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Mental Health

Homeopathic Treatment for Excessive Anger

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Author: Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar Anger is one of the natural instincts in human behaviour. But when this anger goes beyond control, unhappy environment is created in one’s personality trait, in family life and social life. We see family feud, marital disharmony, separation of friendship and crisis in ethical values. Why we become angry? Long-term poverty, debt-trap and financial crisis in the family lead a person to frustration which causes chronic anger. Excessive stress and tension in life-style, disgrace for dejection and failure in life, social deprivation and victimization because of injustice are major causes of excessive anger. Women who become victim of sexual molestation and violence are prone to show anger and rage. Unemployed youths and those who are victims of social, cultural and religious inequalities are very much expressive in anger. Incongruity between personal expectations and attainment leads us to become angry. How many types of anger are expressed? More than 20-25 types of anger are expressed in human nature. Chronic Anger – This kind of anger is expressed from apathy and aversion to people surrounding us and from disgust in life. Paranoid Anger – From the sense of personal insecurity, envy and being mortified at another’s good or prosperity, excessive rage is expressed. Retaliatory Anger – This type of ferocious anger comes in mind from the intention of revenge to enemy. Passive anger – Some kind of displeasure, vexation and rage are expressed indirectly by making indecent gestures and by doing taunting remarks or utterances with ironical comments. Behavioural Anger – This type of anger comes from abnormal behavioural disorders because of acute or chronic mental illness. People with angry personality trait create tumultuous confusion being angry without cause. Judgmental Anger – If anyone becomes victim of outrage and tyranny, oppression and injustice without proper cause or motivatedly, he or she may be blinded with excessive rage. Aggressive Anger – From this type of awful malicious anger, we see aggressive behaviour and many kinds of psychiatric disorders. People become possessed with a murderous frenzy flying into a towering rage. Volatile Anger – This anger lasts very short span of time. Some anger comes on the spur of the moment and comes down in the next few moments. Depressive Anger – People, who suffer chronic anxiety and severe mental depression, are sunken in remorse and self-reproach. They express a natural anger for long term suffering. Moral Anger – Some people cannot tolerate degradation of socio-cultural ethical values and all-pervading moral degeneration. They get enraged and cherish hatred against anti-social elements of the society. What are the manifested physical symptoms of excessive anger? Trembling of hands and legs, having palpitation of heart, flushed face, redness of eyes, increase in blood pressure, headache, physical exhaustion, etc. are important signs and symptoms of violent anger. Do people suffer in diseases due to excessive anger continuing for a long time? Physical problems like indigestion, loss of appetite, constipation are common in anger. Heart attack and brain stroke (cerebrovascular accident) cannot be ruled out in the outcome of fierce anger. Besides, many mental problems come from formidable rage and atrocious anger. People suffer in panic attack, anxiety neurosis, depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), insomnia etc. because of uncontrolled anger. Students suffer from temperament disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning disability (LD) and concentration deficit syndrome if they cannot manage anger. Which types of changes are occurred in brain neurochemistry and neuroendocrine system during uncontrolled anger? During excessive anger, adrenocorticotropic hormone is secreted from pituitary gland and corticosteroid hormone is released from adrenal cortex. In that time, oxytocin and vasopressin along with corticotrophin hormone are released excessively from the hypothalamus. Several neurochemical changes are demonstrated in the direct impact of these hormones. Prefrontal cortex in the human brain is the part which control positive and negative emotions – the left side of this cortex neatly executes our emotional control. Males and females, those who have powerful prefrontal cortex, can manage uncontrolled anger easily. Amygdala inside the limbic system is the emotional centre of the human brain, from where serotonin is released which keeps our mood positive and energetic. If brain serotonin level stays normal, aggressive behaviour and unbridled anger is well managed. As serotonin helps keeping mental equilibrium, it is called ‘happy chemical’. Also, metabolic dysfunctions of the neurotransmitter gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA) can cause unrestrained anger when the level of glutamine secreted from glutamic acid is decreased sharply. Which therapies are useful for anger management? To bring anger under control, some therapies are very effective. Those are – 1. Anger Suppression Therapy 2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy 3. Heart Coherence Training 4. Communication Skill Improvement Therapy 5. Relaxation Therapy and 6. Cognitive Restructuring Therapy. All these therapies are used under the guidance of a clinical psychologist or a counselling psychotherapist to mitigate excessive anger. Mind that, if anger is transformed, it can be utilized as the source of inspiration. According to the researchers of psychology, angry people are more optimistic than others. Their anger can be reduced if the humane values are awakened in them. Anger can be properly controlled by bonding familial and social relationship. As a negotiation strategy, the use of anger is also well-known. As for example, the possibility of occurrence of malevolence and affray may be minimized if the revenge-wish is mitigated through anger. How can you manage and control your anger? 1. When anger goes beyond the limit, start taking deep breathing. It is very much effective to normalise increased heart-beat, high blood pressure and increased rate of exhalation caused by violent outburst of anger. 2. When you are in a state of angry mood, start counting from 100 to 1 in reverse order. 3. To pacify your mind and restrain your chronic anger, make phone-calls to your bosom friends, spend productive time in your kitchen-garden, listen favourite music, read ethical value-oriented books, read biography of high-souled men. If you can make time for half an hour, sit down with colour, brush and

