numb and low after her boyfriend Nahar dropped her and opted for another relationship.
All these people have been denied and rejected from doing whatever they had expected or wanted to do. Some of them had worked for and invested years in reaching where they wanted to be in their careers or relationships.
Many such rejections have been witnessed in recent times, where people had to leave their homes and friends abroad after being denied extensions of visas, or students had to shelve their study plans for similar reasons.
Getting rejected breaks morale. It hurts to the core too. Whether it’s being rejected by a suitor, denial of a much-awaited promotion, or a rejected job interview, rejection is not always taken in an acceptable manner. Even though people are sometimes apprehensive of hearing a “no,” they do not want to hear it for fear of not being approved.
For some people, the fear of hearing “no” becomes so strong that it stops them from taking risks or asking for what they want. Rejection sensitivity can deeply affect daily life, leading to anger, irritation, financial stress, social stress, and often much more than what is stated above.
With so many layoffs, upheavals, and shelving of long-term plans, the hopes and confidence of many are getting derailed.
Let’s understand how we can deal with rejections and the shattering of dreams and expectations, and make rejections less hurtful and more introspective in an accepting way to help rebuild mental and emotional strength and move forward. It sounds easy, but it is not. That’s where the process of “rejection therapy” plays a very positive role in rebuilding and re-emerging as a better person.
What is rejection therapy, and how does it help?
We would rather call it a reconfirming self-technique, where we undertake self-acceptance, self-expression, and a self-improvement process that we can practice on our own when needed.
In this therapy, instead of avoiding situations where we might be told “no,” we actively anticipate them without causing apprehension and anxiety.
The dynamic social environment carries a lot of grapevine, and if we pay attention to these rumours, we can expect to be either accepted, ignored, or rejected. The anticipated discomfort begins much in advance, and we can build resilience to it in smaller steps.
You start with tiny social challenges where you expect to be rejected, and then gradually build your tolerance to discomfort.
The goal isn’t to reject rejection. The exercise helps build confidence, reduce social anxiety, and not permit fear to control your life. When we realise that rejection does not mean as much as we thought—and that many people are kinder than we imagine—it becomes easier to take risks that matter.
But that doesn’t mean you should expect only negative results. Being hopeful and positive has its rewards, and that realisation brings happiness and acceptance.
Wherever you fear and anticipate rejection, acceptance can bring wonderful surprises and self-acceptance.
Gradually, the human brain learns that rejection can be worked through by looking for substitute rewards, and that rejection is not as damaging as expected.
Small steps in dealing with anticipated refusals make you more accepting and comforted. You move on in life and develop maturity and patience to bear the brunt of major challenges.
Each rejection handled with calmness and maturity builds mental and emotional strength and equips the brain with a better understanding of the subject, developing resilience and adjustment.
Rejection then becomes less painful and traumatic as you learn to manage such situations deliberately.
Rejection becomes less self-effacing and more about learning and adjustment. Your brain rewires itself to see social situations as opportunities for growth rather than threats to avoid.
If the thought of anticipated rejection or refusal causes severe anxiety, panic, or intense negative emotions, you should seek professional support from a therapist rather than trying to handle it alone. We at Alka Mansik Pramarsh Foundation can help you manage such anxiety, fear, or panic and help you move forward.
Rejection does not define your life in totality. It can be an opportunity to build a stronger future and prepare yourself to overcome the fear of rejection.
When you stop letting the possibility of hearing “no” determine your worth and start adding value to your decisions for the future, you open yourself to opportunities, connections, and experiences you might have overlooked.
You can contact us at Alka Mansik Pramarsh Foundation if you feel you need professional counselling in the following situations:
When your anxiety, fear, or stress worsens and causes distress
When you are unable to move past feelings of rejection and constantly feel sad or hopeless
When you experience panic
When you develop physical symptoms or traumatic stress linked to negative thoughts
When you find yourself becoming avoidant, overly self-critical, or nihilistic
When you feel overwhelmed or have thoughts of self-harm
When you are unable to carry out your day-to-day functioning
Please call or reach out to us at @mansikpramarsh. We would be glad to help you.
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 .
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 :
Close your eyes softly
Keep your body and spine supple and stress free
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 .
Inhale slowly from the nose feeling it’s impact on the lower end of the spine .
