A lot of us have a Sociopath in our life whom we have hired, are dating, is married to or are in a deal with; Take a brief look at some of the characteristics to look for in a Sociopath below:

1)Lack of Stable friendships

Balanced and normal people have a range of friends from different phases in their life like school friends, office colleagues or ex-office colleagues, college friends, neighborhood friends etc. Sociopaths do not have long-term stable friends; He/she will drive people away by their strange behavior patterns.

2)Can’t Love

Your sociopath lover/friend/boss is incapable of Love. Being in love is to give up a part of yourself emotionally and they can’t do that. Although they are good at faking all kinds of emotions to achieve what they need.

3)Narcissistic Traits

Sociopaths love themselves; Whatever they do is to serve their own purpose in some way. They have a big and inflated sense of “I” and a tendency to think of their own selves in a grandiose way.

4) No empathy or guilt

Sociopaths completely lack the understanding that their actions can impact others. Although it is not due to the reason that they can’t see it, its more like they don’t care about it. Since sociopaths can’t feel emotions, they are free to pursue any goal in a manner they like, without a second thought.

5) Compulsive Lying

A sociopath will tell you exciting stories about their lives and themselves and all of them would be lies. Surprisingly, you will believe in all of them due to their charming nature. A sociopath is so disillusioned with their own lies that they actually start to believe them. They take a lot of spontaneous risks too and might look very fearless to you.

6) Charming and Intelligent

Sociopaths have a very charming aura that makes people get attracted to them. They would be probably the center of the party or gathering. Especially, if they find you of use, they would be utterly charming towards you.  To add to this attraction is their high IQ which means that they are well versed in a variety of subjects. They can manipulate you very intelligently so that they keep their power over you.

Keep these points in mind when you are dating, hiring, firing, getting married or having a long-term association with someone whose behavior is confusing you and you cannot put a finger on what is going wrong. Trust your emotions around the person!

Learn more About Dr Prerna Kohli

Sounds simple right?! As simple as it sounds; it is indeed a tough task to achieve that picture perfect happy family that smiles together in the billboards and magazines. Most of you have an ideal situation in mind where you are wise parents who are able to deal with almost all calamities calmly. Although, in real life all families have their own set of inadequacies, flaws and some unsolvable issues, a lot can still be achieved in terms of creating a stable, and safe atmosphere at home.

Here are some steps you can take:

1)Tell your children about your family history

When your children know the stories of people who came before them, they generally have a higher sense of control over their lives and high self-esteem. Have dinner table conversations, about their forefathers. Research shows that children who were told about how their elders overcame a business difficulty or ups and downs in the family, considered their families to be better functioning and hence the higher levels of self-esteem and an integrational self. They had the understanding that they belonged to something that was bigger than their own self.

2)Reduce stress

In a survey to kids, it was asked what their one wish about their parents was? No, it was not to spend more time with parents; they wished that their parents are less stressed and tired. Stress, of parents, weakens kids brains, decreases their immunity, makes them obese, more prone to mental illness, allergies, tooth problems, and allergies too.

3)Have meals together

If you have meals together,  your children have fewer chances of getting addicted to alcohol, drugs, or smoke. They will also have lesser chances of getting pregnant, commit suicide or have eating disorders. In addition, they will have a better vocabulary, good manners, healthier diets, and higher self-esteem. Eating meals together will also ensure your children getting better grades and less behavioral issues.

4)Maintain a power hierarchy

Make sure everyone knows their place in the family, though a hierarchy of power seems like an old idea. It is a good idea to let children have some say in family issues, but you as parents should not lose your footing in order to do excessive justice to this idea. You as parents should hold a firm but kind authority and do not get too indulged with the idea of happiness; have a firm boundary and do not let them blur. When everyone knows their place you can relax about other things.

Do not worry if you cannot be perfect and are not able to implement all of these; remember that no family can be airbrushed like in pictures but always try to do your best. One step at a time is good enough for a happy family!

Learn more About Dr Prerna Kohli

Response to Failure is what demarcates a successful person from a person who has failed. When you fail, you become vulnerable by becoming open to interpretation by others.  You suffer from victimization, self-pity and also tend to catastrophize the event. But, No failure is final! You have to choose deliberately what you infer from the event of failure; Either it will be an excuse or a legendary story behind your success. Embrace vulnerability and let your wounds be out in the open; It is only when you accept the shortcomings that you grow out of them.

Attitude is the only Important factor in trying times…

A Study was done by Psychologist Albert Bandura to find out the role of attitudes in the face of failure. He segregated people into two groups and made each group perform an identical management task. Group A was told that the study was to test their management abilities and the Group B was told that the task was just an opportunity to improve, practice and be re-done.  The Researchers intentionally made the task very difficult so that each one fails at it.

Group A, Felt like losers because they weren’t able to perform and were also not able to make any improvement when given a second chance. While, Group B, performed progressively higher with each trial and looked at the failure as an opportunity to improve. When the two groups were asked to rate themselves, Group B was found to be more confident than Group A.

The next time you fail and catch yourself wallowing in self-pity, Focus on the most important thing you can control: Attitude

Keep these in mind when you encounter a failure:

• Everything that is good takes time to happen! Author Gladwell said that, if you want to be a master of anything, invest 10,000 hours of tireless focus.
• Check whether you are Just busy or Productive. Realise that success is not the result of movement but a child of undivided focus. You are the product of your output, not effort.
• Internalise that some events are always out of your control, however, how you react to these is always within your control. Your attitude will turn a mistake into a learning experience and will also ensure that your ego doesn’t go through the roof when you arrive victoriously.
• Do something that makes you feel good about yourself rather than comparing yourself to others. Your self- worth must come from Inside, not from the evaluation of others; that is a very flimsy ground to stay on.
• Perfection is a Fiction. Human beings are bound to make mistakes. If being perfect is your goal you will always fail. Just Try to be better than yesterday.

You will regret nothing but the chances that you didn’t Take. Not that you should take mindless risks but calculated risk. When taking a road less traveled ask yourself “ What is the worst that could happen?”. The worst thing that could possibly happen to you is that you allow yourself to die while you are still alive.

If you want to be successful, learn from your experiences. Learn from the failures and from the triumphs.

Keep changing yourself for the better!

Learn more About Dr Prerna Kohli

Also, read About Procrastination

If you constantly feel like a failure, Take our test on Depression.

Acting without thinking, getting fidgety, daydreaming is normal for kids. They may blurt out things randomly and may not follow instructions. But when such actions continue, it might be a matter of concern. Parents may even label their kid as notorious, lazy or troublemakers.

However, you must give it a thought that the child might have some hyperactivity issues.

ADHD: Meaning, Types, Symptoms

ADHD is a neurological disorder. Lacks of attention, impulsivity or hyperactivity are signs of ADHD.

It has three subcategories- Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive and combination. A child with the disorder may show the following symptoms:

• Fleeting attention
• Absent-mindedness
• Not willing to sit in one place while eating, doing work or watching TV
• Easily distracted
• Forgets and loses things
• Interrupts while others talk
• Can’t wait for their turn
• Need repeated reminders
• Extremely verbal
• Unorganized
• Fidgety and restless

First, ADD or now called the Inattentive type ADHD, has symptoms where the child would be lack focus, forgetful and is unorganized. In turn, they make careless mistakes, are unable to complete tasks under given deadlines, would avoid tasks that involve excess mental efforts and are very easily distracted. Such kids, as they further grow, may face self-esteem issues.

Second, Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD, has symptoms where the child is very fidgety. For this reason, he may not sit in one place, runs a lot, talks a lot. He may have problems waiting for his turn and may interrupt others while talking. There could be situations where he couldn’t even wait for a question to finish and just jabber the answer.

Third, Combination type ADHD has at least 6-7 symptoms of inattentive and 6-7 symptoms of a hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD.

ADHD is a condition which is actually caused because of the wiring of the brain system and it cannot be cured. But there are treatment options available. Some of them are:

Medication

The medications are helpful in reducing the hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour and improve cognition. Furthermore, they also enable better motor coordination. For instance, the most common are the stimulants that help to produce dopamine and norepinephrine that help with attention and cognition. Apart from that, there are antihypertensive drugs or medicines to improve cognition.

