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If you are in crisis and have hurt yourself or are thinking about hurting yourself:

Call go to nearest Emergency Room if you are able to

Call your friend or family member and let them know you need help

Call your mental health crisis team.

It is now clear through research that most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of biological, psychological, social, dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors.

Some preventive measures can decrease the likelihood of developing mental illnesses. To name a few: prevent neglect and abuse in childhood , avoid substance abuse , limit exposure to war, provide ample social support, decrease burden of medical disorders, do regular physical exercises, Learn stress and anger management etc.

Statistics show that 1 in every 5 individuals suffers from some form of mental health illness symptoms. 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% of mental health conditions develop by age 24.

Symptoms of mental disorders vary depending on the type and severity of the condition. Some general symptoms that may suggest a mental illness include:

• Problems in concentration
• Long-lasting sadness or irritability
• Recurrent changes in energy
• Extremely high and low moods
• Excessive fear, worry, or anxiety
• Social withdrawal
• Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Strong feelings of anger
• Delusions or hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there)
• Increasing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
• Suicidal thoughts
• Many unexplained physical problems
• Confused thinking
• Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol

According to the diagnosis, treatment can help the client in getting better and in some cases, full recovery can be achieved through adequate combination of medicine and therapy.

If you know someone who is having symptoms of a mental disorder, do not just think that they will snap out of it or illness to go on its own. Inform a family member, a mental health professional, a counselor if you think a friend or family member has symptoms of a mental disorder.

Treatment options include psychotherapy, medicine, a combination of both as well as electroconvulsive therapy, rTMS etc. Treatments can be administered in inpatient and outpatient settings.

Treatment options include psychotherapy, medicine, a combination of both as well as electroconvulsive therapy, rTMS etc. Treatments can be administered in inpatient and outpatient settings.

It is common for people to stop taking their medication when they feel their symptoms have become controlled. Others may choose to stop their medication because of side effects. Another problem with stopping medication, especially if you stop it abruptly, is that you may develop withdrawal symptoms that can be very unpleasant. Always consult your Psychiatrist before starting or quitting any medicine.

Parents are usually the first to recognize that their child has a problem with emotions or behavior. Following are a few signs which may indicate that a child psychiatric evaluation will be useful:

• Marked fall in school performance, Severe worry or anxiety, regular refusal to go to school, or take part in activities that are normal for the child’s age
• Frequent physical complaints.
• Hyperactivity; fidgeting; constant movement beyond regular playing with or without difficulty paying attention
• Persistent nightmares and sleeping troubles.
• Poor social interactions, repetitive acts and restricted interests
• Persistent disobedience or aggression (longer than 6 months) and provocative opposition to authority figures
• Frequent, unexplainable temper tantrums
• Threatens to harm/kill oneself or others

A Following are a few signs which may indicate that a psychiatric evaluation will be useful in the adolescent:

• Marked decline in academic grades
• Inability to cope with activities of daily living
• Difficulties in concentrating on task at school or at home
• Depression shown by pervasive negative mood, often accompanied by poor appetite, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of death
• Severe mood swings
• Repetive and excessive hand washing, checking locks/knobs, praying etc
• Strong worries or anxiety related to stage performance, exams, competition that get in the way of daily life, such as at school or socializing
• Intense anxiety while entering closed spaces like Washrooms, Bus or train coach, Lifts, Chambers, cars etc
• Consumption of alcohol and/or drugs

To talk to a psychiatrist, you need to call or book an appointment.

Although, it is possible to quit smoking on your own. However, few individuals might need medications, counseling or combined medication and counseling. This will help them cope better with withdrawal symptoms, handling the stress and prevent future relapses.

It is clear that alcohol is potentially addictive, can cause intoxication, dependence and contributes to health problems and Liver diseases. If you drink at low levels and continue to drink, risks for these issues appear to be low but not zero.

For example, any amount of drinking increases the risk of breast and colorectal cancer, Celiac diseases, Fatty Liver, Sleep disturbances, weight gain, Generalised weakness, Vitamin deficiencies, Memory deficits and Road traffic accidents.

A garbage myth popped up in scientific literature that moderate drinking was thought to be linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and possibly diabetes. After more analysis of the research, that doesn’t seem to be the case. In general, a healthy diet and physical activity have much greater health benefits than alcohol.