Exhale slowly from the nose taking as much time as you took inhaling
Continue for five to seven minutes
Soon you would realise your mind and body relaxing and the anxiety level coming to almost nil .
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
“It happens to me every Monday morning, and believe me, doctor, I have come to dread my Sunday evenings too because I look at them as harbingers of the next week’s grueling work again,” averred Rajan*.
“At the beginning of every day, I usually open my work desk disinterestedly, with an apprehensive mindset that I may not be able to survive another week in this job,” says Lily*.
When you feel that you aren’t keeping pace with your job and procrastination becomes a habit rather than an exception, it’s time to take stock of your mental and physical health. As more and more tasks pile up, you begin with a disinterested mind. Your motivation vanishes. You start playing with the idea of going on a vacation or looking for another job. But even that doesn’t happen, as your body, mind, and brain all seem locked up in ennui.
This is exactly the time to seek help from a professional to understand whether it is simple stress or the beginning of depression. But more important is to analyse if it is a burnout situation, which can often be misunderstood as depression.
When Your Efficiency Curve Declines
The efficiency curve of humans is like any other performance curve with various stages of physical, emotional, and mental output. The curve has a rising phase, where work performance can be quite mood-elevating, bringing with it expected rewards and revenues. But soon, stagnant work performance and declining strength and output catch up with you. Your body and mind feel exhausted, and a regular sitting job in front of a laptop or computer seems very taxing. Whenever that happens, you feel quirky, irritated, or disinterested. A short break does help with rejuvenation, but repeated situations like this need to be analysed and understood.
This is where the journey of prolonged stress begins, and exhaustion or burnout creeps in without you realising why or what is happening.
How Do You Know If It’s Stress or Burnout?
There’s a difference between being stressed and being burned out. Stress happens when you’re engaged in work and sometimes get overly involved. Burnout, on the other hand, means being disengaged.
Burnout feels like you’ve checked out of your life emotionally and have nothing left to give. This severe and chronic condition goes beyond feeling overwhelmed, anxious, frustrated, or fatigued. You might even experience physical effects like muscle tension, headaches, or digestive problems.
You can tell burnout from stress by noticing whether you’re avoiding work, frequently tired, and easily distracted. You also feel like a heavy load has been placed on your body and mind. People who are stressed believe things will improve once the source of stress is resolved. In burnout, nothing seems to work, and you feel like you can’t handle anything.
Signs You May Be Dealing with Burnout
Burnout occurs gradually over time. It creeps into your mental, physical, and emotional being and drains your energy completely. You sleep erratically and wake up wishing daylight had been delayed. You know you’re stuck in a vicious cycle—either of sleeplessness or oversleeping and avoidance.
Work piles up, phone calls remain unanswered, deadlines are missed. Headaches, body aches, and a general sense of listlessness and disinterest take their toll on your psyche.
When you browse the internet or seek advice, it can often be misunderstood or misdiagnosed as depression.
We advise you to get in touch with us if you need a professional assessment of your situation. Self-assessment or assumptions won’t give you an accurate diagnosis.
Our psychologist can assess, diagnose, and help you manage your burnout more effectively.
*Names and details have been changed to protect privacy.
Rita, 32, has been negative and irritated for over a month. Her husband’s job is uncertain, and her bosses discuss similar issues at work.
David, 49, hasn’t dealt well with being denied a promotion. He feels his education, skills, and years of performance have been wasted. He fears premature retirement despite having more to offer.
Ashvani, 45, works globally but hasn’t had a project in a while, causing anxiety about his job. His family notices his stress, boredom, and anxiety.
Names are changed, but their situations are real. Careers seem to be falling apart suddenly. Why is their life in parentheses now?
The dreaded pink slip is making a comeback in IT and other industries after a decade of growth. Layoffs at companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are causing anxiety and stress among employees. A job isn’t just a source of income; it’s a career, personal identity, and self-fulfillment. When threatened, it leads to negativity, self-criticism, and alienation.
From adolescence, we’re pushed to pursue careers that may not exist yet. We spend the first quarter of our lives getting educated and skilled for a job, and then our entire lives working. This affects our overall well-being. Realizing your job and career, the essence of your life, is being taken away can cause sleeplessness, stress, and unhappiness.