Family Therapy

A support from the family always makes a great influence on the child. It is important for the family to accept the child for all what he got. A positive and understanding attitude from the parents and siblings can really reduce the levels of frustration and self-criticism the child develops over the time.

Behavioural Therapies

This is a kind of psychotherapy which helps the child to alter his behaviour. The child will be able to monitor his behaviour. And every time for the appropriate reaction instead of an impulsive one, the child gets a reward that further encourages him. The people around like family members or teachers should also praise them for every improvement. There are set rules and routines that the child follows.

Social Skills Training

The child is provided with social skills training. This helps him in improved friendships and interpersonal skills, helping them further to develop a healthy social life.

Psycho-educating Families

It is very important for the families to understand the functioning of brain and behaviour of the child. A proper professional explanation would give the family more insight to them about the child. This will help them understand and support their child better.

Quick Tips

Besides the above treatment options available, some quick tips to handle a hyperactive child:

• Monitor sugar intake
• Consult for a diet plan
• Make schedules to be followed
• Follow performance-reward technique
• Help them keep organized
• Make them note down tasks

Does your child have the symptoms of hyperactivity? Or is it just his tantrums? Do you need guidance?

Call us at +91-9069069069.

Food is amongst one of the three basic necessities of life. It is very important for kids to eat healthy and proper food for right growth and development. But the recent scenarios show an increase in the number of eating disorders amongst children. There is no set age for it to develop. It could be an adolescent as well as a kids as young as 6-7 years of age. They are concerned, in an unhealthy way, about what and how much they are eating.

The main types of eating disorders are:

Anorexia

The child has an irrational fear of becoming fat. Hence, would avoid eating an adequate amount of food. In extreme scenarios, some might vomit out food after eating. The child feels overweight, even when the reality is totally opposite.

A kid with this issue shows symptoms like sadness, anger, depression or excessive worry.

Bulimia

The child eats big chunks of food first and then tries to get rid of it either by vomiting or taking a laxative. They might even do an excessive workout, in private, to get rid of the calories. They have no control over their binging and find such ways to keep a control on their weight.

A kid with this issue loses weight despite excessive eating. He starts working out immediately after eating or uses medicines to make them either vomit or defecate or pee.

Binge Eating

The child rapidly eats big chunks of food, but does not make efforts to get rid of the same. This is more of a compulsive behaviour. The victim has loss of control in the situation. They, over the time, tend to gain weight.

A kid with the issue could be struggling with psychological issues like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, the feeling of guilt and disgust, etc.

Improper eating habit leads to stunt development in kids. Some of the symptoms to watch out are:

1. Refusal to eat or over-eating
2. Reduction or increase in portion size
3. Hoarding or hiding food
4. Isolation
5. Growth and development issues
6. Weight loss or weight gain
7. Irregularities in the menstrual cycle in girls
8. Changes in personality

The disorder not only leads to change in eating habits but can turn out to be life-threatening as well.

There is no specific reason for the eating disorders, but a combination of various psychological, social, biological factors contributes to the problem. The culture phenomenon like being thin or underweight is healthy and makes you more acceptable also adds on. Psychological or psychiatric disorders could also be the reason.

Some of the steps parents or teachers can take on their parts to help the children with eating disorders:

1. Avoid food as a reward
2. Do not give too much value to physical appearance or criticize them for the same
3. Do not force the child to eat beyond the capacity
4. Provide awareness to your child regarding the same
5. Keep a check on their behaviour
6. You can encourage the child to get involved in sports and exercises
7. Encourage and be emotionally available for the child
8. Do not over pressurize the child with unrealistic goals
9. Introduce them to great idols of different shapes and sizes

It is important to seek professional help if the elders are unable to help the child cope up with their problems. The child might need a nutritionist, doctor or a psychiatrist or counsellor, depending on the need. Taking an action, as soon as possible, is important.

