“And they lived happily ever after…”

This was always the end of most of the childhood stories we heard. From amongst the life lessons given by grandparents to our Moral Science classes, everyone emphasized on happiness in life. There were times when a small piece of candy would give immense joy. But in present times, people seem to find most of the happy occasions ‘too good to be true’. and whats about Cherophobia?

Have you come across people or if you are one of them, who tend to avoid a situation that may make them happy? Have you come across the term “Cherophobia”?

Definition

Cherophobia or aversion to happiness is a condition where the person is too afraid of being happy, that this habit starts affecting his life. This affects the people around him as well.

The word is derived from the Greek word “chero”, meaning “to rejoice”. Although this hasn’t been declared a mental health disorder yet, there are experts with their views about the condition and treatments.

Causes

The behavior a Cherophobic person exhibits in the situation is irrational and it could stem from various beliefs. A reserved attitude, a past trauma or experiencing a discomfort in a group or social gatherings are amongst some reasons. A constant time period of experiencing stress or anxiety can also result in such thinking pattern.

Symptoms

A person who has the phobia does not show symptoms like sadness or grief all the time. But they avoid participating in activities that may lead to experiencing happiness or bringing about any positivity in life. He might feel anxious if someone invites him to a social gathering and usually give up on these opportunities that may benefit him. This person thinks that being happy would bring bad luck or hurdles in life and also it will make him unproductive. He would avoid any fun activity.

Treatment

It is important to understand that Cherophobia is not Depression. Taking details of the past is one thing that can prove to be helpful while dealing with such a person. Dig deep and figure out the traumatic event that was the trigger in the first place. Focus on breaking the negative association between a favorable and unfavorable event. Teaching tolerance and patience can also help. This condition is more of a defense mechanism. Therefore, there has to be a change in the pattern of thinking. and need to meet phyologist 

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At the end of an emotionally abusive relationship, you might feel burdened with inconclusive thoughts and overwhelming emotions. And this is absolutely acceptable. While your friends and family feel thankful for your break-up, they may not be able to understand the emotional turmoil going inside your heart and brain. But you should not carry on with toxic relationship

Let’s look at the end of an abusive relationship from the following aspects:

Mental and Emotional Health

Post being dumped by the person whom you considered to be your one and only soul mate, you might go through a roller coaster of emotions. The symptoms are often similar to that of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
There might not be any visible scars to make it obvious that you are hurt, but the pain is similar to that of a physical injury.
You might even show obsessive behaviour, where you constantly think about your ex, your break up.
The more the covert these symptoms are, the more damage it can do to your emotional stability and the ability to overcome the trauma.

Attachment or Addiction?

When two people part their ways in a healthy way, they may feel hurt, but it does not take a psychological toll on the two persons involved. They eventually move on as a practical approach was followed to end the relationship. But in an emotionally abusive relationship, the break up isn’t as clean, rather the abuser is manipulative.
The victim might not recognize signs and develop an emotional attachment towards them.
You might re-run the events from your relationship in your mind several times throughout the day or read the old conversations.
Being with a person becomes addictive over a period of time, like an unhealthy attachment. It might seem normal and justified to the victim, but this really hampers their emotional well-being.

Moving on!

The first step to moving on is to accept your situation. A few things that you could do to overcome such a relationship are:

Take care of your emotions

Repairing your emotions requires great efforts. When you get abandoned by someone you are so addicted to, it affects your self-esteem negatively. You can feel used and discarded, angry and isolated. Instead of suppressing and being a home to them, it is very important that you accept and acknowledge your emotions. Recognize how you feel. You can make a journal about the same. If you feel like crying or screaming, do that.

Pen it down

At times it might be difficult for you to talk about your broken relationship and what all you went through in that. But it is important to express in order to heal. To start with, you can keep a journal of your thoughts and emotions, gradually opening up about it verbally.

Confide in Close ones

You can always count on your close friends and families when you feel the need to. Surround yourself with people. Avoid isolating yourself with your thoughts all the time.

Cut-off contact with the abuser

You need to cut off the contact with your ex. Being vulnerable might drag you to his doors, but this would be unhealthy. It is important to maintain a distance when you part ways with your abuser. You may feel a pull towards him, but remember it is unhealthy for your mental health if you remain connected to him.