Social Media Addiction
Mental Health

Social Media Addiction: 36 Important Signs

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD Social Media Addiction: Addiction is a compulsive behavior which causes negative cravings and influences in the mind. People are forced to do certain addictive activities as a harmful habit so often that they cannot complete their important activities in a regular basis. Genetic studies in molecular level have proved that transduction and transcription factors of the maintenance of addiction trigger initial vulnerability which increases intoxication of mind causing dysphoria and stress-like responses from the dysregulated pre-frontal cortex, basal ganglia and extended amygdala in the brain. Social Media Addiction Any kind of addiction is a biopsychological disorder which has genetic implications with responsible social factors. Children and teenagers are 8 times more prone to become addicted. Those who have experienced physical or mental abuse during childhood or adolescence have higher risks of developing addiction. Living in a state of frequent stress enhances the addictive qualities. Now, in this topic, our question is, – “How do you know that you’re addicted in Social Media?” Important 36 signs have been pointed out here to make you understand easily. If you have 5 signs or more in your habit, you may be considered addicted in social media. Obsessive Checking of Gadgets – If you check your mobile phone, computer or tablet every few minutes, may be many times an hour for watching notifications, inbox-massage, etc. on Facebook, E-mail, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and so on, you’re prone to internet addiction. Spending Free Time with Social Accounts – If your teenage son or daughter prefers to spend all his or her free time on the social media accounts instead of participating in extra-curricular activities and complete homework assignments, he or she may be suffering in social media addiction. No-Internet Phobia – Off and on you’re thinking that if you cannot access internet always, you’ll become secluded from the rest of the world. No Wi-Fi compels you to feel like a setback and devastation. Location-Tag Mania – Every time you are checking in wherever you’re going to a new destination to let your friends and relatives know where you’re located. Social Isolation because of Social Media – If your child is spending more than 3-4 hours daily on social media keeping yourself away from social life, you’ll be considered clinically addicted. Announcement Mania – Those, who meticulously share trivial things to everybody on social media what they do every minute, every hour or every day, are strongly addicted. Announcing personal things like, wake-up time in the morning, lunch or dinner menu, shopping experience, etc. is almost unnecessary. Not Caring to Family Circle – One of the strongest signs of social media addiction is you’re spending your time on cell-phone or laptop hour after hour without talking to your family members even when you’re in a same room with your loved ones. In this situation, an addict does not care answering their questions, does not listen their orders, and does not bother interacting with the family circle who is physically around him or her. Notification Thinking – Social media addicts keep a meeting schedule with like-minded people every week or every other day to plan on what kind of updates or notifications to put up on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. Timeline Addiction – Facebook addicts tag their unwilling friends on pictures; they compel friends to see the pictures on their Facebook timeline. Mindless Scrolling – When your parents or spouse shout at you for mindlessly scrolling through your mobile screen during a conversation and you do not care, means you have weakness and dependence on digital media. Imbalance between Social Media and Social Life – If you strongly believe that life events are more happening on social media than in real world, you are addicted. Digital Spokesman – Some people make earnest requests on WhatsApp or Facebook for their family or friends to send cash or kind. Most of them think as if their life depends on social media. They do it because of addiction. Isolation Phobia – When you forget to take your android phone or iPhone while you go outside, if you feel truly isolated from the rest of the world, you’re addicted. If you go to a short vacation without your laptop and suffer cardiac palpitations because of it, you’re also addicted on digital media. Irrational Reaction Formation – When you’re not able to upload your pictures on Facebook or Instagram, you’re making wildly irrational reaction or abnormal behavior only because of social media craving. Too Much use of Lingo – If you’re using words like ‘Hashtag’, ‘Tweet’, ‘Insta’, ‘Inbox’, ‘Update’ as a local dialect in your lingo or vocabulary, you are seriously inclined to digital media. Pet Animal Account – He who has created a Facebook or Twitter account for his pet animal is certainly in a state of social media enslavement. Updating Obsession – Those who always update their Facebook status; have violent obsession on phone checking and take their mobile phone in the toilet or washroom, are addicted on digital media. Always Traveling with Mobile – Some people always need to travel with mobile phone, as living without social media is impossible for them even if for a single day. They eat with it, they sleep with it, they play with it, and they cannot live without it. They have strong dependency on social media. Friend without Account is Unsocial – If you consider your friends unsocial and alien who do not hold a social media account, possibly you are addicted on it. Social Media Addiction Friend Request not Responding – If your child is stressful, anxious and tensed all day long as someone did not respond to his friend request, surely he has strong dependence on social media. Secret Agent Behavior – If you have been illegally following and watching some of your friends over a period of time via social media accounts, you’re enslaved by it. Much Use of Acronym – Now-a-days addicted persons think that everyone will understand their used abbreviations, such as, SYS