Do you feel your child could relate to the above symptoms? Do you want expert advice regarding the same?
Call us at +91-9069069069.

When we say the term ‘bullying’, we often picture a child at school getting picked on. But it could be a child in the kindergarten or in the college to a person working in an MNC or hospital, who is facing it, inflicting it or witnessing it. An adult may be able to handle the situation and come out of it, but when it is a child in the similar scenario, he might have a great psychological impact. This can further affect the development of his personality as an adult in turn affecting the parents and the community.

The popular Netflix series ’13 Reasons why”, the latest “Insatiable”, etc., and movies like ‘Mean Girls’, “A Girl Like Her’, “Hope Floats”, have one thing in common which is the concept of bullying. These show how popular or physically attractive kids torment other kids and get away with it most of the times.
Bullying impacts, not just the kid who gets bullied, but also the one who bullies and the others who see it happening. Let’s see how that happens.

THE VICTIM

Affects the ability to trust

Bullying creates a strong sense of distrust in the child. It might not come to notice initially, but as the child matures and socializes, this profoundly developed mistrust emerges strongly. It becomes one of the major reasons for failed relationships and friendships in the person’s life.

Affects the ability to learn

The child constantly worries about being bullied. He thinks that where, when, why and how he could be targeted next. This leads to lack of concentration and increased levels of stress, distracting him and negatively affecting his brain receptors.

Hatred towards School and Teachers

The child does not feel accepted in the school and feels unsafe. He might start showing great resistance to going to school. A lot of kids drop out of schools and colleges because of the issue. Or even if they continue, the school incidents affect their academic performances. They even tend to develop a strong disliking towards the teachers and the whole school system as they feel helpless and victimized.

Vengeful Behavior

The child feels like nobody cares enough for him. He reaches a point where his anger overtakes his sanity. The child might often act out. He may plan to take revenge from the people around whether they are responsible or not. We have come across many incidents in the news of school shooting and the attacker had a history of being bullied.

Mental Health Issues

Such situations could be emotionally taxing for the child. He constantly faces criticism for looks, clothes, any disability (if there), etc., leads to a low sense of self-worth and creates major self-esteem issues. The child is constantly stressed out. This, if prevails for long, further leads to anxiety issues, depression, PTSD, etc. The child could even become suicidal.

Few symptoms a child might show that indicate bullying at school:
• Change in eating patterns
• Remains aloof
• Change in sleeping patterns
• Avoids socializing
• Exhausted most of the times
• Ignores going to school
• Nightmares
• No play dates

THE ATTACKER

The attacker here would be the one who bullies others. They are likely to:

• Engage in violent behaviour
• Use drugs and alcohol
• Engage in sexual activities early or offensive of nature
• Engage in criminal activities
• Be abusive towards the partner or children
• Develop a sense of entitlement
• Involved in damaging public or private property

THE WITNESS

The kids around witnessing bullying also bear its effects. They are likely to:

• Develop a fear of the bullies
• Skip school
• Involves in drug and alcohol abuse
• Develop mental health problems

Even after making strict laws and rules, we often come across cases of suicides in colleges and schools due to this reason. Such incidents affect the lives of the people around and the families of the children involved. There is an increase in the number of suicide cases because of bullying. People discriminate the victim on the basis of colour, race, nationality, the type of clothes they wear, body structure, etc. And when nobody comes to their rescue, family or friends, it increases the issues they are already going through, affecting their mental well-being.

Do you happen to know a child in such situation? Do you think he needs help? Call us at +91-9069069069.

We often think of Mental health as a blessing, a gift that is given by birth or that is hereditary but miss out on the environmental and cognitive factors that make us mentally ill.

You might be living in a Posh Locality, in a luxurious home with all the best things that are available in the market but you still spend your 100 percent time all inclusive in a place called your “Mind”. That place also needs some renovation and beautification. Have you ever noticed the beautiful accent tap, that you worked hard for and earned to put up in the bathroom and felt happy seeing it when you had a bad fight with your wife or an argument with your boss? Most people would have “No” as an answer to that question!

If you spend so much of time here, it calls for some thought from your side to make your mind a beautiful Place to stay in.