The threatening environment in the current job can negatively impact all aspects of life. It’s a wake-up call to reflect, evaluate, and plan—whether updating skills, upgrading, or finding a new career path.
How does this impact me and my family?
In today’s competitive era, any stage of life can bring the realization of a job’s psychological impact. Clients from early starters to top executives, exhausted and burnt out, question their career path. Well-intentioned parents push children into careers for financial security, often overlooking personal and professional needs.
Unfulfilling jobs negatively impact mental health. This needs addressing.
Signs of being in an unfulfilling career:
Feeling Wasted Time: Not living up to potential.
Low Self-Esteem: Unworthy, insecure, and fearful.
Job Threats: Worry about job security and financial well-being.
Relationship Stress: Long hours, dissatisfaction, and unappreciation.
What can I do to help myself?
Identify Emotions: Recognize how your career impacts your mental health.
Seek Professional Support: A psychologist can provide objective help.
Communicate: Discuss job stress with your spouse to avoid misunderstandings.
Journal: Reflect on your situations calmly.
Self-Care: Physical health is essential. Implement a self-care routine.
Change Perspective: Notice positive aspects of your job.
Make Changes: Evaluate options within your current position or environment.
Career Shift: If necessary, explore new career paths for fulfillment.
If your current career is negatively impacting your mental health, and you want to make changes, talking with a mentor, close friend, or family member can help. If you’re experiencing anxiety, anger, feelings of depression, or other negative emotions, and they are impacting your life, working with a therapist can help. You can get in touch with us at:
WHAT IS EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION AND REPROCESSING (EDMR)?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences.
Francine Shapiro developed EMDR in 1987, she based EMDR on the notion that emotional distress can be processed when asleep during the rapid eye movement (REM). Phase.
She utilised this natural process in order to successfully treat Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Since then, EMDR has been used to effectively treat a wide range of mental health problems.
Repeated studies show that by using EMDR therapy people can experience the benefits of psychotherapy that once took years to make a difference.
It is widely assumed that severe emotional pain requires a long time to heal. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma.
WHAT IS AN EMDR SESSION LIKE?
After a thorough assessment, you will be asked specific questions about a particular disturbing memory.
Eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, will be recreated simply by asking you to watch the therapist’s finger moving backwards and forwards across your visual field.
Sometimes, a bar of moving lights or headphones is used instead.
The eye movements will last for a short while and then stop.
You will then be asked to report back on the experiences you have had during each of these sets of eye movements.
Experiences during a session may include changes in thoughts, images and feelings.
With repeated sets of eye movements, the memory tends to change in such a way that it loses its painful intensity and simply becomes a neutral memory of an event in the past.
Other associated memories may also heal at the same time.
This linking of related memories can lead to a dramatic and rapid improvement in many aspects of your life.
WHAT CAN EMDR BE USED FOR?
In addition to its use for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has been successfully used to treat:
We reproduce below the interview of our Ramneek Kapoor Psychologist and Family Therapist once again for the benefit of our readers and clients.
1 .What is ‘stress’
“I would refer to stress as “the mental, psychological, intellectual, emotional and physical unease to the personal situation and the expectation rose either by the self or by others to face/handle the situation “.
Are all kinds of stress bad? How do we identify between good and bad stress?
“All kinds of stress is not bad, only the distress caused is bad. Eustress is a good stress that gives a high and stimulates the adrenaline. When you feel good about certain situation and event and feel you are able to handle it, you look forward to such a situational stress which results into a moral boost and good emotional physical feeling”.
Do you think people are aware what stress does to their mind, body and soul? Do you think that once they realise how negative stress has adverse effects on them, they will be in a better position to manage it?
“Only a limited few numbers of people could be aware of the negative effects of the stress on their physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional well being. Mere realisation that the stress is bad will not be enough. We need to also educate and inculcate in them the stress relieving self empowering meditation exercise routine on day to day basis. Preksha Meditation (perceptive meditation on the psychic centres) under the guidance of trained teacher will go a long way in relieving stress.
In the world we are living in today, how important is it to spread awareness about stress? Are there any statistics that reveal how serious the problem of stress is one’s life?
“The very fact that more than 50 percent people suffer from the depression, anxiety and stress sometimes or the other in their life with no trained professional help to cope with this reflects the pitiable position of the awareness amongst common people. In fact no official statistics from any governmental source are available on the subject nor has any NGO worked on the subject authentically”.