Do not stalk

It may seem like a nice idea to keep a tab on your ex by stalking him on social media or keeping in touch with his friends. But this is not ideal. You must focus investing your time and energy on yourself rather than knowing about his whereabouts.

Postpone important decisions

In the times, when you are emotionally unstable it is better to not make any important life decisions, which may affect your future. Let yourself feel and heal for some time first.

Practice patience

For a physical injury to heal there is always a defined set of medicines and treatment method that one follows and gets okay. But for an emotional setback, you need to give yourself time. Every person takes their own time to get out of an emotional difficulty. Focus on your progress.

Seek Help

If your emotions are way out of control and are hindering with your daily life, you should seek for some professional help. In the times, when we are vulnerable, we might not be in the right state of mind to be emotionally efficient. A bit of advice about situation and lifestyle changes by a professional can prove to be of great help.

Are you in a healthy relationship? Have you been a victim of emotional abuse?

Call us for 15 minutes of free counselling at +91=9069069069.

Pregnancy is the first and foremost step for women entering motherhood. She realises that she is carrying someone inside her. It becomes a joyous occasion for the parents of the unborn child. But, along with pregnancy comes various physical and mental health issues.

It is normal to be worried about your pregnancy, and how it is affecting your body. It brings out different physical and hormonal change for the person. Thus, affecting the mood of the person. Due to which the person faces various mental health issues.

Thus, below are few Mental Health Issues Related to Pregnancy:

Depression:

During pregnancy, a lot of women suffer from depression. There are certain body changes which the woman is unable to understand or process. Also, depression can happen because of the surroundings and circumstances.

Stress and Anxiety:

It is general to feel a bit stressed while you are pregnant. But, the woman starts taking extreme stress because of the unknown which induces anxiety. Sometimes, the combination of anxiety and stress lead to panic attacks.

Bi-Polar Disorder:

Very few women face bipolar illness during pregnancy but it still happens. It happens because of the hormonal changes as well as the mental change. Which then increases the range of mood swings to depressed to manic. But, it is also to note that pregnancy induces a certain level of mood swings. But, a person who is suffering from bipolar disorder will show frequent and extreme mood swings. Read More about Bi-Polar Disorder.

These problems can occur because of the reasons mentioned below:

• Past history of any mental health problem.
• Feeling that you lack support from your surroundings.
• Having an unstable relationship with your spouse or your environment.
• Currently going through abuse or any past experience of abuse.
• Addiction to any kinds of drugs, alcohol or nicotine.

When you are pregnant it is always advisable to keep a check on your mental health. There may be times where you are feeling of ups and downs. Seeking a mental health professional is not a sign of weakness.

Below are the symptoms you can look out for to know it is time to seek a mental health professional:

Feeling Sad Constantly:

As mentioned above, feelings of ups and downs will occur during pregnancy. But, if you are constantly feeling down for more than 2 weeks, it is advisable to seek counselling.

Unable to Function:

If negative thoughts and feelings are constantly plaguing your mind. Hence, you are not able to function or do your daily work.

Symptoms of Depression:

If you are showing signs and symptoms of depression like loss of interest or hopelessness. You can read more about the symptoms of depression here.

Anxious/Worried:

You are constantly feeling anxious or worried about something or the other most of the times.

Symptoms of OCD:

You are constantly plagued by negative thoughts inside your head and to stop them you are indulging in the same activity over and over again.

Accepting help from others is not a sign of weakness. Counselling can help in various other ways, which will make the experience of childbirth a smooth and happy process. Also, if you or someone you know is suffering from any of the above symptoms then please visit a mental health professional immediately.

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Insomnia is a sleeping disorder that involves trouble with falling asleep or staying asleep. We all have days when we find it hard to fall asleep, or wake up sooner than we had planned on. This can happen due to several reasons such as being extremely stressed or physically exhausted. While this problem is known as transient insomnia as it is experienced for some time and does not have long-lasting negative impacts on one’s health and well-being, chronic insomnia is when one starts to have such nights at least three nights a week for over a period three months or more. Chronic insomnia can be a result of environmental, psychological and/or physical issues. Here we give you 7 Signs you have Insomnia.

Mentioned below are symptoms of insomnia –

• Trouble falling asleep.
• Difficulty staying asleep. Waking up in the midst of the night and then having trouble falling back asleep.
• Waking up early in morning.
• Not feeling fresh after sleeping (known as non-restorative sleep). Experiencing low energy or fatigue most of the time.
• Difficulty in concentrating, retaining or remembering information.