We could do a few things that could make us Mentally healthy, just like we do a few things for our Physical health:

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Negative people suck all energy out of you and drain you mentally. They find fault in every solution and make an effort to find something that did not go well. While positive people are solution focused. They try to get the good out of everything and make efforts to make things better than before. They do not complain about what went wrong and see what good can be done with the available resources. Research has shown that people who have healthy connections with friends and family are happier than people who lack social support; hence make plans with friends, join a group of your interest, visit a club or a class where you can meet new people.

Give yourself into something

Try to find some time to volunteer some activity by using your time and energy in something that could help someone in need. You do not have to be a millionaire like Bill Gates to do a good deed for someone, and the reward you will get out of this is the feeling of contribution and happiness for doing it. You could start with sharing a good thought with a friend who is going through an emotional breakdown and let them know you are there, donate your used clothes to the random kids that come begging to you for money at the signal (You do not need to be associated with an NGO to do these ) or teach the kids of your house-help for an hour free on the weekends. Get creative, do something that you can do by just existing right now!

Manage and deal with your stress

With all that you have to deal with in today’s life, stress is as inevitable as Death. Life has become easier with technology, but to deal with technology in an effective way is a stress. It’s like a circle, it gets back from where it started. Hence, learn to deal with stress by being mindful, meditating, learning Tai-chi, walk in the garden, write in your journal about whatever is concerning you etc.  Bring humor in life and try to see things in an easier way rather than being uptight about everything. Research says, that a good laughter can ease your pain, boost your immune system and, reduce stress and relax your body.

Be Realistic in Goal-setting

Write down all your personal, professional or academic goals and divide them into steps that need to be taken, immediately, in the next five years and ten years to achieve them. Aim big but always assess your capabilities realistically and keep in mind your weaknesses along with your strengths to achieve these goals. Do not aim to trek to the Himalayas in a month after joining a trekking club. This kind of unrealistic goal-setting will only make you feel like a failure and eventually, you will quit your goal. Like they say, Assess the strength of your legs before you decide to Run and win a race!

Get out of the Monotony

Routines make you more secure and efficient in your work but when it gets very tedious, perk up your schedule a little. Change the usual jogging route you take, take a trip by road, walk in a different park in some other locality, Hang out different pictures in your living room, try a different cuisine in a restaurant or talk to someone who is totally opposite to your way of thinking and has different goals in life. This kind of change not only breaks your monotony but also makes your mind a little more flexible and accepting towards different views of life.

Value yourself

Be kind to yourself and respect your life. Avoid negative-self talk at all cost and try to build a positive self-esteem by doing things that matter to you. If you do not love yourself you will not be able to appreciate anything around yourself. Make time to practice your hobbies, spend money on yourself, go to a Spa, upgrade your knowledge, read books, forgive others when they hurt you and more importantly forgive yourself for letting them hurt you.

Don’t do drugs

Alchohol, cigarettes, weed, heroin whatever level of drugs you do to get pleasure, just get rid of it. Try to get the stimulation that you need from something creative and pro-Life. Seek help if it is difficult for you to quit!

Get Help

When you feel that things are not manageable at your level, seek help! It is a sign of strength, a decision to change the things that are no longer working for you and move ahead in life. Your weaknesses become your limitations only when you choose not to work on them! An expert can help you see your old problems in an entirely new perspective based on the kind of Personality and unique situations you are in.

Talking about sex or the sexual disorders has been a big taboo. People are hesitant to discuss it, especially when it comes to disorders. People with sexual dysfunction often feel embarrassed and are afraid to talk about it to others or even avoid seeking help.

There could various physical as well as psychological reasons that could cause sexual disorders. A few of them are:

• Neurological disorders
• Alcoholism
• Drug Abuse
• Heart diseases
• Diabetes
• Liver or kidney failure
• Intake of medication like antidepressants
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Strained relationship
• Sexual abuse
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Trauma
• Mental health disorders like depression
• Pressure to perform sexually

These disorders are common and it is always better to take proper treatment before things go out of hands. Some of the common disorders in men are:

Erectile Dysfunction

Inability to get an erection or to maintain the same is what erectile dysfunction refers to. Apart from the narrowing of blood vessels in the penis, diabetes or hormonal imbalances, there could be various mental health issues that could cause this problem. The stress to please the partner or maybe the lack of interest in sex could also the add-on.

The therapy would focus on how to reduce the anxiety of the intercourse. A past incident could continue to impact the person. The therapist would encourage the person to deal with the stress of the same.

Ejaculation Problems

When it comes to ejaculation problems in men, there could be three scenarios. First, where there the ejaculation is too quick during the intercourse, like before or within one minute of penetration. The average time for the same is around 5 minutes.

Second, when there is a delay or being unable to ejaculate during intercourse.

And lastly, retrograde ejaculation, where the sperms instead of passing through urethra go back inside the bladder. There would be either no or less semen, but the orgasm would be still experienced.

The therapy would focus on behaviour alteration. The partner could also be involved, who would help the man to stretch the stimulation for the longer duration. The major reasons for ejaculation problems are psychological factors like stress and trauma. In certain cases, there could other medical conditions.

Loss of interest in Sex

The person could be losing interest in sex or any kind of sexual fantasies. It could be due to stress, anxiety or an unstable relationship.

During the therapy, the therapist would make the client focus on their approach towards the sex and would try to help them figure out how and why it started. If there is any relationship problem, that would also be discussed through couple counselling. Apart from that keeping a journal of the sexual thoughts or fantasies could also be suggested.

Dyspareunia

The person is basically experiencing pain or facing difficulty during intercourse. It is caused due to the physical problem in males and consulting other medical professionals like a urologist is preferred.

Sexual intimacy is an important part of building a relationship and developing a bond between two people. Its lack may lead to an unhealthy relationship and distancing two people. There are signs where you would need to look into the matter seriously and seek professional help. One of you might be dissatisfied with your sex life and you both are losing the touch because of the same. Your sex life might be causing arguments and causing disappointment.

Apart from physical examination, there could be relationship counselling or psychosexual therapy that could help you deal with a problem as well as come out of it.

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses, has affected approximately 57 million people in our country. This is equal to 18 % of the people affected by depression across the globe, according to WHO.
Recently, a lot of celebrities have opened about their mental health struggles and have shared ups and downs of their journey. And this has encouraged common people to come out and talk about the issues they are facing.
But still, a lot of myths prevail about the illness.

Everyone suffers through depression at some or the other point in life

A lot of people, still, take depression as a normal situation, whereas it is a proper clinical disorder. They often compare it with sadness or circumstantial stress, which is not the case. A lot of studies show that depression is not only the disproportion of the chemicals in our brain, but it also has other components like hormonal imbalances, shrinking and inappropriate wiring of brain cells, etc.

Only trauma causes depression

Certain awful and excruciating events often cause depression. A breakup or a divorce, loss of job, death of a loved one may leave you sad and empty for some time, but anything more than two weeks needs to be checked with a professional. You may require medication or counselling or a combination of two to improve your mental health. A depressed person often loses interest in daily life activities, there is the decrease in self-esteem and an increase in the feeling of worthlessness. In situations of post-partum depression or high functioning depression, there is no negative or traumatic event around the victim.

Depression is genetic

There are studies that show that there are chances that if your parents had a history of depression you are more likely to get it. But the significance of the same hasn’t yet been proved. You can always concentrate on the factors that you can manage, instead of worrying.

Pills will solve the problem

Depression does not get cured in a day. It’s not as simple as popping a pill one day and the next day life would turn into rainbow and butterflies. It takes a few weeks before the antidepressant starts showing its effect. Moreover, it totally depends on the professional if he feels the need to prescribe the medicine or not. There are people who opt for psychotherapies to deal with depression. Also, a combination of medicine and psychotherapy is considered to be most effective, when it comes to curing depression.

Exercise and a good diet will cure depression

Surely, a good diet and a regular workout session are beneficial for a good mental health. But believing that including a balanced nutrition diet and a 30 minutes running could cure depression is false.