How do you think our previous generations managed stress better than today? Even with the state of the art technology and advance in medical sciences, why have we as humans not been able to cope/ deal with stress?
“It is a fashion to always refer to the better life of the previous generation. The fact is that the technological advancement has also brought with it the person related emotional, psychological and physical maladies in addition to making life easier. The state of art tech development has brought about personal isolation, in the midst of many. The person today is cut off and alienated from the self. He or she is always lost into an uncalled for competition with the others on the social media and into the realms of the imaginary virtual world.
Do you think people today are ignorant about stress? Ignorance is bliss, but is this kind of bliss worth it?
“No they are not ignorant. They prefer living in the comfort of uncomfortable stress. The rat race takes its toll and the victims enjoy the bites of killing stress and anxiety and many other mental ailments. Eventually the person ends up with either cardiac problems or the chronic depression and anxiety will take toll on such persons “.
Are there some observable and prominent symptoms a stressed individual will experience? Such as physical, mental, emotional, physiological etc.?
“Yes ;the breathing discomfort , sleeplessness , insomnia, loss of memory, eating disorder either binge eating or not getting hungry, social anxiety, irritation , unmanaged anger, repeated headache, psychosomatic pains , and weight gain/ weight loss are some of the prominent observable symptoms”.
Who are the most stressed people according to you? What could be the causes for them being the most stressed?
“Adolescents, working women, housewives, company executives and even professionals with deadlines of times to meet are always under stress. But the large share of the stress cake goes to adolescents in the modern times. With the race to always look outwards and keep pace with the demands of peer aping the adolescents find it difficult to cope with the stress. This generation is neither amongst the younger generation nor are they amongst the adults. The social media, the rigid demands on their performances in academics and career aspirations’ of the parents for them, are some of the major reasons for this generation being most stressed
What according to you triggers ‘stress? Do you think by being aware of the triggers we can be in a better position to manage stress?
Triggers of stress can be any event or situation that threatens the mental and physical equilibrium (homeostasis) of the body . The events can be either external or internal
. External can be the political, social, economic, competitive, family, academic, or work atmosphere. While internal triggers will relates to irresponsible behaviour, uncalled for self expectations, negative attitude towards life in general, and looking for perfectionism in self or others.
What can be some of the long-term effects of stress? How does stress affect a person physically, mentally and emotionally?
The long term effects of chronic stress can be
Chronic sadness and depression. (2.) Chronic mental and physical fatigue. (3.) Chronic stress related illness (consistent headache, stomach ache, bowel problems, social anxiety) and other psycho somatic physical illness. (4) Isolating self, withdrawal, self destructive nihilistic thoughts .
Physical problems of the stress can be , sleep disorders, back, shoulder or neck pain, migraines , headaches, acidity, upset bowels, constipation, weight gain or loss, hair loss, loss of libido.
Emotionally the person can become nervous, edgy, depressed, moody, phobic, and not be able to focus and eventually suffering from Nervous breakdown.
Please mention 5 useful tips for fighting/ managing stress? How can one follow these in his/her daily schedule and busy day?
Accept life as it comes.
Accept your self.
Identify “ME” and try to become “ME” rather than becoming him, her ,they or she.
Accept that perfectionism is a myth and utopia.
Follow a healthy diet plan, an exercise and meditation routine to keep your heart health and positive.
According to you, how can one prevent stress in everyday life? How do we know that the levels of stress have crossed the healthy limits? Until when can a person manage it on his/ her own?
“Stress is a natural occurrence but taking on too much can be avoided . Relax whenever you feel mentally, physically or emotionally exhausted before your stresses break you down”.
Stress does not tend to only affect one person; its effects tend to spill over to the people around them. How do you think that we as a friend/ family member help a person dealing with stress?
“Stress is a personal problem but its manifestation can be felt and definitely seen in the family, friends and other areas of one’s life. The friends and family too should know that the life has to be lived in positive moments and as such the negativity should be eliminated from the life completely.
What message would you like to give to our readers this Stress Awareness Month?
“Live life in positive emotions, the negatives are not meant for the living “.
Alka Mansik Pramarsh Foundation Clinical Psychologists-Family therapists Indore 0731-4263087,9179383554 