Dr. Kshitija T. Dongrikar

Note if they're in any physical pain. Unlike women, men tend to show more physical symptoms regarding depression. Although there are some similarities between the genders, men tend to experience more unique signs. The need to hold in emotions can actually create physical pain. Some of the main physical signs include:

• Headaches
• Backaches
• Joint pain
• Stomach pain (digestive issues)
• Chest pain

These are just some of the physical symptoms that men experience while suffering from depression. What's more, these physical symptoms can easily be associated with other issues, making it hard to recognize that depression is even at play.

Notice a change in their weight. Women tend to gain weight when they're depressed, while men are more likely to lose weight. However, some men do wind up gaining weight due to overeating. Either way, look for a change in their weight. It will likely be due to a change in appetite over a change in physical activity.

• Someone who typically eats ravenously may no longer feel like clearing their plate. A man who often would not eat large meals may start eating all day, often on junk food.[2] Ultimately, how the weight change manifests is determined by the individual.

Notice if he takes part in risky behaviors. If you think a man in your life is depressed, pay attention to his impulsivity and reckless behavior. Has he been taking more physical risks? Has his driving become increasingly more aggressive? These risky behaviors may be a sign of depression.

• Remember, if this man is an aggressive driver, that does not automatically mean that he's depressed. Men who are suffering from depression will show multiple signs. These types of behaviors are common signs and are generally paired with emotional and physical symptoms as well.

Are you living with a person suffering from depression, and are facing a tough time in adjusting with him or her? Depression is quite a frustrating condition to deal with. A depressed person may be looking for ways to get help, but cannot find the right approach. If you have a person suffering from depression in your home, you can be of great help by recognizing the symptoms and signs of depression in that person. Here are some effective ways of dealing with a depressed patient, which you should follow:

1. Recognize the symptoms, how they appear, and what triggers them.
2. Try to convince the person to seek professional treatment. In case of a depressed teen or child, help him to get proper treatment.
3. Encourage the depressed person that he or she deserves better, and how treatment will help them feel much better.
4. Recommend resources and ways for helping the patient.
5. If the patient stops functioning properly, attend to him, and accompany him for treatment till his condition improves.
6. If the patient is too unwell or very young to provide proper information to a therapist, act as a link or a mediator between the two.
7. Arrange for hospitalization if the depressed person becomes suicidal, or experiences delusions and hallucinations.
8. If the person stays functional, but refuses to seek treatment, take the assistance of others such as friends, relatives, doctors, and clergy. Find a way to convince the patient for undergoing the right treatment.
9. Do not give up very soon and encourage the patient, as he or she may need your support and comfort, even after treatment is undertaken.
10. Take some further action, in case all your efforts of encouraging and uplifting a depressed person fails over a period of time.
11. If you are dealing with a depressed spouse, explore separation when the spouse denies treatment and continues living miserably.
12. In case you are the parent of a depressed person, consult a mental health specialist and clarify the amount of assistance the patient requires.

Although it is not very easy to deal, cope, and live with a person suffering from depression, it is very important for you to reach out and help the person as much as possible, and make him or her feel better. Patience is key for you to positively manage the situation and the person. There are various modes of treating a depressed person, which you must avail.

Internet addiction is a very recent phenomenon, but is already a cause for concern. With the advent of various social networking websites, people are increasingly becoming addicted to the internet. Internet addiction disorder is often characterized by people inching to form an emotional attachment with people and activities, all of them online. You may enjoy connecting to people more over the virtual interface instead of the real world; this usually stems from an inability to establish real human contact.

The symptoms of internet addiction disorder are:
1. Excessive usage of the internet
2. Depression, mood swings and irritability if one doesn’t get access to the internet
3. Any effort to reduce internet usage is usually unsuccessful
4. You may experience constant problems in personal relationships, education and your job due to incessant internet usage
5. A tendency of lying to close ones when they ask you how much time you spend over the internet
6. Using internet to escape from real world problems

Further complications
Internet addiction can gradually isolate you. You may develop an aversion to meeting and communicating with people in real life. This can impair your social skills and make you socially awkward. This disorder also create problems in relationships as it can reduce the time you spend interacting personally.
Internet addiction may also lead you to create online personas to evade low self-esteem issues. This actually aggravates the problem instead of solving it; can result in severe anxiety and depression. Withdrawal symptoms might result in anxiety, depression, irritation and loneliness. This disorder can lead to complications such as dry eyes, headaches, change in sleep patterns and subsequent problems in falling asleep. Back pain from sitting upright while you are on the internet is also very common problem.