Medications continue throughout life

A treatment for depression varies from person to person. First of all, not every person going through depression needs medicine. Secondly, it totally depends on your customized treatment plan, that for how long you need to consume the pills.

A depressed person is always negative

When people think about a depressed person, they imagine a person totally confused and crying. They could never imagine a person with favourable situations in life, who looks organized and in control of emotions could be going through depression. Dysthymia or as we know it high functioning depression is a situation where a person could have a great career, perfect relationship and posts happy Instagram pictures and could be the most popular amongst friends. This is a kind of persistent situation which could later lead to major depression if remain untreated.

Talking about depression still continues to be a stigma in our society. Just like any other illness, this can also be cured if sought help at the right time. Talk about your mental health and encourage people around you to talk about theirs.

Do you think you or anyone you know is depressed? Do you need help for the same? Get in touch with us!

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

With the incidence of Singer Demi Lovato being hospitalized due to a Drug overdose, there is a need to discuss Substance Abuse and some of the important things that we need to keep in mind.

What is substance use/ Abuse Disorder?

Substance use disorder is when you use any one or more drugs that are under the 10 classes of drugs that will lead to your health issues, problems at school, work or home. The drugs include alcohol, sedative and anti-anxiety drugs, cannabis, marijuana, caffeine, Hallucinogens like LSD, Inhalants like paint thinner, Opioids, stimulants, Tobacco etc. More importantly, this involves behavior patterns in which you continue to use a substance in spite of having problems that are caused by using it.

The drugs abused could be legal or illegal for use and could also have an accepted medical use. These substances will all affect the reward system of your brain and produce pleasurable feelings. The activation is strong enough for you to intensely crave the substance. You will start to neglect your daily activities to find and use the drug.

When should your alarm ring?

• Inability to control your use of the substance
• You cannot meet your social obligations due to substance use
•  usage of the substance in physically dangerous situations
• You show physical signs of dependence or use
•  consuming the substance in larger amounts and time that was initially planned.
• You want to cut down or stop the use of the substance and fail every time.
• Your interpersonal relationships are strained due to the use of the substance.
• You continue to use the substance despite knowing the ill effects
• Need for more quantity of the same substance to feel the desired effect
• You have unpleasant physical effects when you stop the usage of the substance

How do you help someone or yourself from Drug Abuse Disorder:

Stay away from the Drug community

Most often people who do drugs have a group that they reach for when they do such gatherings around drugs. In a culture where doing drugs has become a part of your social milieu especially if you are a teenager/youngster, it is most essential to take a step away from the friend who suggests you any form of the drug just for fun. You do not have to “Fit-in” when you don’t want to. Remember Drugs should never become your pass-time and also there are no friendly drugs. Fear them!

Get Creative

Find creative ways to manage your boredom. Join groups that match your interests,i.emeet people who are in sync with the things that make you passionate. Replace your night get together’s on Friday nights with a visit to a trekking club, music club, book writing club, or anything that can interest you. Do not do drugs just to make your day good!

Share with Closed ones

If you feel that you are already under the influence of some kind of drug, find help from your friends and family members. There is no shame in seeking help for your weaknesses unless you want to end up on the road without assistance being taken to the hospital without your consent. The ability to admit where you are wrong and what needs improvement is the sign of strength and that will help you grow under all circumstances.

Don’t lean on drugs when under stress

If you are dealing with unpleasantness in your life, there are more chances of falling into the trap of being an addict. But this is exactly the time you should refrain yourself from any kind of drug at all cost. When you do drugs during extreme emotional turbulence, your brain associates with such kinds of emotions. Whenever you face such emotions your brain will tell you to do more of the drugs to avoid the unpleasant or to increase the euphoric feelings. The irony is emotions and situations will always be dynamic and hence you will always reach out for the drugs.

Meet a therapist

If opening up to a close friend or family member is too much work, take an appointment with a Psychologist to reach to the core of your problems. People generally get addicted because of underlying emotional problems which remain unresolved in their unconscious.

GET HELP BEFORE IT GETS LATE!

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