Dr. Rohit Garg

While sex is an important part of an adult’s life, it may also come with a number of problems for certain people. Sexual addiction is a problem faced by many and includes a wide range of behavioural patterns when it comes to sex and excessive indulgence in the same. This condition may impact the life of an individual in a significant and even debilitating manner. While many people may confuse this with mere addiction to porn, this is not true. Let us find out more.

Types of Sexual Addiction: There are a number of ways in which sexual addiction may be characterised. As mentioned above, it does not merely include addiction to pornography or any other aspect of sex. It may include an addiction of one or multiple aspects, which include pornography as well. The various forms of sexual addiction include pornography addiction, addiction to fantasy or masturbation, addiction to sadistic behaviour, addition to prostitution, and other excess sexual activities and pursuits like exhibitionism.

Symptoms and Signs: There are a number of physical and emotional symptoms and signs of this condition. The patients suffering from this condition may end up isolating or alienating their partners, which is one of the most common giveaways of this condition. They may also go from one relationship to another in no time at all, with multiple partners in many cases. Also, they will not really have healthy relationships with their partners because of their fantasy based perceptions when it comes to sex. The physical symptoms of this condition include falling prey to venereal diseases and infections on a frequent basis, as well as the exposure to unwanted pregnancy in at least 70% of the cases, as per many medical reports. Anxiety, depression and substance abuse are also some of the common outcomes of this kind of addiction.

Treatment: Sexual addiction and sexual dependency can be treated by first of all treating the physical manifestations of this condition and its symptoms like infections and other ailments. This will be done with the help of medication in most cases. Further, the patient will be put through CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy as well as other forms of sex therapy so that the evaluator or psychologist may find the root cause behind the condition.

This kind of therapy usually follows the route of exhaustive discussions in which the patient will be asked to talk about his or her emotions and problems. These will then be used in order to reprogram the attitude and thinking of the patient. In such cases, the patient will also be encouraged to invest time and effort in the emotional side of a committed relationship so that the dependency on sex may reduce. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Sleep walking is a sleep related disorder that affects many individuals globally. It causes people to get up and start walking even when they are in a deep state of sleep. This condition happens when the patient is going through a state of deep sleep to light sleep, before actually awaking. In most cases, the patients are not aware of their actions and may find themselves in another room or part of the house when they wake up. While this condition usually happens for children between the ages of four to eight, it may even happen for certain adults. Here is everything you need to know about sleep walking from the reasons that cause it, to the ways in which it may be treated.

General causes of sleepwalking: Sleepwalking may be caused by sudden stress or a chaotic sleep pattern. In such cases, it may last only a few weeks and may even come with other symptoms like bedwetting. This is most commonly seen in children. It is also a genetically inherited disorder that can affect people whose parents or siblings have suffered from the same.

Also, if you have a sleep deprivation problem and experience trouble when it comes to falling asleep, then this condition may set in. Many people also walk in their sleep when they are drunk or are known to regularly get drunk. Excessive alcohol consumption may also lead to such sleep disorders. Also, if the patient is taking sedatives that are hypnotic in nature, then they may experience such symptoms as sleep walking.

Medical conditions: There are also a number of medical conditions that may cause this condition. To begin with, sleepwalking may arise as a symptom of heartburn and fever. Also, patients who are suffering from an irregular heartbeat or heart rhythm may end up walking in their sleep. Restless leg syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, night time seizures and asthma may also cause this condition. Other psychiatric disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks and multiple personality disorder can also cause symptoms such as sleep walking.

Treatment: The method of treatment is usually based on the genetic, environmental or physiological reasons that are behind the actual disorder. While changing the medicines and treating the actual ailment that causes sleep walking as a symptom may be recommended by most doctors, one may also have to undergo therapy. This therapy will help in reaching the root cause of the sleepwalking disorder in case it is a chronic problem that has nothing to do with any other ailment or disease. The doctor may also look for signs of nocturnal seizures and confusion arousal in order to treat the same with proper therapy and medication.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Drug addiction is one of the social menaces and in most people, what starts off as a result of peer pressure and trying to be cool ends up affecting lives significantly. It is not just social, but also affects financial, physical, emotional, and social well-being. The small periods of happiness given by the drug is followed by months and years of torment.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has identified that drug addiction causes chemical and structural changes in the brain, leading to dangerous and self-destructive behaviours. The brain’s response to stimulus like pleasure, joy, happiness, and pain are altered with constant drug abuse. For instance, the neurotransmitter called dopamine, which makes one feel good, is usually produced by the brain in small amounts. However, drugs increase this level to 2 to 10 times more, making the person feel extremely high and happy. Since the body is unable to reach the highest level of happiness on its own, the dependency on these drugs to feel good increases.

Repeated use of the drugs leads to increased dependency, wherein the brain refuses to feel good without reaching those high levels of dopamine. The issue is mostly seen in teenagers and young adults but can be seen in any age group.

October 2 is recognised as National Anti-Drug Addiction Day and nationwide campaigns and drives are done to help people overcome addiction. One of the main reasons a drive this size is required is because of the social stigma attached to the problem. Most families shun away from recognising it as a problem that can be easily treated, and so the affected person is sucked deeper into the problem.

Overcoming addiction: One of the main success factors for treating addiction is for the affected person to recognise that he or she is addicted and needs to get rid of the problem.

1. There are national toll-free helplines that are set up, which can guide through the whole program. This way, if required, anonymity is maintained and support for overcoming addiction is increased.
2. It involves a group effort involving the affected person, family and friends, medical and clinical personnel, and counsellors in some cases.
3. Cognitive behavioural therapy: The person is made conscious of the change in behaviour and the way drugs affect it. Healthier patterns to be happy and joyful are discussed.
4. In most cases, the underlying reason for reaching out to drugs needs to be addressed also to prevent relapse.
5. Group therapies where the person makes friends who have faced similar issues and overcome the problem. This increases their accountability and commitment to getting rid of the problem.

Drug abuse is a national social menace and needs more free admittance and management.

Is your child refusing to grab anything other than chicken nuggets? When your child’s nutrition is an aching subject to deal with in your household, remember you are not the only one. Many parents are actually worried about the fussiness of their children over food. But your child’s food preferences would also mature with age. Until then, you can consider trying out these following tips to avoid any kind of mealtime hassles.

1. Respect your child's appetite or lack of one: Respect your child’s level of appetite and never force a meal, if your child is not hungry. Rather, serve small portions to give them an opportunity to ask for more, on their own.

2. Stick to the routine: Maintain a routine and serve snacks and meals at about the same time every day. Also, keep a check on the number of times you serve those mid meal snacks and try to stick to that count.

3. Be patient with new foods: Have patience with new food. Take time in introducing it to your child by talking about the food’s shape, color, aroma and texture, if not the taste.

4. Make it fun: Try out innovative ways of garnishing your food so as to make the whole eating experience a fun and a thrilling one for your child.

5. Recruit your child's help: At the grocery store, ask your child to help you select vegetables, fruits and other healthy foods. But keep off those foods which you would not want you child to eat.

6. Set an example: Set an example by yourself by eating all kinds of nutritious and healthy foods, in order to set that perfect example for your child.

7. Cut Distractions: Make sure to switch off from any sort of a distraction, such as the television or the washing machine and other electronic gadgets while feeding your child.

8. Don't offer dessert as a reward: Do not reward your child with desserts at the end of the meal as this sends them an indication that the dessert is the best dish among all.

9. Do not cook a separate meal: Do not cook a separate meal for your child after he/she has refused the original one as this might encourage picky eating even more. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

A particularly stressful situation or event that has created terror or been overly dramatic or dangerous can lead to stress and anxiety long after the individual has physically come out of the situation. This kind of a traumatic condition is usually what characterises Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD).

In simple words, PTSD is a neurological disorder which affects individuals after experiencing severe traumatic situations.

Symptoms of PTSD:

1. Mood symptoms: mood swings are the most common outcome of these symptoms. The patient may experience a complete lack of enthusiasm and drive to indulge in activities like hobbies and socialising. Also, the patient may end up harbouring feelings of negativity towards family, friends and strangers, besides going through phases of guilt and self blame for the occurrence of the traumatic event.
2. Re-experiencing symptoms: these symptoms include flashbacks and life like re-imagination in the form of dreams and nightmares. In many cases, the patient may remember and re-experience the entire scene or series of events that have led to the trauma in the first place. This can be triggered by a memory or association with words, events and other such things that have to do with the memory of the traumatic episode.
3. Arousal symptoms: arousal or reactivity symptoms may trigger the same reactions that the person showed during the traumatic experience. These may include being on edge constantly in anticipation of a reoccurrence, or even getting startled by the slightest thing since the mind is already occupied with thoughts of the event, constantly. Anger and emotional outbursts may also be caused due to these symptoms.
4. Avoidance or rumination: Those suffering from PTSD avoid being reminded of the trauma, such as people, situations or circumstances associated with the event. They try to suppress memories associated with the event.- Many others ruminate excessively and prevent themselves from coming to terms with it.

Duration of PTSD:

PSTD usually lasts up to six months. Yet, there are cases where it lingers on and requires treatment for some particular types of symptoms or behavioural changes.

Treatment for PTSD:

Mindfulness meditation (not a treatment option) helps in recognizing cognitive dissonances and affected thought patterns and aids in recognizing and overcoming their influence. Other therapies, including Cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are also done depending on the patient's condition.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Being away or oblivious to social media is synonymous to not following the herd. Social media probably is no more the latest fad; it is the given code to take a deeper look into the present age. The rewarding fact about social networking sites is their ability to transport us to people and places millions of miles away from us. This epoch with its dictates of overproduction and maximum utilization of labor, snatches away the boon of communication. Social media gifts us with easy communication and wider access.   

1. Social media creates peer pressure: Coming in continuous contact with occurrences in other people's life can lead to mental setback. You may feel low on comparing your achievements with that of others. Consciously or unconsciously you are struggling throughout to be at par with them who are seemingly jubilant. Virtual peer pressure is realized by many. 
2. It can bring us at close quarters with penitence: Persistent grief or regret can take a toll on your mental health. It can make you depressive. Depression is again not a healthy thing for personal growth and development. It usually results in lack of motivation.
3. You tend to panic more through continued use of social media: If you have not been in touch with social media for a couple of days you are instilled with the fear of losing out on incidents. You panic regarding what has been happening all over the world that in reality will in most cases bear no effect on you.
4. It accustoms you to the glamorous appeal of drugs: Social media tends to showcase the ills of society as glamorous contributing factors of life. It celebrates the vices of drugs and other addictive agents as virtues. Young adults are therefore easily incited to give in to addiction.

Positive effects of social media on your mental health
1. Social media will let you take a break from hovering tasks and responsibilities. 
2. Helps you connect with long lost friends. Social networking sites will bring you close to new and old friends alike. 
3. Real society is overly judgmental. It prohibits you from coming across as your true self. Virtual media allows you to come out of your cocoon and helps you feel comfortable about yourself. Consult an Expert & get answers to your questions!

Being constantly anxious impairs work performance and creates havoc in relationships. The best way to deal with it to accept that it is only a temporary phase which everyone faces. If you keep worrying and try to fight it, you will become even more anxious and your health will become even worse.

It is therefore important that you acknowledge it, first of all and try to cope with it. Controlling anxiety isn't a gigantic task. You can feel at ease with by doing these simple things:

1. Self-soothing techniques: There are many physiological things for you to do as well which will allow you to relieve anxiety. Diaphragmatic breathing is a very good way to achieve this. Sometimes reassuring yourself is more valuable than you think. Practice saying comforting things to yourself and the stress and anxiety will automatically reduce. Muscle relaxation is yet another method which will allow you to decrease your anxiety.
2. Deep breathing: A 5-minute breathing regime is a sure shot way to relieve anxiety. Sit straight with closed eyes and place your hands on your abdomen. First start with slow inhalation of air through the nose. Feel the breath through your abdomen and head and then reverse the process by exhaling it out through the mouth.
3. Meditation: Meditation for a few minutes daily helps relieve anxiety. Meditation is the simplest way to beat anxiety. All you have to do is just sit straight with feet on the floor and closed eyes. Next just focus your energy on reciting a mantra.
4. Get adequate sleep: Everyone feels bad when they do not sleep enough. However, did you know that lack of sleep is a major cause of anxiety. The more you sleep, the less anxious you will feel.
5. Exercise regularly: You probably know that exercise is very important for maintaining good health. However, what you probably do not know is that exercise is perhaps more effective than even medication in relieving your anxiety. Therefore, it is imperative for you to get moving.
6. Monitor your diet: Your diet is crucial in reducing your anxiety as caffeine and alcohol are two of the leading causes of anxiety in your body. However, abruptly stopping your intake of caffeine and alcohol also leads to withdrawal symptoms. Therefore balancing out intake of alcohol and caffeine is crucial. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.

Reinventing Yourself after Divorce

“It's over. You've signed the divorce papers, and the relationship you entered with so much hope is officially dissolved.”

Have you just ended a long-term relationship with someone? Why do breakups hurt so much, even when the relationship is no longer good?

It is painful because it represents the loss, not just of the relationship, but also of shared dreams and commitments. Romantic relationships begin on a high note of excitement and hope for the future. When these relationships fail, we experience profound disappointment, stress, and grief.

A breakup or divorce launches us into uncharted territory. Everything is disrupted: your routine and responsibilities, your home, your relationships with extended family and friends, and even your identity. A breakup brings uncertainty about the future. What will life be like without your partner? Will you find someone else? Will you end up alone? These unknowns often seem worse than an unhappy relationship.

Recovering from a breakup or divorce is difficult. However, it’s important to know (and to keep reminding yourself) that you can and will move on.  Your life is not broken. It's just time for a change. So, 

1. Let yourself mourn.

Nobody gets married thinking, "I sure hope we can get divorced someday!" Even if, by the time you split, the divorce was something you wanted, a divorce still represents a loss. Whatever your marriage and divorce experience has been, there will be emotions that have to do with grief. You may feel remorse for what you did or didn't do, or wonder what you did wrong. Don't dwell on those feelings, but make room for them

2. Work through your feelings.

Don't tote that heavy baggage from your previous relationship into your new life. Find a way to work through the lingering emotions from the demise of your marriage. It may mean talking out your feelings with a therapist or focusing your energy in a healthy activity you enjoy. "It's common to sweep these emotions under the table, but you have to work through them or they'll pollute your life going forward.”

3. Learn to like yourself.

That may sound cheesy and New Age-y. But the fact is that many people feel a lot of self-rejection after a divorce. "You might think that there must be something wrong with you if you couldn't make this relationship work.” You have to work on getting confidence and faith in yourself and ability to believe in your own worth."

4. Rediscover who you used to be.

Especially if you were married for a long time, you may have given up a lot of the things you enjoyed as a single person because they didn't fit with your "couple hood”. “What were your hobbies and activities before the marriage? What did you defer in favor of the relationship?" Exercising your interest in those again is important to rebuilding yourself.

5. Discover a new side of yourself.

The life-changing period of divorce, though often difficult and unwelcome, holds a silver lining: to shake things up and try on a new lifestyle. Maybe it's trying a new sport, considering a different place of worship, or going back to college. Maybe you realize that you'd like to move to a new city. Of course, you can't just flit away and throw caution to the wind. Chances are, you have some very real considerations -- kids (if you're a parent), a job, and a budget (which may have been hurt by the divorce). But chances also are that although you might not be able to do whatever your fantasy is, there may be other changes that ARE within your reach. So don't reject the idea of any change, just because you can't make every change.

As long as the changes you make are healthy and constructive, these are very appropriate. “Think about who you want to be -- the person you were before the marriage, or maybe a new person? What are some of the things you can do differently?" Look for changes you can say yes to, instead of dwelling on what's out of reach.