  

• Feeling irritable, acting impulsively or aggressively.
• Lack of muscle coordination, slowing down of reflexes, and headaches.

Identify signs of insomnia that you may have using the following tips –

• Assess how long it takes you to fall asleep.
• Monitor your sleep. If you wake up in the midst of the night, note down the time. See how many hour of continuous sleep you are getting.
• See if you don’t feel well-rested and refreshed after sleeping, or feel tired during the day.

  

• Monitor for mood changes. Make sure your insomnia is not the result of some other psychological disorder such as anxiety or depression.

As a result of these cognitive impairments, mood disturbances, and behavioral problems, one might face trouble not just at school or work, but also in one’s personal life. Other than affecting one’s productivity, insomnia can affect one’s relationships and enjoyment of life as well.

If left untreated, over time insomnia can have negative effects on one’s general overall health, making one more prone to illnesses such as heart diseases, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. If you too are experiencing chronic insomnia, then make sure you seek professional help.

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Art therapy is a modern form of therapy.  It replaces the traditional therapy model by making use of imaginative structures. It is generally combined with other forms of psychotherapy. Although more beneficial for children, especially those who have trouble expressing their emotions, art therapy can be used with adults as well. Everyone can be creative in some form or the other. Therefore, what art therapy aims to do is, provide people the opportunity to think and act creatively. For this purpose, it uses a variety of modalities such as clay, paint, paper, color pencils etc.

It has the following benefits –

• Self-exploration: Art therapy offers a means of catharsis, by providing an insight into feelings that one might not have been previously aware of.
• Self-worth: The entire process (creative and analytical) involved in the creation of an artwork and then seeing a tangible end product provides a sense of fulfillment.
• Empowerment: Art therapy allows one to express one’s emotions and fears that one might not have been able to verbally. Thus, by allowing a sense of control over one’s feelings, it provides a sense of empowerment.
• Brain connectivity and plasticity: By encouraging creative thinking, art therapy simulates the process of creation of new pathways in your brain.
• Stress buster: Artistic and creative activities help you forget your problems and calm down. It provides you a mental escape and helps you connect with yourself better.

• Mental health: Art therapy improves the mental health of people suffering from other illnesses or traumatic experiences as well. Art therapy has benefits for – cancer patients; survivors of violence; substance abuser and addicts; people suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and other emotional issues. It also helps people deal with relationship issues.
• Rapport Formation: It serves as a great tool for ice breaking, especially with children.

Psychologist is explain more about the Art therapy

Art therapy is not a tool for aiding healing, but an instrument for promoting mental well-being.

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When someone you know dies of committing a suicide, it can be one of the scariest and upsetting experiences of your life. It is perhaps one of the worst ways of losing someone you love as it often leaves one with feelings of helplessness and guilt. Why someone commits suicide is hard enough for adults to understand and accept, and so explaining or talking about it to children becomes even more of a challenge.

The reasons why most adults tend to hesitate or avoid having conversations about death (especially suicide) with children are twofold. One, these conversations make us feel uncomfortable. Two, we feel protective abou them. Therefore, we are afraid of the kind of impact they might have on the child. However, sooner or later, depending on how prepared you feel you as well as the child are to have the conversation, you will have to have this conversation with your child.

Some guidelines to help you go about doing it are as follows:

• Use simple language and avoid euphemisms such as “he/she went to a better place”. Be factual.
• Be honest. Explain suicide the way you would any other kind of death. Just like any other form of death is caused by a physical problem, explain how suicide is a result of issues related to mental health, without any blaming or judgment.
• Alter your content based on the child’s age.
• Encourage questions and be prepared to answer a lot of them.
• Be prepared to handle a range of reactions (such as disinterest, numbness, aggression, distress or withdrawal).

  

• Give them time to process this new information and support them in this process.
• Reassure them about their security.

It is important to understand that talking about suicide does not increase the risk of it.

Instead, it makes one aware how important mental health is in one’s life. It also helps one recognize suicide as an outcome of an illness rather than an act of selfishness or irresponsibility. It encourages one to be vigilant and seek as well as offer help in time.

Among youth aged between 10-24 years, suicide is the second most leading cause of death. With mounting pressure of exams and competition with peers, suicides are on a rise. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to talk about it with your child, so that they know that they can discuss it with you anytime they want. Understanding of the mental health issues that lead one to commit suicide, will help children recognize what places them at risk and talk about it.

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“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain!” ~Bob Marley

No matter what your emotional state is, I’m sure you must have observed that there is always some kind of music that just perfectly blends with your mood.

Various researchers too now provide a scientific backing to the positive effects of music on mental health that people claim. Not only does music help ease our pain, it has several other mental and physical health benefits as well. Read on to discover them –

• Music helps reduce the perceived intensity of pain.
• Fast and upbeat music increases your workout motivation and endurance. That is probably why a lot of gyms have music playing in them.

  

• Helps the body recover faster after a session of workout.

• Playing soft music in the background while having a meal reduces your speed of eating.

• Consequently, this reduces the amount of food you consume. This can probably be attribued to the fact that when eating slow, one is more mindful of what and how much they eat.

• It makes you feel happier by enhancing the blood flow in your vessels.

• It improves your sleep quality and helps reduce symptoms of insomnia.
• By releasing biochemicals that are meant for stress reduction, music helps you relieve your stress and also deal with symptoms of anxiety.
• Slow rhythmic music can alter brainwave patterns in a manner that produces a state similar to that while meditating.
• While heavy metal music might have an adverse effect on your depression, the right kind of music can uplift your mood and reduce symptoms of depression.
• Not only does listening to music make you more aware and in touch with your feelings, but it also promotes mood regulation.
• It helps improve your performance on cognitive tasks by increasing your ability to concentrate.
• Music helps you stay cool in high-pressure situations by decreasing your respiratory and heart rate. Thus, when stuck in traffic, or when going to play a game under a lot of pressure, turn up the music to calm yourself down.
• Music therapy is used to treat a lot of mental disorders such as Schizophrenia, Alzheimer, Dementia, Autism, Depression, Anxiety etc.

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What is an eating disorder?

Unlike the popular notion, eating disorders are not a form of extreme dieting or a lifestyle choice. Instead, they are a serious mental disorder which often has fatalistic consequences (mental disorder with highest mortality rate). An eating disorder is characterized by unhealthy and abnormal eating practices that as a result have an adverse impact on one’s mental and physical health. Over 70 million people worldwide suffer from some form of eating disorder during their lifetime. With its onset usually during adolescence, the disorder is found to be more prevalent among women than men.

Types of eating disorders

There are three types of eating disorders:

1. Anorexia nervosa – this disorder is characterized by extreme restriction of one’s food intake, often to the extent of starving oneself. Symptoms include:

• Extremely restricted eating
• Emaciation due to an unwillingness to maintain a normal body weight
• Distorted body image
• Intense fear of weight gain

  

2. Bulimia nervosa – people suffering from this order engage in regular episodes of binge eating, which they follow up with compensatory behaviors. Binge eating involves consuming large quantities of food in a short span due to a loss of self-control. Compensatory behaviors include actions taken to control one’s weight after binge eating, such as self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics, fasting, excessive exercising, and use of other drugs. Symptoms include:

• Recurrent episodes of binge eating and consequently engaging compensatory behaviors
• Distorted body image and preoccupation with eating and body weight

  

3. Binge eating disorder – people suffering from this disorder engage in recurrent episodes of binge eating. However, unlike bulimia nervosa, people suffering from this disorder do not engage in compensatory behaviors. Thus, people with this disorder are often found to be obese. Symptoms include:

• Eating large amounts of food in a short span of time
• Consuming food in spite of feeling full
• Eating even when you are not feeling hungry
• Eating secretly in order to avoid the embarrassment of people noticing how much one is eating
• Feeling depressed, guilty, and disgusted with oneself after eating

Causes

Eating disorders can be a result of temperamental, genetic, physiological, and environmental factors. Risk factors thus include:

• Individuals suffering from depression, anxiety disorders or obsessional traits
• Individuals with low self-esteem
• Body image dissatisfaction
• Cultures, or professions that value thinness
• A first-degree biological relative suffering from the disorder
• Childhood sexual or physical abuse
• Internalization of an ideal appearance
• Childhood obesity
• Early pubertal maturation

Treatment

Based on an individual’s need, treatment plans can be tailored using any one or a combination of the following methods:

• Psychotherapy
• Medication
• Nutritional counseling and monitoring

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Do you feel extremely happy on some days, but extremely sad on other days? Are these shifts in your mood interfering with your day-to-day functioning, therefore making it hard for you to focus on tasks or sleep? Then there is a chance that you might be suffering from Bipolar Disorder (also known as manic-depressive disorder), which is a mental illness that leads to unusual shifts in one’s mood, energy levels, and ability to function.