Mental Health

35 Tips to Improve Your Mental Strength and Toughness

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Author: Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD Mental strength is an important part of our plastic personality trait which should have the power and capacity to deal with the stressors effectively to bring out our best performance in spite of hard challenges and adverse circumstances. Personality attribute with plasticity is capable of changing and easily flexible through life experience or targeted experimental actions. Mental strength determines our performance. Two people, facing similar situations and are from same background, experience different outcomes because of the difference of their mental toughness. Mental strength is required for success in life, mentally strong people practice positive self-talk and keep their thoughts positive. Those who have mental strength can regulate their emotions, control their thoughts and keep their attitude positive by finding the courage to live with their values and ideologies. They create their own definition of success by being bold enough mentally. Mental strength, however, we know, is more than just will-power; hard-working mentality and commitment make us stronger to fight against the inevitable obstacles in life. Stable your Emotions – Making good decision under pressure requires emotional stability. Always stay objective maintaining your capacity and deliver the utmost level of performance in spite of your mood swings. Stay Motivated always – Serious people can take care of themselves and they see themselves as the best considering that success in life begins with the improvement of their mental big pictures. The root of mental toughness lies in intrinsic motivation. Achieve goals and get more Confidence – We are to set 3 types of goals in life short-term, mid-term and long-term. When small goals are accomplished, we gain more mental confidence for future success. If your goals are unrealistic ambitions, you’ll become frustrated. So, establish your goals which should be measurable, achievable and time-bound. Practice Mindfulness Exercise – Mindfulness which is about staying in present moment has great psychological benefits including reduction of stress and development of compassionate inner dialogue. This mental exercise technique improves the ability to focus on our success. Stay Focused in Accomplishment – Even if the rest of the world turns against you, try to hold up your mental strength. Put the adverse situations in proper perspective without losing your focus for attainment of anything in life. Fuel your Purpose in Life – Ignite your mental power with energy-driven passion and fuel in your progress which will write your success-story. Those who surround themselves with positive energy, can taste the fruits of success. Don’t exhaust your Mental Energy – Eat healthy foods and keep your diet natural as much as possible. Avoid fast-foods, junk-foods, sugary soft-drinks, foods mixed with additives full of harmful chemicals, artificial colors and preservatives. Chemicals used in foods and beverage cause neuro-chemical imbalance in our brain resulting to loss of mental energy. Be Flexible and Adoptable – You should have the readiness for change if and when required as an adaptability strategy. Focus on what you can Control – All of us go through many setbacks in life and come out being stronger having learnt the lesson from our failures. Don’t take your setbacks personally and waste time wondering; instead you try to control your strength being focused to your success. Stay steady in front of potential obstacles and put your attention on the long-term results. Don’t look for Unhealthy Shortcuts – Those who can tolerate for a greater purpose in life, can well-manage their problems. Coming out from comfort-zone is always uncomfortable; but once you come out from there, you’ll get the taste of success.   Learn to Manage your Stress – Try to become resilient under utmost negative pressures and influences. Develop the capacity to cope up with stressful events learning the stress management techniques. Prepare for Challenges – Engagements of life are full of everyday demands and expectations, sudden crisis and unexpected twists. Store your financial and emotional resources at hand to fight against the forthcoming personal and professional crisis. Overcome Pessimistic Thoughts – Reframe your negative thoughts by developing a realistic and optimistic inner monologue. We all go through hard days in life and we earn catastrophic experiences. But you’ve to replace those pessimistic thoughts with more realistic expectations to regain strong mental power. Be self-determined Person – Achievement motivation makes people self-starters and self-determining. Save your mental energy for the best possible time when great opportunity comes in the front.   Make Stronger Attitude – If your attitude is positive toward setbacks and failures, you’ll learn the constructive lessons to overcome future dangers. Modify your Core Beliefs – We should evaluate our core beliefs from time to time as those developed by past experiences influence our behavior, thoughts and emotions. Some core beliefs may become a self-fulfilling prophecy which is often inaccurate and unproductive. Many people believe that they will never succeed in life. Who can say, they can be achievers in future! So, identify and evaluate your core beliefs, and then modify them with purposeful intentions and persistence with hard work. Your mental strength will be increased which can positively alter the next course of your life. Validate your Self – The policy of appeasement doesn’t always work. Instead of pleasing others, you stick on your prudent decision and put your effort with concentration to make things happen in your favor. Make your Emotions Logical – He who can balance his emotions with strong logic, can make his best decisions in life. Indecisiveness causes loss of mental energy. Have Patience – Nothing will happen before the time, so don’t expect results immediately. Instant gratification is temporary, but delayed gratification is permanent and sweet. Hard work and endurance are always required to achieve anything worthwhile in life. The process of success is always uncomfortable, but the reward for success is meaningful and praiseworthy. Keep Control on your Actions – Try to manage your negative emotions and control your actions without being influenced by external pressures. Take full Responsibility – Try to examine the reason of your failure and look for the expectations,

Mental Health

What is ADHD and its Signs and Symptoms?

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD ADHD is a medical condition which stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, causing abnormal cognitive brain activity that triggers loss of self-control and lack of attention. It is a complex neurodevelopmental impairment of self-managing functions causing great difficulty in managing and focusing many aspects of daily routines. Joel Nigg, professor of Psychiatry at Oregon Health and Science University, said that ADHD is a breakdown in the brain connectivity along with communication networks interrelated around emotion, arousal, behavior and attention. This childhood mental disorder not only affects children but also many adults and is more common among boys than girls. Distractions and having trouble finishing tasks occur in many children and young adults. But we will call it ADHD if only the behaviors appear before 7-8 years of age and continue for at least 6 to 8 months. Signs and Symptoms of ADHD in Children A. Inattentive Type – Children who become easily distracted and inattentive face troubles focusing on attention and concentration. ADHD kids struggle to pay attention and follow directions staying on tasks; they are found absent-minded, forgetful who cannot finish important details of what they start. Kids make careless mistakes and fail to give proper attention in homework and schoolwork with overlooking details and inaccurate work. They cannot continue attention and have difficulty remaining focused in prolonged reading. When teachers speak directly to the kids, they do not listen, often their mind seem elsewhere. They cannot finish schoolwork in due time following the instructions; they lose focus immediately after starting a task and they cannot manage their time and cannot finish the task before deadline. Some of them are very much reluctant to perform routine homework being mentally disorganized and sidetracked. They lose pencils, books, paperwork, school materials, etc. which are necessary for educational activities. Being distracted by external stimuli, kids often forget their daily activities. They feel bored quickly and cannot learn anything new in an organized way. ADHD kids cannot follow instructions; so they procrastinate starting tasks and fail to work out the logical step-by-step process. B. Hyperactive Type – Hyperactive children show fidgety with jumping or climbing with acts that disrupt others. These kids are restless rushing through things and struggle to staying quiet or sitting still when required. Kids start squirming and twisting hands and feet sitting in the bench. They often leave their seat in the classroom. ADHD kids cannot engage in leisure activities seating quietly as it is uncomfortable for them to sit still for a prolonged time. They often are talkative, make inappropriate situations without waiting for turns in conversation. Child with hyperactivity interrupts on others, butts into conversations, intrudes on others activities. They snatch other students’ things and valuables without asking and receiving permission. They say something suddenly in answers without careful consideration. Children always move around playing and touching with everything in their around. They roam around in the study-room at home, shake their feet and touch many things elsewhere. C. Impulsive Type – Kids with intense impulse act promptly without thinking properly. Induced by emotional impulsive reactions, children snatch things of others and behave strangely by doing things without asking for permission. Teenagers with strong impulse make instant gratifications of their choice instead of delayed gratifications. Impatience is a key-note symptom of this ADHD type. Kids cannot wait for their turns in games. Making friends and keeping them is difficult for the kids. Impulsive children show negative attitudes and disruptive behavior to authority figures, like parents and teachers. Other coexist Medical Conditions with ADHD Many children and teenagers with ADHD have signs of other psychiatric problems including… Learning Disability – These disorders affect children’s ability to understand spoken and written language, the capacity to do mathematical calculations with due attention. Reading and language-based learning disability is dyslexia. Also, there are many more learning disabilities which coexist along with attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Mental Depression – Patients with depressive disorders show symptoms like psychomotor agitation causing restlessness, reduced interest in activities, impaired ability to think, inattention and indecisiveness, angry outbursts and irritability over small matters. All these symptoms are almost similar with ADHD. Conduct Disorder – Symptoms of conduct disorders, such as, destructive behavior, aggressive conduct featuring physical harm to others, deceitful behavior and violations of rules are something seen in ADHD patients. Anxiety Neurosis – These patients suffer with difficulty of focusing on anything and of thinking clearly on study-related issues. When they are in anxious mood, they feel restless with their body go on high alert. Difficulty in concentration, irritability and agitated feeling are also featured in anxiety. All these aforesaid symptoms are very much common in ADHD. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) – Common symptoms of ODD are explosive anger, physical aggression and verbal abuse, argumentative and vindictive behavior with signs of defiance of rules and laws, and deliberately annoying others. ODD kids are often angry and resentful; they lose temper because of their irritable mood. They also upset and annoy others with spiteful behavior. Mild to moderate symptoms of ODD are common with ADHD. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – Autistic child show repetitive movements featuring flicking of fingers, flapping of hands and rocking back and forth. They get upset to follow familiar routines and they show less interest in interacting with other children including kids of a similar age. This neuro-developmental disease is featured by social and cognitive impairments, repetitive behaviors and communication difficulties similar to ADHD. Signs and Symptoms of ADHD in Adults Because of restlessness, adults with ADHD experience trouble in relaxation. Lack of attention and lack of focus can cause reckless driving leading to traffic accidents in adults. They face time management problems and procrastinate on important tasks. Life of adults with ADHD seems chaotic with severe lacking of organizational skills. Forgetfulness is a key-note symptom of adult ADHD. Impulsiveness may also manifest in them in various ways, including performing without due consideration to the consequences, rushing through tasks, being socio-culturally inappropriate, etc. Adult ADHD patients

