Psychiatry and Society

(or why the 25 year age-bar on alcohol consumption could be reasonable) Does alcohol have specific neurotoxic effects on the adolescent or young adult brain? This question is the only important one for deciding whether the 25 year age-bar on alcohol consumption in Maharashtra is justifiable. While the debate rages two students from the premier medical college of India drowned in an alcohol fuelled swimming pool misadventure, and in an unrelated incident on the same night five inebriated youths were arrested for disturbing the peace in a residential area. We have seen how to recognise problem alcohol drinking in teenagers , and how to refuse alcohol . This article probes the specific effects of alcohol on the maturing brain. Infancy Alcohol is a neurotoxin. It distorts the normal architecture of the developing brain. This distortion starts during pregnancy when imbibed maternal alcohol crosses the placenta into the foetus. In the foetus alcohol acts on the specially vulnerab...

Bullying by children in schools has serious mental health effects on the victim and the bully. Up to 25% of high school students report being victimised by bullies. 13% of victims have considered suicide. In rural India 31% of middle school students report being bullied (Kshirsagar 2007). Bullying is twice more prevalent in coeducational schools than in girl schools. The prevalence of bullying increases from 13% in the 3rd grade to 46% in the 6th grade. Bullying is higher in classes with more retained students. Bullying occurs in a variety of settings that are an extension of your child's school life. Bullying can occur face to face, by texting or on the web (cyberbullying). Bullying is not a phase of growing up, it is not a joke, and it is not a sign that boys are being boys. Bullying can cause lasting harm - to the victim, the bully and the bully-victim (children who are bullied and also bully other children). Bullying takes many forms Verbal : Name calling, teasing ...

Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence Quitting tobacco is the most important thing you can do to protect your health (AHRQ) Quitting by willpower only 40% of smokers try to quit each year . The success rate of those who quit on their own is about 5% and with self-help books it is about 10%. Most smokers make 5-10 attempts to quit. Unsuccessful attempts to quit are a sign of nicotine dependence. 85% of current daily smokers are nicotine dependent Signs of nicotine dependence Tolerance - Increasing the number of cigarettes smoked per day (Most smokers escalate to a pack) Withdrawal - Mood changes, irritation, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness when unable to smoke Loss of control - Most smokers do not intend to continue, but 5 years later 70% do Increased time spent using the drug - Leaving office/ work-site to smoke Continued use despite harm - cough, hypertension, heart disease Giving up important activities - air travel Are you nicotine dependent? Take the Fagerstrom Te...