The mood changes for a person suffering from any of the four types of bipolar disorder may range from periods of feeling extremely “high”, “up” or “elated” (which is known as a manic episode), to periods of feeling very “low”, “down” or “sad” (which is known as a depressive episode). Thus, these shifts in mood differ from the usual feelings of “low” and “high” that we may experience on a regular basis.

Symptoms of a manic episode –

• feeling euphoric
• having trouble sleeping
• becoming more active than usual
• talking very fast
• having a rush of ideas
• feeling agitated or irritated easily
• indulging in risky behavior.

Symptoms of a depressive episode –

• feeling low or miserable
• sleeping too much or too little
• lack of interest in any activity
• trouble in concentrating
• experiencing lack of energy
• feeling helpless
• changes in appetite
• feelings of worthlesness
• thoughts about death and suicide.

A mixed episode may have symptoms of both. It is imperative for a person to have experienced at least one episode of mania, in order to be diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.

The symptoms of the disorder are extreme and have an adverse impact on a person’s personal as well as professional life. They can also be dangerous for the person, as some people suffering from bipolar disorder also try to hurt themselves or attempt suicide. The disorder is equally common among men and women and usually starts during late adolescence or early adulthood. Possible causes or contributors to the disorder include brain structure and functioning, genetic make-up, hormonal imbalance, and family history. Environmental stressors such as substance abuse, stress, or a traumatic event may also serve as a trigger. Treatment and management of the disorder may include a combination of the following approaches – medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle.

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It is okay to be anxious sometimes when things get out of control. A certain level of stress and anxiety actually helps us achieve our goals. But, when the anxiety and thought patterns start getting out of control it becomes difficult to manage the anxiety. Sometimes, it even leads to a panic attack, where the person starts to palpitate and feels like they are going to have a heart attack. Thus, controlling your anxiety becomes the top priority. Here is some tips to how reduce anxiety.

Hence, below are few tips for controlling your anxiety:

Accept Everything Cannot be Controlled:

Everything is not in our hand; hence we can’t control what is happening in our surrounding. It’s ok to let go sometimes. Most of the time, the things making you feel stressed aren’t actually going to happen. It is just the thought.

Don’t aim for Perfection:

One of the biggest factor adding to our stress and then leading to anxiety is perfection. We can’t always achieve perfection in everything. It is ok to be happy with what you get and what you achieve. It’s the effort which matters.

Replace Negative Thoughts:

Anxiety increases because of the negative thoughts. It is important to replace these negative thoughts with the positive ones. The best way to do this is to keep a diary with you. In this diary, you should start writing all the positive thoughts. Thus, when the negative thoughts start to come, you can look at the diary and remember the positive thoughts. Positive thoughts is very helpful to reduce anxiety.

Relaxation Exercise:

If you have constant anxiety issues, it is important that you start practising deep breathing exercise once a day. Along with deep breathing the person should also practice counting 1-10 (if necessary 20) slowly. So, when the actual anxiety will occur and you start relaxation techniques the body will automatically go to rest and calm state.

Exercise:

It is important to keep your body engaged through various exercises. One can go to the gym, or for a walk, or running or even practice yoga. This will help in keeping the mind at peace and keep the negative thoughts at bay.

Eat Healthily:

A panic attack or an anxiety attack weakens the body. It is important to eat a well maintained healthy diet to keep the energy flowing inside your body. You can also keep energy-boosting snacks with you. This way you will be able to decrease the weakness and actually be able to have positive thoughts.

Limit Alcohol:

It’s very easy to start an addictive behaviour to control your anxieties. Hence, it is important to keep away from alcohol and other substances. In reality, these substances actually increase the chances of a panic attack. Also, they start a dependency behaviour.

Get Proper Rest:

Lastly, it is important to get proper sleep and rest. Daily 8 hours of sleep is mandatory when you are stressed. Getting rest is important to replenish yourself, your mind and body.

The above tips can help you control your anxiety. But, alongside it is necessary to visit a professional also. Thus, if you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety or panic attacks, please visit a mental health professional immediately.

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