Mental Health

50 Tips to Overcome Mental Depression

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD Laughing is the Best Medicine – Vivacious laughter is a potential antidote for tension and depression. Read books on jokes be-filling a good relish-able taste. Many funny and amusing programs are telecast now-a-days. Watch those allowing your time. If possible, join your nearby Laughing Club. But remember, if anyone is laughing for no reason, he or she need medicine. Learn and Practice Mindfulness Skills – Negative thoughts and negative possibilities nurtured by a depressed mind can be eradicated through focusing on the present moment practiced in mindfulness. Read mental health-related Journals – Try to know information on mental health by reading books, health magazines and journals. You can also watch psychological videos on YouTube. Thus your acquired self-confidence will show the path of light to fight depression. Stop using Negative Self-Talk – Self-doubt along with feeling of worthlessness is reinforced by major depressive disorder. People with depression consider the world in a negative way. When unfavorable conditions continue, depressed people blame themselves and when they make the best use of favorable situations, they call it luck. Harness your inner negative thoughts that will help you overcome depression. Stay connected with your Friends – Depressive mood syndromes can be minimized by the advice of your bosom friends. Their suggestions and inspirations have a huge positive effect on your mood swing. Make new friends and be a part of a strong social network to fight depression and anxiety. Have mindset with Positive Attitude – Our life will be a stream of obstacles if we nurture negative attitude. We will experience resentment, bitterness and high stress level if we make negative environment at our family and workplace. So, have a pleasing personality and stay away from negative people and influences. Also only consider your blessings, not your problems – you’ll never be deprived of mental spirit. Listen your Favorite Music – When you are in low mood, listen some light vocal music or pure classical instrumental. It will help bring your mental peace. At present music therapy is being popularized worldwide to overcome depression. Music is a food for our soul and is the only sensual pleasure without vice. Listening to upbeat tune of a happy music can create positive vibes in our brain that can improve our mood. Hope is the Oxygen of Life – Keep the light of hope burning in the inmost recess of your heart. Mind you, frustration is like half-dead. Keep in mind that you have far more dedicated mental power which will give you mental strength and keep you away from mental weariness and lassitude. You try your utmost and rely on God for result; you’ll have no loss of spirit or enthusiasm. Play with a Pet – Pet animals can give you joy and companion. If you want to get you outside of yourself, be caring for a pet. You will feel less isolated. Replacing the human connection by a pet animal can be the antidote to depressive mood disorder. Practice Relaxation Techniques – If you practice relaxation methods on a daily basis, the feeling of joy and well-being will be increased. Your stress will be reduced and symptoms of depression will be relieved. Practice yoga techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing and meditation. Eat healthy Diet – Eating habit has a direct relation on the way of our feeling. Intake of foods that adversely affect our brain and mood should be avoided. Don’t take alcohol, caffeine, trans-fat, foods with chemical preservatives, artificial colours, etc. Drink Green Tea – People with major depression lack sufficient production of serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter which regulates our mental depression and anxiety neurosis. Inadequate amount of serotonin in the brain neuro-chemistry can result in chronic mood swing. Green tea is the rich source of amino acid L-Theanine, which boost serotonin in our brain. Try a cup of green-tea, which can quickly boost your mood. Practice Touch Therapy – Healing touches can help us cope up with depression. The level of stress hormone cortisol is reduced and the level of feel-good hormone oxytocin is increased by touch therapies. Practice acupressure, acupuncture, reiki, massage and reflexology to fight mental depression. Practice Self-Discipline – Most of the time self-discipline is uncomfortable. But if you can find ways to change your weaknesses into strength associating with people of high moral character, your moral strength will be uplifted. If you read ideologies of people who have changed negatives into assertive, and if you listen inspirational YouTube videos, you will be able to cope up with depression easily. Exercise regularly – Physical exercise releases endorphins which is beneficial for lifting our mood to overcome depression. Moderate exercise for half an hour daily has positive impact on our mental health. Cognitive decline can be averted by brisk walking in every morning. Talk Therapy – Consult with a mental health professional to discuss symptoms and feelings related to mental depression. Sharing problems with others ease tension and anxiety. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) – Professional psychologists can help you learn how to overcome negative thinking and help you view your life in a more positive approaches. Control your Anger – Violent anger is a strong emotion which often underlies behind depression. Learn to accept your anger in a healthy way and keep yourself away from negative emotions. Stay away from Drugs and Alcohol – Substance abuse with potential negative health impacts and mental depression go hand in hand. The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study which says, drinking alcohol and drug addiction is highly prevalent with those having poor mental health conditions. Practice spirituality – Read scriptures and other positive religious books. This is good for purifying your mind and soul. Attend religious performances at times. A person with due regard for rituals and religious practices can have clear moral sense. They do not succumb in low mood or depression easily. Socialize with those who make you Laugh – To keep you tension-free, try to surround yourself with special

