Faq

Question: How can I understand if I am having depression?

Answer: You can have an idea whether you are having depression from the following symptoms. Atleast 5 of the following symptoms have to be present during the same 2 weeks : (atleast one of the symptom must be diminished interest or pleasure or depressed mood).

• Depressed mood most of the day
• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all activities most of the day, nearly every day.
• Trouble falling or staying asleep or sleeping too much.
• Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain
• Poor appetite or Increase in appetite nearly every day.
• Feeling tired or loss of energy nearly every day
• Moving or speaking slowly or the opposite ( moving around a lot more than usual).
• Feeling down, worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness, inappropriate guilt
• Trouble concentrating on things
• Thoughts that you would be better off dead or of self hurting.

If you think you are having depression, then please consult a mental health professional.

Question: I am going through lot of stress. How I can cope with my stress?

Answer:

• Talk with somebody you trust
• Make a list of all the things that are causing stress in your life. Make a hierarchy ie. 1 being causing minimum stress and 10 being the maximum. Now first start addressing the cause of stress from the minimum and then gradually address the one that is causing the maximum stress. Do not try to solve all of them together.
• Take a break- try to be engaged with something that gives you some kind of joy and mental peace. It could be going out for a vacation or may be spending some time doing something which usually you don’t do daily.
• Relaxation- sit comfortably, take a few slow deep breaths and quietly say in your mind as you breathe out” relax”. Repeat slowly two to three times.
• Hobbies - Try to find time for some hobbies- may be set aside some time when you can do something which you left years ago. May be singing, listening to music, photography, gardening.
• Physical activity – exercise such as brisk walk also helps to combat with stress. Keep aside some time to walk in the neigbourhood.
• Gratitude journal – keep a journal – write about something for which you are grateful for today.
• Social support- close relationships with friends, co- workers, spouses or companions may give emotional support and thereby helps in a way to relieve stress.

Still if you cannot cope up with the stress, then please consult a mental health professional.

Question: I am having difficulty with my sleep ? Please help.

Answer: Sleep is very important for both good physical health and mental health. Some of the tips for sleep hygiene as follows:

• Regular sleep routine- maintain a regular sleep routine. Yiu must go to bed and get up at the same time.
• Please keep the bed room dark during bed time.
• Before going to bed- try not to do any office or any other tedious work. Before 1- 11/2 hours going to bed you try to avoid mobile phones.
• Try to use your bed room to sleep.
• If you lie on the bed more than 30 mins and you still do not get sleep then get up and do something- like reading or listening to music. Again go back to bed when you feel sleepy.

Question: How I can take care of my mental health during this pandemic?

Answer:

1. Building your inner strengths: we all have inner strengths. Identify your inner strengths and try to develop those strengths. This will help you to feel more energetic and will enhance your happy feeling. Do can start a new hobby. Find something that gives you joy or mental peace.
2. Strengthen your connection: physical distancing does not mean social distancing. Connect with people who matters to you. You may contact with your childhood friends, or relatives. Maintaining healthy relationship is important for your wellbeing. You can stay at home and still be social by joining your friends online. You can have an online coffee party with friends.
3. Discover the power of gratitude- we all think of our bad times. But we overlook many things for which we should be grateful today. Before going to bed, make a habit of keeping a list of things for which we are grateful. This will help us to deal with adversities of life. Research has linked the benefit of gratitude which includes strengthening our immune system. Finding joy in small things is also important to boost out well-being.
4. Cultivate self- compassion- try to touch the inner peace by being non- judgmental. We must care for ourself and for those around us.
5. Emotional and physical self- care is important. Our physical health effects our well- being. Even if you cannot go outdoors, you can do exercise indoor. Eat well and sleep well every day. Remember- if you are healthy, you can take care of others. If you are healthy, you are happy. Research shows that happiness is contagious. If you are happy, people around you is likely to be happy too.
6. Try to set limits -say “no” to things which you cannot do. Try to be assertive. Also try to focus on things which are under your control ( like maintaining hand washing hygiene, wearing your mask) rather than focusing on things which are not under your control ( like Pandemic, behaviour of other people).
7. Limit your time in watching or reading or discussion news of Corona on TV or on social media.
8. Talk about your feelings and emotions to someone you trust or with a mental health professional / counsellor.
9. Can counselling help to cope with my feeling of low mood and anxiety which has increased lately due to the Pandemic situation?

Question: Can counselling help to cope with my feeling of low mood and anxiety which has increased lately due to the Pandemic situation?

Answer: