IT'S Crowded Here

                       A female once travelled with her family to a marriage function nearby. When she entered the van arranged for that and the door was closed, she felt distressed and breathless. She had palpitations , ringing in the ears, fainting attacks and excessive sweating and came out of the van. She felt relieved and she did not travel in the van on that day and never after that. She avoids travelling in bus and van but prefers her scooter to travel after that incident. Few days later she went to a shopping mall with her family. She took the lift to go to the upper floor. She suddenly felt giddiness, palpitations, nausea, upset stomach and sweating. She came out of the lift in the very next floor. She did not take the lift back down .She avoided to use lift from then on for past three years now due the fear of developing the same symptoms. Once the lady went to her neighbor’s house .when she was speaking to her neighbor the door closed automatically due to wind. When she noticed that she felt discomfort and became restless .she ran out of the house in fear.

                        The symptoms the female had were suggestive of a condition called AGORAPHOBIA. In Agoraphobia there is marked and consistently maintained fear and the person avoids crowds, public places, travelling alone and travelling to far away places. The persons suffering from this disorder feel escape might be difficult from these places or help may not be available. This condition can occur mostly in persons who are anxious and avoidant and also in persons in severe stress or depression. Women are found to have more prevalence than men.

Early intervention and treatment with medications, relaxation and breathing techniques are found to show excellent results. So friends if any person is found to have these symptoms please consult your psychiatrist as soon as possible for better results….

Few other phobias are 

ACROPHOBIA - Fear of heights
CLAUSTROPHOBIA – Fear of closed places
HYDROPHOBIA - Fear of water (in rabies infection)
XENOPHOBIA – Fear of strangers,
ZOOPHOBIA – Fear of animals.

Please know them and share with others. 

LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE .....

DrBevinsathya

Cocaine a lethal CNS Stimulant

                 Cocaine is an alkaloid which is derived from coca bush. It is commonly called by the street name “Crack”.  Cocaine is a central stimulant which can be inhaled, smoked, or injected. The highest concentration of cocaine is found in the inject able form. People abuse cocaine to attain euphoric effect. Though government has tried to eradicate cocaine abuse young people abusing cocaine are increasing day by day. Cocaine though a CNS stimulant can cause serious side effects to the abuser.

The intoxication of this substance is associated with tachycardia, hypertension, sweating sleep disturbances and increased psychomotor activity. The abusers lose their personal and social judgment and have psychotic symptoms. On chronic use of heavy doses the person can have seizures, respiratory depression, arrhythmias and heart attacks. The use of these substances can also be an illness behavior due to depression and other mood disorders. Cocaine is a lethal substance which produces dependence and is very difficult to stop once a person starts abusing it. Any person abusing cocaine must consult a psychiatrist as soon as possible to undergo dead diction treatment, supportive psychotherapy and behavior therapy to prevent further complications….

LET'S MAKE A  DIFFERENCE ......                                                                                                                 DR.Bevinsathya                                    

My Childhood Memories

I can scan my remote memory way back to the day when I crawled to my mother to get rice mixed with milk. She used to tell me stories to make me eat. I still remember the day I sat with my grandmother at the age of 2yrs in the balcony noticing a crow struggling to get away from a tree. Days later my grandmother fell ill and was taken to hospital and I ran behind the wheel chair in the ramp not knowing what was happening to her. I remember the day when I sat in my father’s arm and looking at grandma’s body and asked “when will grandma wake up?’’ not knowing she has passed away. The first day I went to school my mother made me sit in the classroom and waited outside. I was so afraid and I cried and ran back to her. I remember few of my first friends in LKG.

 I remember many a thing about me and my brother fighting with each other. Once at the age of 5yrs I tried to take a honey bottle which slipped and fell down. When noticed by my father I blamed my brother and he was beaten up. Once we both went late to house after playing in school and were gifted effectively. After every annual leave I remember the exam writing pad becoming a cricket bat and ice-cream ball becoming cricket ball for me and my brother. When I go with my brother walking to school whenever we notice a new bike or car we used to say “when we become rich we will buy all those cars and bikes”. Once my father gave two rupees for us to buy chocolate. I remember asking the shop keeper to give me a five star chocolate. He told me it cost five rupees. I went back and waited for few months to get another three rupees from father. I ran to the shop as fast I could and bought a five star and I and my brother shared it.Every Sunday father gives thirty rupees to buy chicken. I and my brother were made to wait hours because the shopkeeper was busy packing bigger parcels and welcoming people coming in bikes and cars. Whenever I am free I become a driver to a cycle tyre.

 The best of all my childhood memories was when my father and mother take us outside to take dress for New Year or birthday. We used to walk together for about five kilometres to textile shop. My father sacrifices his new dress because of us taking costly dresses. We thought then our father was not interested in buying new dress for him. Then we go to hotel to have a nice non-veg dinner. Our mother convinces our father to buy us ice cream for a final finishing touch. Then we walk back home happily talking about our new dresses when my father silently does come calculations by making gestures in air. We never knew what he was doing. Well he was calculating the expenses and the savings he has to make for future expenses.

Now after so much years has passed after seeing so many people having a poor childhood period going on to develop dependence to substances, drugs and other behavioural problems I realize the importance of my childhood. A famous psychologist has once told “tell me a child’s first two years I will predict his future”. Such is the importance of our childhood. When we ask a few patients what they like in childhood they used to say “I don’t like to remember that”. I learned love and affection from my mother, discipline from my father, sharing with others from my brother and patience a very important component in life from the shopkeeper who used to make us wait for hours for a few grams of chicken….thanks to all of them…

We knew we were not rich we were not wealthy but our parents never let us suffer and we were very happy. Well I know I can’t get these childhood times back again but if god gives me a chance to choose something I will say to him to give me the first ten years of my childhood back to go back and thank my parents, my brother ,my grandma and all those involved for making me what I am today. Friends it is never too late than never to thank your parents, brothers and sisters who have made you what you are today. Let it be today….

“DAYS MAY PASS BUT MY MEMORIES WILL STAY”.

                                                                                  LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE – Dr.Bevinsathya.

I Learned from my Patient..

Today I happened to see a person a known case of severe depression on drugs. He came for a regular review. I started talking to him. He elaborated his complaints to me. I explained to him his problems and the solution to his problems. He complained about his interpersonal conflict and other issues. 

I explained to him all his issues.The interview lasted for about an hour. He seemed to be relaxed and I advised him to come for regular follow up. He said ok but was standing there waiting for me to do something. I asked him “what is your doubt?” He hesitantly came close to me and asked “sir you have not examined me? I told you I have problem I my mind. But you have not auscultated my chest. Then how will you know my problems? “ Yes his concept of mind was related to chest. I politely took my stethoscope and auscultated the chest and told him he was ok. He felt so relieved and thanked me and left the op. 

Well he taught me a lesson today. Whatever may be the case auscultation of the chest is important for the patient when he comes to a doctor irrespective of his complaint. I thank my patient to reminding me time and again its importance. I learned from him today a lesson. Let me not forget its importance.

Dr.Bevinsathya.

Hippocrates the Social Reformer

Hippocrates is said to be a great Greek scholar and physician of 400 BC. He is called as the father of western medicine. But his contribution to psychiatry is more important. He was the first person to say that mental illness is due to bodily changes and not due to demonic possessions and black magic.

Doctors and Medical students take the Hippocrates oath during their medical journey.

Though Hippocrates was not able to point the changes in the nervous system or neurotransmitters he told that mental illness is due to an imbalance in the bodily fluids. He explained that human emotions can be divided into four humors.

A) SANGUINE (Blood) - A warm, outgoing personality. Rarely loses temper and is compassionate and loving by nature.

B) PHLEGMATIC (Phlegm) - A lazy, laid-back personality. Is rarely bothered by carrying out jobs or work, and does not express many emotions. Never is emotionally intense.

C) CHOLERIC (Yellow Bile) - An angry, aggressive personality. Is often loyal, but at the same time, has a very short fuse and is impulsive by nature.

D) MELANCHOLIC (Black Bile) - A sad, despondent personality. Tends to display more reactions of negativity towards stimuli, and is often selfish and self-absorbed.

But even in 2013 people believe mental illness could be a part of black magic or demonic possessions.

The more sad part is the amount of financial loss and stress they undergo before consulting a doctor. People consult a lot of magic religious persons and lose their hope before coming to a psychiatrist. They are so drained and tried that they are not able to accept the explanation of the psychiatrist. The latter they consult the poorer is the prognosis. This is very important in case of any mental illness. So friends please don’t hesitate to come out and solve your problems as soon as possible. BE OPEN AND BE FRANK

“LETS MAKE A DIFFERENCE”

Dr.Bevinsathya.

Am i FAT.....?

Feeding and eating is the main mode of energy intake of our body. Each person has his/her own pattern of taking diet. Some are concerned about their health, some about their body shape and some about flavors and taste and so on. There are few persons who self-starve themselves to maintain their body image. It is especially very common in adolescents girls. The overall incidence is more in women than men. 

There are two important medical conditions related to eating. 1) Anorexia Nervosa  2) Bulimia Nervosa(Binge eating). 

In Anorexia Nervosa persons self starve themselves to maintain their body image. Many famous personalities like actresses and singers especially below the age of 30 have lost their lives due to anorexia nervosa. 

In Bulimia Nervosa persons go on a eating spree followed by self induced vomiting and purging to over compensate their body fat content. Beware friends it is a bad habit to have. This eating pattern can disturb your body's nutritional balance.It can lead to malnutrition, menstrual abnormalities,decreased immunity, cardiac problems,cognitive disturbances,behavioural disturbances, infertility and in severe condition lead to liver , kidney malfunction and death too. It is very important to maintain a balanced diet all through the day 24/7. 

You can calculate your BMI which is an indicator of body fat content by using a simple formula(wt/ht2). If you have doubts in your diet pattern please consult your dietician or doctor to clarify them. It is very important to stay healthy and active than a so called body image. 

"Eat healthy Stay healthy". 

LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Dr.Bevinsathya.

SIR PLEASE IN AM AFRAID...

Few days back on a fine evening two policeman brought a wandering person to the hospital with a magistrate order under the request of his mother. The main complaint was he was very aggressive and uncontrollable by others . On examination he was irritable and not so cooperative. He was advised admission. I asked the policemen to take him to ward but the person denied to go to ward.He refused and stood ground there for around 5 hours. In the meantime i noticed the two police personnel getting very restless and trying to tell something.

One of the policeman silently came to me and told "sir we can control any murderer or a smuggler but with this person we are very afraid.Sir he is very angry.He may hurt us sir. Give him some drugs and sent him off. Why are u admitting him?". Finally the mentally ill person obeyed to the words of the doctors and nursing staff and he came to ward. He was started on medical treatment.The next day when we went for rounds we tried to to talk to the person.Suddenly a policeman came running and told "sir dont talk to him he may hurt you". I told to the the policeman that this mentally ill person is not harmful than anyother so called normal person. Well i knew one thing for sure. These police men may have been trained to deal with criminals but when it comes to dealing with persons who are mentally ill they had zero knowledge.Well i think as a public personnel all police personnel should be given a outline about mental health and how to handle mentally ill persons. 

"LET'S MAKE A DIFFERENCE"

Dr.Bevinsathya..