Mental Health

Which Foods and Nutrients can increase Memory and Brain-Power?

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD 1. Omega-3-Fatty Acid – We need powerful brain for mental workout and fatty acids are the energy-food for brain. There are various types of fatty acids, of them omega-3-fatty acids are very much necessary for human system, especially for improving concentration and memory power. The rich sources of omega-3-fatty acids are various types of fresh-water fish and sea fishes, i.e., sardine, pomfret, etc. This fatty acid has a very important ingredient called Decosa Hexaeonic Acid (DHA), which can improve the work-power of brain cell membrane leading to memory improvement and brain development. 2. Anti-Oxidant Enriched Food-stuffs – We have to eat sufficient amount of foods rich in anti-oxidants to increase memory power. Because, anti-oxidants help supply more oxygen into the brain which can improve memory activity. Besides, these anti-oxidants keep our neuro-transmission system invigorated and reinforced by destroying harmful free-radicals stored in the body. Anti-oxidant enriched food-stuffs are Broccoli, Tomatoes, Green Leafy Vegetables, Garlic, Red Kidney Beans, Strawberries, etc. Besides, high quality anti-oxidants are available in various fruits, such as, Amla, Date, Raisin (dried grapes), etc. 3. Flakes Seed Oil or Fish Oil – At least thrice a week, you can make your baby eat 3 spoonful linseed oil or fish oil. These are unfailing for intellect and memory. 4. Eat Memory-Boosting Phytochemicals – Some phytochemicals brilliantly arrest memory loss. Anthocyanin is that kind of phytochemical which helps brain development and memory power improvement. We get anthocyanin from blueberries, which is why blueberry is called the memory-boosting power-house. 5. Eat Vitamins, minerals and Folic Acid – i) In vitamin-E, we get Tocopherol and Tocotrienol which has anti-oxidant property that improves brain-power. ii) From B-6 (Pyridoxine), a co-enzyme named pyridoxal phosphate is derived which regulates secretion of brain amino-acids leading to improvement of memory and attention. iii) Some minerals. Selenium, etc. help supply oxygen in the brain. iv) Folic acid had great role to play in brain metabolism. 6. Eat new memory cell-producing Lecithin – It is proven that lecithin helps generate new memory cells. Egg-yolk and soybean are rich source of lecithin. 7. Eat Ginko Biloba and Ginseng – These two medicinal herbs improve brain glucose metabolism and increase memory-span, with the help of which we can keep ourselves mentally alert. Ginko Biloba helps supply oxygen in the brain and Ginseng helps blooming of brain nerves. 8. Eat El-Glutamine and Gotu-Cola – El-Glutamine works as a brain charger. It also helps to expunge excessive ammonia from the body, as ammonia hinders brain functions. And Gotu-Cola is a nutritious food which helps remove mental exhaustion and extreme tiredness. 9. Eat Phenylalanine and Phospholipids – Phenylalanine is a kind of amino-acid which helps making some brain neurotransmitters. Those neurotransmitters keep us mentally alert. It also improves memory retention capacity. On the other hand, Phospholipids participate in brain cellular development. Cephalin and Phosphatidylserine are two special phospholipids which help making new memory cells. 10. Some Other Important Food-stuffs – i) Apple – Quercitin available in apple prevents dementia. ii) Bramhi Spinach – This has been proven for memory improvement. iii) Turmeric – Curcumen available in turmeric is a high quality anti-oxidant which prevents memory loss. iv) Dark Green Vegetables like lettuce, etc. – Green vegetables contain sufficient amount of folic acid which prevents loss of memory power. v) Fish like eel, tuna, herring, etc. – Fish contains enriched phosphatidylserine which is a phospholipid that can help generate new memory cells. vi) Tea, Honey – Tea contains caffeine and polyphenol like anti-oxidant which invigorates memory power and higher cognitive functions. And honey is a easily available memory boosting agent. vii) Red Beat, Orange – These two contain excessive amount of folic acid and anthocyanin which help memorize learned things for longer time. viii) Sweet Potatoes, Sunflower Seeds – Sweet potato is a rich source of vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), essential for making neurotransmitters in the brain circuit. It also coordinates internal communications among memory cells and synapses, with the help of which, memory span and memory containing capacity are increased. Vitamin-E derived from sunflower seeds supply anti-oxidants that is beneficial for all types of dementia. ix) Dark Chocolate – Many brain-boosting compounds, including antioxidants, caffeine and flavonoids are available in cocoa powder and dark chocolate. Flavonoids in chocolate enhance memory and boost mood. 11. Functional Neurotransmitters – To maintain dynamic brain function, serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, gama-amino-butyric acid (GABA) are essential. These neurotransmitters carry nerve impulses across the brain to execute memory activity higher cognitive functions. Serotonin can enhance the power of thinking with clarity. It can help increase memory power. If the level of serotonin in the body stays normal, our normal sleep cycle is maintained. Serotonin is available in brown rice, whole-wheat bread, salmon, curdled milk, banana, etc. Dopamine supplies energy in the brain which accelerates the process of learning and enhances the power of concentration. Pumpkin seed and pea-pod are the rich sources of dopamine. Acetylcholine helps keep our brain dynamic and increases our memory-span. Fish-head, egg-yolk, peanut are rich source of acetylcholine. And pineapple, orange, green spinach, capsicum, almond, oatmeal, etc. are the rich source of GABA, which controls the rhythmic movements of our neurotransmission system. 12. Some Special Foods – i) Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage – These foods of cruciferous group are impeccable for ole-age memory loss. Those are enriched in fibre, vitamin-c, vitamin-k and high quality antioxidant which help students do good results by improving brain-cell activity. ii) Pumpkin seed and Avocado – Zinc is very much essential to increase the intensity of thinking power and to develop the creative brilliance. Pumpkin seeds are the rich source of zinc. And avocado is full of mono-unsaturated fatty acid, which increases the blood circulation of the brain. iii) Mushroom, Soybeans, pea-pod – If you keep pea-pod in your daily diet, you’ll get some special protein, iron and folic acid, which help improve brain-cell activity and dynamic intellect. Soybeans contain an amino acid called tyrosine, which works as a neurotransmitter to increase attention, clarity of thinking

