Dr. Jasleen Kaur Bhalla's Blog

ADOLESCENTS : OVERCONTROLLED OR UNDERCONTROLLED? As parents pour in the psychiatry OPD with their problematic adolescent children, it puts us to ponder on the fact why the child's emotion or behaviour become problematic for parents and others if at all........... There are 2 broad categories of issues faced in adolescents: INTERNALISING DISORDERS AND EXTERNALISING DISORDERS.  Whereas internalizing problem behavior is focused on the own self (e.g., withdrawal, anxiety, depression, emotional problems), externalizing problem behavior occurs in interaction with the social environment (e.g., aggression, impulsivity, deviance, hyperactivity). Internalising disorders are common in children of OVERCONTROLLING PARENTS while externalising ones are commonly seen in children of UNDERCONTROLLED PARENTS.  These are established risk factors for many unpleasant outcomes and psychopathology in adulthood. Understanding them is important as they are in  association with numerous unfavor...

  APRIL IS OBSERVED AS IBS AWARENESS MONTH IBS i.e. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a common, chronic, recurrent, medically underdiagnosed illness linked to your gastro-intestinal system.  Symptoms include long standing and fluctuating tummy pain / cramps, bloating, burning / gas (dyspepsia) / excessive wind (flatulence) / excessive burping (aerophagia) and diarrhoea or constipation, or both. It can affect all ages (adolescent to elderly) /  gender (women > men).  THEME :  This IBS Awareness Month theme is Destigmatizing the Different types of IBS that include: IBS with constipation (IBS-C) :   atypical stools that are hard and lumpy or not loose and watery at least a quarter of the time. IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D) :   atypical stools that are loose, watery, and not hard or lumpy at least a quarter of the time. IBS with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M) :  atypical stools that are watery and loose about a quarter of the time, and they ...

MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AMIDST COVID PANDEMIC  COVID has brought an array of mental health challenges for everyone, including children. Grief, fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, uncertainty, social isolation, increased screen time and parental fatigue have negatively affected the mental health of children due to disruption of routine, friendships and family support.  Mild signs of anxiety, such as difficulty in sleeping or concentrating have become common.  WARNING SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR......... In children <5 years : thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, regression in behaviour or withdrawal from interactions. In children between 5 to 10 years : irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration and withdrawal from activities and friends. In adolescents between 10 to 19 years : hyperactivity or fidgeting, sleeping, and eating disturbances, agitation, increased conflicts, physical...

FROM MONDAY BLUES TO MONSLAY W e all experience Monday blues 👾 ( feeling extreme stress/anxiety or  sadness on the first day of the week)  at some point or other in our lives. It can make us lack the passion and motivation to go to work on on a Monday morning . It can signal BURNOUT in some people too.  WHY DO YOU HAVE MONDAY BLUES ? 1. You are not satisfied with the kind of job that you are doing. 2. You are not happy with your work colleagues or work environment. 3. You feel that your life is very mundane. There is no pleasure in your day-to-day tasks and everything seems very mechanical. 😟 4. