Dr. Suruchi Chaube Md(am)

While most children share a strong bond with their parents, especially the mother, some infants are unable to establish lasting relationships with their parents or caregivers. This is known as attachment disorder. It is a rare yet serious condition as it affects the child’s relationships at a later stage and also triggers delinquent behavior. Children, who have been abandoned, orphaned or are victims of abuse are the most vulnerable to this condition.

What causes attachment disorder?
The exact cause for attachment disorder is not yet understood. However, researchers have put together a number of viable hypotheses for this. One such hypothesis suggests that when needs of a child are ignored or when he begins to feel unwanted, the child begins to expect hostility, negativity and rejection. This is a learnt response and the child begins to feel that his needs are unwanted. With time, these responses make the child untrusting and he withdraws into himself to avoid social contact. This affects the development in the brain and causes attachment problems that affect the child’s personality and future relationships.

Risks associated with it
Some children are at a higher risk of attachment disorder than others. This includes

1. Children living in orphanages or other such institutes
2. Children whose caregivers are changed frequently
3. Children who have had prolonged hospitalization
4. Neglected children
5. Children who have suffered from physical, sexual or verbal abuse
6. Children living in extreme poverty
7. Children born to parents with mental conditions or anger management problems
8. Children born to a mother suffering from post partum depression

Symptoms
There are two types of attachment disorders; inhibited and disinhibited.

1. Inhibited attachment disorder: Children suffering from inhibited attachment disorder are likely to be:
   • Detached
   • Withdrawn
   • Unresponsive to comforting ie. they shun all types of relationships and generally do not get along with their peers or caregivers.
2. Disinhibited attachment disorder: On the other hand, children suffering from disinhibited attachment are likely to:
   • Seek attention
   • Display inappropriate behavior
   • Frequently break social boundaries
   • Be inappropriately familial and attached to selective figures.

Additionally, children suffering from either type of attachment disorder are manipulative, destructive, moody and lack compassion and remorse.
Effects of attachment disorder
If not managed properly in its early stages, this disorder can continue into adulthood. This leads to:

1. Relationship problems with peers, friends and family members
2. Low self esteem
3. Depression
4. Anger management
5. Academic problems
6. Unemployment
7. They are also at a high risk for drug abuse and alcohol addiction. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.

As most of the economies over the world become industrialized, the quality of life increases, but with it comes a plethora of mental health problems. Especially in a country like India, the rapid industrialization and the expansion of opportunities has seen a rise in the number of people afflicted by mental health disorders. Some of the common mental health issues and their treatment methods are discussed here-

Common Mental Health Issues

1. Depression – Depression is a very serious issue that affects a significant part of the population. It is not only a public health concern but also a fast spreading problem in the world. Although depression related to stress is on the rise, it could happen due to chemical imbalances within the brain as well.

2. Anxiety Disorder – While stress and anxiety tend to be a part of your daily life, over time, it could build up and end up being a disorder. Symptoms of frequent panics or anxiety could build up to become anxiety and panic disorders wherein you would be constantly under stress due to external situations such as social anxiety or have panic disorders.

3. Schizophrenia – This problem is caused within the brain due to neurochemical issues and causes paranoia, hallucinations, frightfulness and distorted thought patterns. This is a major psychiatric disorder and requires extensive treatment.

4. Eating Disorders – These disorders are marked by problems of eating which in turn affect your health adversely. These disorders are caused by mental issues and are primarily of three types; Binge eating disorder, anorexia (obsession over what one’s eats) and Bulimia (binge eating and then purging to avoid putting on weight).

5. Bipolar Disorder – A very common mental disorder, this mental problem entails uncontrollable mood swings from happy (at times, euphoric) to sad in a short span of time or alternating phases of feeling ecstatic and often exhibiting reckless behavior to being severely depressed. This is a serious issue and can even result in suicidal tendencies.

6. Substance Abuse and Addiction Problems – Another effect of stress is the increasing dependence on drugs and alcohol which in turn becomes a pattern and thus may cause problems in your life as you start using these substances to escape reality.

Common Mental Health Treatments-

Many people diagnosed with mental illness achieve strength and recovery through participating in individual or group treatment. There are many different treatment options available. There is no treatment that works for everyone – individuals can choose the treatment, or combination of treatments, that works best. Do consult a doctor before choosing one-

1. Psychotherapy – The treatment of mental problems provided by a mental health counselor through dedicated sessions over a period of time is one of the most effective ways of countering problems. Psychotherapy explores thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and seeks to improve an individual’s well-being. Psychotherapy paired with medication is the most effective way to promote recovery.  

2. Medication – This is the most common form of therapy that aims to reduce the chemical imbalances within the brain, either through oral pills or through injections.

3. Support Groups – This is especially good as getting to talk to similar people and sharing experiences with them help in reducing the isolation, thus helping them vent out repressed emotions and connect with like -minded people.

4. Residential Treatments – Effective in cases of drug or other forms of addiction as well as problems which require conditioning, hospitals and other residential treatment facilities such as a rehab center are used extensively to treat these along with other problems.

5. Treatment through stimulation of the brain – There are many newer treatments which are proving to be effective by stimulating the neurotransmitters that help correcting imbalances within the brain. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a psychologist and ask a free question.

Stress is a response to pressure or threat. It makes us feel tense, on edge or nervous. Stress triggers a surge of hormones called adrenaline which temporarily affects the nervous system, causing your heart rate to increase along with your blood pressure and breathing. In today’s world, everyone feels the weight of stress. Whether it is in school, at work or even at home. It is important to not let the stress we feel interfere with our day to day routines. Here is a way to manage your stress when you feel it is getting to be too much:

Have a mindful SNACK:

Stop: Stop whatever you are doing and take a minute or two and reboot. When you feel everything is getting to be too much, stop mid-bite, mid-step or even mid-yell and reboot yourself.

Notice: Notice what is happening within and around us. Notice the things you can see, hear, smell etc and most importantly see if you can notice your thoughts. You do not need to analyse them. Simply become aware of them.

Accept: Whatever you are struggling with or whatever is stressing you, accept and acknowledge it for what it is without any judgment. Accepting that something has gone wrong or is not going your way is essential to fixing the problem.

Curious: Ground yourself with questions about your environment and what you are feeling. Ask yourself questions regarding the same. What am I feeling? What am I thinking? What do I see? What do I hear?  Asking these questions will help you ground yourself and take the necessary steps in solving the issue.

Kindness: Realistically speaking, it is hard to find the silver lining for all problems. Sometimes the problems we are faced with are daunting, unpleasant or boring. Yet, it still needs to be solved. If we approach every person and problem with a positive attitude it will help get things back on track.