6. Dare to be alone.

Being alone doesn't mean being isolated and never seeing anyone. It just means not being coupled up, or in a rush to do so. Society is much more accepting of singles than even a decade ago, when solo restaurant diners often got the hairy eyeball. There are more than 30 million people living alone in this country today. "That's a lot of people, and there are a lot of opportunities for social connection. There are possibilities to pick up new friends and enter different kinds of groups that have to do with your interests. The social dimension after a divorce can be very rich."

7. Consider transitional relationships.

This isn't about rebounding. It's about considering dating (once you feel ready) outside your comfort zone -- someone who's not your type -- without thinking that it has to head toward a permanent relationship.

8. Embrace your new roles.

Especially if you were coupled up for a long time, your partner probably handled certain aspects of life while you managed others. Now it's all up to you. And it's not likely to go perfectly, but that's OK. Like If your partner was always the one responsible for the money -- earning it, managing it, investing it – and suddenly now you have a whole new realm of learning and responsibility. Dealing with those can give you confidence in your own ability. You don't have to figure it all out yourself. Look for help. Even if you make mistakes, you can learn from that experience. "Mistakes give you life skills and teach you that you can handle being alone."

In summary:

Divorce is not easy or fun, but realizing you can and will make it through this time of your life is the first step. To survive and thrive after divorce requires support and tools. It is a major transition in your life. 

Schizophrenia has been recognized as a mental disorder that combines symptoms like hallucinations with distorted thinking and others like fright and severe paranoia. This condition is one that gets progressively worse over time and leads to delusional thinking. Oversleeping and complaining of fatigue are usually the earliest signs of this condition's onset. Eventually, it becomes a debilitating factor in the life of the patient, who will not be able to function in a normal way due to the severe symptoms.

Read on to know more about the types and causes of this condition:

1. Genetic Causes: Schizophrenia may be caused due to genetic factors and it may be a learned or inherited disorder. It is known to affect patients who have a parent or a sibling who may have suffered from this condition. Yet, one must also remember that Schizophrenia can only be influenced by genetics, and not determined by the same.
2. Environmental Causes: When there has been an exposure to a viral infection during the pre natal stage, the patient is susceptible to this condition. Also, it may affect children who have been subject to the loss of a parent or separation at an early age. Physical and emotional abuse in one's childhood may also bring on this condition. Low level of oxygen at the time of birth is one of the causes of this condition in many patients.
3. Anomalies in Brain Structure: When the brain ventricles of the patient are enlarged, he or she may be prone to this condition. Also, anomalies in the temporal lobes and amygdala have links with the onset of this condition.
4. Types: A wide variety of mental and medical conditions can manifest with psychotic symptoms that must be considered in the differential diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder. These include psychotic disorder due to another medical condition or its treatment; delirium or major neurocognitive disorder; substance/medication-induced psychotic disorder or delirium; depressive or bipolar disorder with psychotic features; schizoaffective disorder; other specified or unspecified bipolar and related disorder; depressive or bipolar disorder with catatonic features; schizophrenia; brief psychotic disorder; delusional disorder; other specified or unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder; schizotypal, schizoid, or paranoid personality disorders; autism spectrum disorder; disorders presenting in childhood with disorganized speech; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; obsessive-compulsive disorder; posttraumatic stress disorder; and traumatic brain injury.

   Since the diagnostic criteria for schizophreniform disorder and schizophrenia differ primarily in duration of illness, the discussion of the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia also applies to schizophreniform disorder. 

Brief psychotic disorder. Schizophreniform disorder differs in duration from brief psychotic disorder, which has a duration of less than 1 month.

Residual Schizophrenia is a condition where the patient does not experience the various debilitating symptoms of the condition, and is on the road to recovery. Yet, even in this type of Schizophrenia, the patient will not really show any interest in life and the activities around him or her. Finally, the last type of Schizophrenia is Schizoaffective Disorder which is characterised by the symptoms of Schizophrenia as well as the symptoms of major mood disorders. When combined, this condition can lead to major complications and complex behavior.

A patient suffering from this condition will need to see a mental health specialist like a psychiatrist or a psychologist on an immediate basis. The treatment will be carried out on a long term basis for the results to start appearing.