Mental Health

How to Overcome various Types of Travel Phobia?

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD Travelling is a health tonic, but for many people it may be very stressful. Travel planning, the entire trip and previous concerns related to journey can put your mood gloomy and anxious. In psychiatry, fear during travelling is known as hodophobia, which is commonly known as travel phobia. Some people hesitate to travel to new destinations. Some are very much afraid to travel to a specific mode of transportation, as for example, aeroplane or ships. This hodophobia is a personalized irrational phobia with intensified fear to travel new places. Many people may get frightened in any type of transportation. What are the symptoms of hodophobia? When the day approaches for travelling and the thought of travelling comes in mind, people start fearing intensely. As a result of the manifestation of physical symptoms, people experience headache, sweating, tremor and shaking hands, gastrointestinal upset along abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness and shortness of breath along with panic attacks. Some people get frightened when in lines at the airport, some people get confused which train to take; some have severe nervousness checking into the hotel. People with hodophobia can also have symptoms like fainting, muscle stiffness, loss of orientation, dryness of mouth, feeling imminent disaster, etc. When travel fear becomes fairly progressive, people start suffering in anxiety disorder leading to severe panic attack in their emotional state. How many types of travel phobia are expressed? Agyrophobia – The fear of crossing the road. Disposophobia – The fear of losing things or intense fear of getting rid of stuff. A large number of people across the globe are considered to be affected by this phobia which is also called as ‘ Hoarding Disorder’. Claustrophobia – A form of anxiety disorder with the fear of enclosed places. Nomophobia – The fear of being out of mobile phone contact. Aviatophobia – The fear of flying in the sky. Xenophobia – The fear of strangers. Autophobia – The morbid fear of being alone or isolated. Emetophobia – The fear of nausea and vomiting. Acrophobia – It is a fear of heights. Mountain road traffic can cause dizziness in some people. Tacophobia – The fear of speed. Driving at a high-speed cause a feeling of loss of control in many people. Geophirophobia – Some people are afraid to get into passage through long tunnels. What are the causes of travel phobia? Past trauma – If someone has previous traumatic experience related to a journey, he may become hodophobic in future. Travel sickness – Because of some physical symptoms like nausea, vomiting or motion sickness during a trip, some people succumb to travel phobia. Solo traveling – Some people get feared to travel alone. Women especially do suffer in this kind. Comfort zone syndrome – Getting out from the comfort zone is not easy for some people who always think of worst possible situation during the trip. They do not think the positive aspects of travelling to their desired destinations. Communication problem due to language barrier – People who will be going to a trip in a foreign country automatically think of unpleasant situations relation to communication skills. Fear because of everything unknown – When people choose overseas trip, they face everything unknown, i.e., people, places, customs etc. Whether they will be able to cope up with the situation or not make them anxious and doubtful. Rear of unexpected costs in a trip – Travelling is always expensive. Some people have a fear of spending all of their money on a journey. Running out of money makes them frightful. Fears of robbery – Tourists often face robberies. Drawing analogy to this fact, many people have the fear of getting robbed. They think of losing money, belongings, credit cards, wallets, etc. The fear of accident – Many people think of the fear of getting injured abroad. They think that if I die because of accident, what will happen to my family? Flying fear – With the advancement of technology the number of aeroplane crash is very small in today’s world. Yet, some people suffer the irrational fear of flying in the sky. Most of them get anxious and become hysterical when the aeroplane takes off. How we can cope up with travel phobia? To overcome travel phobia with mild symptoms, you plan and organize your trip properly. But if you’re suffering with severe symptoms of hodophobia, consult with a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist or with other mental health professionals. Confirm your bookings – If you’re to travel by public transportations, make confirmations about your bookings well in advance. Train or plane tickets, hotel reservations should be confirmed a few days before your journey. Make plans for your route, note the locations of nearby restaurants, keep plenty of time for your early arrival and must have a backup plan in case of delays. Visualize your journey – Try to imagine that you can well manage all the major steps of entire trip. If you can visualise success in your mind’s eye, it will build your confidence which will help reducing the stress and tension. Do homework prior to your journey – Educate yourself about the trip through internet. Learn about important amenities and facilities, and make yourself familiarize with security procedures. Mind you, not to pack anything that is prohibited. Keep yourself physically fit – Have plenty of sleep in the days before your journey. Keep sufficient water and enough salty snacks throughout your trip. Physical exhaustion and dehydration may put you in difficulty to face challenges and inconveniences. Keep yourself away from alcohol and narcotic drugs – You must avoid am glass of wine of sleeping pills throughout your trip. If any acute medical condition arises, follow instructions the doctor provides. Self-medication can make your condition worse. Travel with a companion – Travelling with a friend or relation is much better than travelling alone. Your companion will help you handle challenges. Visualise the situation – To put the travel fear behind you, write all

Mental Health

How do Social Media affect our Mental Health?