A healthy mind in a healthy body! We have all heard the saying, but do we actually live by it. Though we try to eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and practice an overall healthy lifestyle to keep ourselves physically fit, but do we pay enough attention to keeping our mind healthy? The answer would be, not really. Here are a few compelling reasons that will drive us to do so:

To deal with troubles in your personal life: Whether it's an accident or a life loss of someone close to you, or any other strong personal issue, it may not affect your physical health but leaves a deep cut on your mental health. People often try and keep such things to themselves without realising that this would worsen the situation further. It is, however, best to seek help from mental health professionals or talk to someone close to you. If left unattended, these troubles may leave you isolated and detached, leading to problems in personal life.

To prevent damaging your physical health: There is a strong connection between the body and the mind. If body suffers the mind bears it effects and vice-versa the other will bear its effects. Often suffering from depression, anxiety and stress for long leads to heart attacks or strokes and sometimes even disrupts the immune function of the body. Sleep disorders, digestion issues that can impair your physical health are often the result of poor mental health.

To retain your productivity and functionality: Believe it or not, when you fail to nourish your mental health, it also reduces your productivity by making you lethargic and less inclined to participate in any physical activities. Being stressed or depressed due to the issues in life can significantly affect your productivity and functionality at work.

To stop yourself from developing unhealthy addictions: Poor mental health leads to developing unhealthy habits. From smoking excessively to becoming an alcoholic or taking drugs, people often engage in these practices to cope with mental issues. However, if you care about your mental health, you may be in better position to judge the harmful effects of these habits and therefore refrain from developing them.

To lead a happy and long life with friends and family: Various studies have shown that compared to people with mild mental issues and troubled emotional states, it is people with happy lives and sound mental health that live longer. It is advised to care for your mental health as the ignorance of the same may result in anxiety, stress and depression. This will not only hamper your communication with your family and friends but leave you disconnected from others and yearning for loneliness.

Remember, good health can only be achieved when there's a perfect balance between the mental health and the physical health. When any of these conditions get compromised, the overall health starts to deteriorate. Therefore, stay physically and mentally healthy to ensure over-all well-being. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Anger is a very negative emotion and can be the underlying cause of many relationships falling apart. There are people who cannot manage their anger completely and express it by yelling, throwing things, or even physically harming others. While anger is a natural emotion, it is important to control it else it can even harm one’s own health.

Research has proven that every emotion is associated with a chemical reaction in the brain. While happiness produces certain chemicals, anger produces another set, leading to a different impact on health. Therefore, it is essential to learn to control anger, so that the negative reactions can be controlled. The following are some simple but effective ways to manage your temper:

1. Take a pause: It is a known fact that what is said in the heat of the moment can be very damaging. The person’s response may be completely different if they speak after a while. Some people even would ask if it was indeed them who spoke or did that. Therefore, learn to count to ten or take deep breaths when you know you are angry. This can help you gather your thoughts and respond more aptly.
2. Be assertive: Learn to respond without sounding argumentative, at the same time being assertive. Do not try to control others when trying to make your point.
3. Regular timeout: For some people, there are periods of the day which prove to be more stressful than the others. Even a simple walk for 10 to 15 minutes can improve your oxygen intake and aid in anger management.
4. Nurture your sense of humor: While not all would have it, it is definitely possible to look at the funny side of things. This definitely helps in not just easing the stress and reducing tension for all, but also reduces the anger you feel towards a particular situation or person.
5. Relaxation techniques: Be it meditation or yoga, these help you relax by focusing on the breathing. Even exercise, writing poems or stories, singing songs, or listening to music can help in reducing stress and controlling anger.
6. Professional help: While it may sound a bit too far-fetched, it is not. If the above self-help measures do not help in managing your anger, and you realize it is taking a toll on your health and/or relationships, seek professional help. With changing life situations, anger management has become a separate area in itself, and with some help, you could greatly change your quality of life.
7. Rewards: Reward yourself each time you control your anger and respond in a calmer manner. Over a period of time, this induced habit will become your normal response.