Mental Health and Wellbeing

Lapses and relapses are an integral part of recovery of substance use. This article discusses ways to avoid them and how to deal with it when it happens. Important for the person going through substance use problem and their family to understand. This is part of the series on substance use shared by the Addictions Research Group at Sangath India. Part 1 of the series described about What is Substance Use Disorder Part 2 talked of How to overcome a Substance Use Disorder Part 3 talked…

Aparna Piramal Raje, writer, educator and adviser, has been living with bipolar disorder for 20 years. In her latest book ‘Chemical Khichdi’ she brings us close to her manic depression, her vulnerability and therapies that have helped her succeed. Read her captivating and candid first hand account. Let me begin by congratulating you. Your book ‘Chemical Khichdi – How I Hacked my Mental Health’ on your personal experiences with bipolar disorder is being considered a significant read and a…

While it is important to help out a close person trying to get out of substance use habits, it is also important to draw lines and explain what you will and will not accept. This is part of the series on substance use shared by the Addictions Research Group team at Sangath India. In this article, they focus on supporting substance use recovery of a loved one.   Part 1 of the series described about What is Substance Use Disorder Part 2 talked of How to overcome a…

Anuradha Sridhar is a Corporate professional with multi-sectoral domain experience over the last 17 years. After her third psychotic episode, she took a career break to focus on her mental health and associated treatment. It gave her time to recuperate, to understand mental health better, to write and network with patients and caregivers. She resumed full time employment and continues to create awareness around mental health and provide peer support. #LivedExperienceMatters Dealing with…

हर पांच में से एक आत्महत्या किसी बुजुर्ग की होती है। समीक्षा सिवन लिखती हैं कि यह बहुत ही बड़ा चिंता का विषय है और इस के प्रति स्वास्थ्य सेवा प्रदाताओं, नीति निर्माताओं, समुदायों और समाज के हिस्से के रूप में हम सभी का ध्यान आकर्षित करना आवश्यक है। आत्महत्या और उस की रोकथाम के बारे में जागरूकता बढ़ाने और इस से जुड़े कलंक को मिटाने के प्रयास में  हम 10 सितंबर को विश्व आत्महत्या रोकथाम दिवस के रूप में मनाते हैं। इसके आयोजन का आधार इंटरनेशनल एसोसिएशन ऑफ सुसाइड प्रिवेंशन (आईएएसपी) और विश्व…

Author and writer Usha Jesudasan illustrates, with a parable of Chicken Little who believes the world is coming to an end, how illness related anxiety can get difficult. Here she offers some tried and tested tips that have worked for her to come out of this way of thinking. A visiting friend sneezed and coughed around me.  No, he wasn’t wearing a mask.  I was a bit cross.  I had kept myself safe through the two Covid waves and strictly followed safety measures. I live alone, and…

वर्षा (अनुरोध पर बदला गया नाम) को पिछले 18 वर्षों से सिज़ोफ्रेनिया है – वे अपना अनुभव को साझा करती हैं, उन्होंने सिज़ोफ्रेनिया को कैसे स्वीकार किया, और सिज़ोफ्रेनिया का उनके जीवन और काम के विकल्पों पर क्या असर पड़ा। मेरे बारे में मुझे लगता है कि 21 साल की उम्र में मुझे सिज़ोफ्रेनिया का पता चलने से पहले मैं बहुत अलग व्यक्ति थी। मैं अपने इंजीनियरिंग कॉलेज में थी और सब ठीक चल रहा था जब अचानक मेरे जीवन में यह समस्या आ गई। और फिर मैं उस 'यह मेरे साथ क्यों?' दौर से गुज़री, क्योंकि मेरे अन्य सभी दोस्त…

Overcoming a substance use problem is difficult but not impossible. This article indicates the signs of substance misuse and the approach for recovery from a substance use problem. This is part of the series of content on substance use shared by the Addictions Research Group team at Sangath India. In Part 1 of the series, we spoke about What is Substance Use Disorder  What steps can I take if I am trying to overcome a substance use problem? At first, combating substance misuse might feel…

What is substance use? What are the signs and symptoms of substance use problems? This is first in the series of content on substance use shared by the Addictions Research Group team at Sangath India. Substance use refers to any consumption of psychoactive or mood-altering “substances''. These could be legal substances such as alcohol or tobacco, illegal substances such as marijuana or heroin, and also prescription or over-the-counter medications used for purposes other than those for…

Varsha (name changed on request) shares her experience of living with Schizophrenia for the last 18 years, how she has come to terms with it and how it has affected life and work choices.  WHO AM I  I feel I was a very different person before I was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at the age of 21. I was in my BTech college and things were fine, when suddenly this medical condition was shoved on me. And then I also went through a ‘Why Me?’ phase, because all my other friends were normal.…