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD Social media keeps the world connected but addiction of it is becoming a global problem which is ever-increasing day by day. As we depend more on technology, social media and internet addictions continue to grow with over 210 million people worldwide have been suffering in it. Teenagers who spend 5 hours a day on their smartphones are more likely to suffer moderate mental depression. Young, single female and people having narcissistic personality trait with low self-esteem are more likely to suffer addictive social media behaviour. More than 70% of people go to bed with their mobile phones causing sleep disorders. Social media interaction is like injecting dopamine straight into the brain’s reward area. The reward area of the human brain is located in the mesencephalon commonly called midbrain. The pathway of midbrain affects our sensations and decisions. When we take addictive substance and experience something rewarding, neurons in the main dopamine-secreting area in the brain are actively charged which causes to raise dopamine levels. Rewarding activities with positive reinforcement which increase the level of dopamine are the principal basis of the mechanism of addiction. A global agency named ‘We Are Social’ has given a report on internet users. They disclosed the name of top 10 countries that spend maximum time on social media platforms. The countries are Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, UAE, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa. Philippines who is top on the table has internet usage of 5.2 hours per day via desktop or laptop and 3.2 hours via smartphone. Social media has some benefits on mental health and on our interpersonal relationships. Social media users feel more bonded with like-minded people which help them cope up with loneliness. They feel better when actively engaged with increased trust and sense of belonging. Couples can keep themselves closer and people can revive their lost friendships in it. Through android phone health apps, people can keep their focus on good health-related issues. On the contrary, social media is detrimental for our mental health to great extent. Most of the smart-phone users experience addiction syndrome and emotional shutdown. They also suffer attention deficit syndrome in the long run which adversely effects on their focus in the higher cognitive mental activities. Due to fear of missing out something, some people suffer in anxiety which leads to major depressive disorder. Social media users can not react properly to real-life situations. This media brings out jealousy, distracts people from others, make forget to show empathy to others. Browsing social media sites can cause insomnia, stress-related disorders and bipolar mental depression. Eating disorders and obesity also result from social media addiction. In spite of some benefits to live in a digital world, our teenagers are facing some severe health risks. Adolescents and young adults are now-a-days unable to develop social skills in their real life. Most of them are getting lost in a world of unrealistic comparisons. ‘Royal Society for Public Health’ in UK made a survey on young population to know the effects of social media addiction regarding anxiety and mental depression. Their report said that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram all had adverse effects on mental health, while YouTube only had some positive impacts. Negative impacts on adolescent mental health due to internet addiction cause irritable mood syndrome, loss of mental energy, feeling of hopelessness and excessive guilt, psychomotor agitation along with sleep cycle disorder, recurrent suicidal thoughts due to feeling of worthlessness, difficulty in keeping attention and making decisions, social isolation etc. Ways to overcome social media addiction Spend limited time on social media – Stay only an hour on social media which means you will have seven hours in a week. Don’t try to exceed your time-limit and you must not add extra time anyway. Thus you take a strong test of your decision and willpower. Turn off your notifications which disturb normal routine – By doing so, you will find more time to finish your daily activities. Try to forget what is happening in the online sphere. Distractions in mind will occur if you don’t stop gadget notifications. Pick up a new hobby for your spare time – If the mindless scrolling on social media is replaced by your new hobby, your mood swing will be all right and your performance will go up. Don’t get trapped in the virtual world – Sign off for two-day in a weekend. Instead you meet and associate with people in real life, do something productive and get out from behind your smartphone or computer screen to enjoy the pleasures of life. Don’t document everything in life with selfies – Rather you spend quality time in the real world with your friends and relations. Recollect old memories with them which will make you happy. When you feel your social media use is unhealthy, you make the decision to quit from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Delete all your social media profiles. Start reading motivational books and write blog if you want to share things to others.   Related Article: 36 Important Signs of Social Media Addiction

Mental Health

Can Food Boost our Mood?

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD When your spirits are in the highest level, you can resist the day-to-day challenges you face. But when you are hungry due to the lack of essential nutrients in your body, you will never be able to maintain your good mood. So, some foods can very well boost our mood and temperament. Bananas – Bananas are rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, amino acid tryptophan, phosphorus, iron potassium and carbohydrate. The mood-boosting carbohydrates do help in the absorption of tryptophan in our brain, and Vitamin B6 helps change the tryptophan into the mood-lifting hormone serotonin. We all know that serotonin is a happy neurotransmitter which can control our mood swing and insomnia. Of late, tryptophan is being used in the treatment of a variety of mental conditions along with anxious mood. Oily Fish – If you have deficiency of omega-3-fatty acids in your brain circuit, you will be prone to low mood and depression. Keep fishes like sardine, mackerel, salmon in your regular meals, your brain will stay healthy and your mood will be elevated. Oats and Nuts – Magnesium helps fight anxiety and mental fatigue. Oatmeal is the rich source of magnesium. Purchase less processed steel-cut oats instead of quick-cook oatmeal which is flavoured and contains maximum amount of sugar. Take oatmeal in your breakfast with a cup of brewed coffee. You may eat nuts with coffee for mood stabilization as these contains enough magnesium. Lentils – Lentils can help increase the production of serotonin which is a feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain. As this is complex carbohydrate, it can help us keep calm with happier state of mind along with anxiety. Green Tea – To brighten your dark mood, sip a cup of green tea. “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” published a Japanese study which says – if elderly people drink three or four cups of green tea every day, there mood will become stable and depressive mood syndrome will mostly be reduced. Green tea contains a good number of mood boosting nutrients including the amino acid L-Theanine which can fight with the stressful situations. Oysters – It contains high amount of zinc, a nutrient having the instant mood-lifting quality and a best manager of situational anxiety. Oyster also contains protein full of amino acid tyrosine which is beneficial for mood elevation and higher cognitive mental functions. Dark Chocolate – Two small squares of dark chocolate can help our brain release the secretion of endorphins and boost the serotonin level in the brain. Serotonin is an anti-depressant that can elevate our mood effectively. Chocolates contain nutrients known as flavonoids which are a plant-based antioxidant. These flavonoids are proved to play a mood-enhancing role which is why chocolate-eating is very often associated with happy occasion and special celebrations. Blueberries – Our mood can be regulated by blueberries which is a flavonoid having antioxidant properties. It helps improve memory and protect our brain from aging. When stressful situations arise, our adrenal glands secrete a hormone called cortisol which is responsible for low mood. Blueberries can well prevent the release of cortisol and provide emotional stability by keeping mental equilibrium. Blueberries are enriched with anthocyanin, proven for boosting positive brain function and for increased cerebral blood flow. Turmeric – People in East Asia commonly use this yellow spice in cooking. Turmeric contains curcumen which has neuro-protective qualities in brain circuit with the help of which it does balance mood swing and help fight against depressive mood syndrome. Yogurt and Other Probiotics – Those who eat yogurt, dairy products and probiotics regularly which are rich in vitamin D, calcium and qualitative peptides can stay relaxed mentally all day long. These can also helpful for emotional stabilization along with enhanced activities in brain areas associated with decision making. “Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition” in Netherlands has proved recently that probiotics, known as good bacteria found in many kinds of yogurt, are very effective for anxious mood disorder and depressive mood syndrome besides digestive health benefits. Besides eating mood-boosting foods, you do physical exercise, have a good night sleep, avoid from social site addiction, and spend time with your hobby which will keep you in your desired mood. Mind you, sugary foods, alcohol and caffeinated drinks can put you in a low mood as these can cause dehydration in the long run.

Mental Health

Why is laughter a natural medicine for mental illness?

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Author : Dr. Jakir Hossain Laskar, PhD When sensation of joy and humour occur according to relief theory, we laugh. Laughter, which is the physiological response to humour, releases stress, tension, anxiety and negative psychic energy. Laughter can increase immune cells and antibodies that can fight infection which help improving human resistance to disease. Laughter can also decrease stress hormones and triggers the release of endorphins, which are the natural feel-good chemicals in the human body. Our overall sense of well-being can be promoted by these endorphins which can also temporarily relieve pain. During smile, the brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine that produces feeling of happiness. Laughter is the natural medicine for somato-psychic illness Laughter is a potential antidote to stress, pain and intra-psychic conflict. Physical health benefits of laughter are: 1. It lowers stress hormones, decreases pain sensation and it does boost immunity, relaxes our muscles, prevents heart disease. 2. Before going to bed if you watch a comedy show or read a comic genre, you will have greater chances of a peaceful sound sleep what you need after a long exhaustion throughout a day. 3. Our neuroendocrine system which monitors the glucose level of the blood is affected by laughter. Fear psychosis, stress and anxiety are negative emotions which can increase blood sugar level. A good dose of laughter can check blood glucose. 4. Laughing increases the number of cells which produce antibody and intensifies the effectiveness of T-cells to strengthen the overall immune system of our body. Laughter has also several mental health benefits. It can improve mood by relieving stress, anxiety and tension. It can add joy and fun to life. Besides, laughing has some social benefits too. It strengthens relationships, attracts others to us, helps defuse conflict, and enhances teamwork that eventually may promote group bonding. In a nutshell, laughter is good for our health. It relaxes the whole body, protects the heart from heart attack and other cardio-vascular problems by improving the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow all across the periphery. Laughter may even help you to live longer. A study in Norway disclosed that people with a strong sense of humour outlived those who don’t laugh as much. Laughter brings people together and strengthens healthy relationships. Ways to bring more laughter into your life Bring humour into conversation, smile will come. Spend time with fun, with playful people and when you hear laughter, move towards it. Count your blessings and distance yourself from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humour and laughter. You can also create your own opportunities to laugh. Watch funny videos and read the funny pages. Invite your co-workers or friends to go to a comedy show. Share a good joke or a funny story to others. Play with a pet, do something silly, play with children making time for fun activities. You can go to a ‘laughter yoga’ class. You can develop your sense of humour by laughing at yourself, by finding your inner child and by not dwelling on the negative. Children laugh more than 300 times a day, whereas adults laugh less than 20 times a day. Which is why, children don’t suffer in mental depression and on the contrary, adults succumb to major depressive disorders and some sort of anxiety neurosis. Laughter is a globally recognized form of communication which is largely a involuntary response with facial expressions and breathing patterns. Our brain can detect fake laughter, most intelligent people understand the difference between real and staged laughter with their brain’s activated anterior medial prefrontal cortex which help them feel other people’s emotions. Laughing can burn calories; almost 30 calories are burnt by laughing for 15 minutes. Laughing is contagious which is why television shows play a ‘laugh track’ after a funny moment even when we do not see the source of laughter. People laugh up to 25 times more when they are in the company of others than when they are alone. Laughing is also a good workout as it strengthens your facial muscles and abdominal diaphragm. Studies show, for every 20 minutes of sound full-body laughing can add around a day to your overall life-span. Numerous whole-hearted laughter help our body to fight off chronic mental diseases by lowering the level of our stress with the alteration of body cortisol level. Laughing is one of the best medicines. But if you are laughing for no reason, you need medicine. Laughing without causes is a sign of mental illness. People suffering in schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder, dementia, Parkinson’s disease laugh without reason. Consult psychiatrist for them.

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