Psychiatry and Society

Sleepless in Pune. Sleeplessness, disturbed sleep, and shift work related sleep problems are interfering with our citizens recovery after a hard days (nights) work. Insomnias and parasomnias are common sleep problems. Once recognised these are treatable. Does it take you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night? Do you wake up too early or frequently at night and have difficulty going back to sleep? Do you feel groggy and lethargic when you wake up? Do you feel drowsy during the day? Do you depend on coffee to get through the day? If you answer "yes" to any of the above questions; you have a sleep problem. You are not alone. 9-18% of adults suffer from treatable insomnia What is insomnia? The inability to fall asleep or remain asleep is insomnia (Latin for ‘no sleep’). In a broader sense insomnia is the inability to get the amount of sleep you need to wake up feeling refreshed. How much sleep do you need? As a rule of thumb an adult requires 7-...

Anger induced electrical changes in the heart Anger management can save your life . Anger can place you at high risk for developing  electrical abnormalities in the heart tissue. These electrical abnormalities are strongly associated with subsequent heart attacks. The chances of surviving an out-of-hospital heart attack are not good. Anger control can save your life by reducing the risk of an out-of-hospital heart attack (Rashba, Lampert 2009). Why we need the emotion of anger Charles Darwin was the first to note the universality of anger and other facial expressions of emotion. He viewed this as evidence that emotional signals like anger have been stamped by evolution into the central nervous system. Anger has an essential survival function. Anger needs to be controlled or managed for it to be effective. Anger management strategies These are strategies to change your attitude to the expression of anger, as also immediate and long term behaviours to control anger. Focus a...

Stressed youths relaxing Academic stress is a significant aspect of youth. Youth is the developmental phase between puberty and working adulthood. It is a period of continuing student-hood. This is a distinctive feature of youth - it exists only for those who undergo post-secondary education. This is for the privileged few who do not join the workforce full-time after schooling. Youth is a valuable time for serious experimentation. The young person is not fettered by long-term commitments. In contrast to adolescence, youth is a period of independence - the peer group is no longer a dominant influence. There is greater freedom to develop as an individual. The young person evolves a personal perspective on life and develops a sense of direction before tackling the duties of adulthood. However this stage of life is by no means stress-free. By definition youth is associated with academics. Academic demands are perceived as significant stressors by youths (Rao 2000, Goff 2011). The...

Exams at St Germain's Pune students need to differentiate true exam stress or test anxiety from rational test anxiety  that occurs due to a lack of adequate preparation. Both conditions need to be addressed differently. True test anxiety is diagnosed when the student panics, "blanks out", or overreacts despite the following (Hanoski 2008): there is enough time for studying study strategies are adequate attendance is regular class material is understood Managing rational test anxiety (Morgan et al, 1986) When there is adequate time for preparation effective learning habits minimise rational test anxiety. Effective learning habits We begin at this stage if the student comes to the clinic 6-8 weeks before the exams. Acquiring effective study skills is essential for all students. Plan and stick to a study schedule . This simple yet crucial first step is often neglected. Spend at least half the study time in elaborative rehearsal,  thinking about what is being re...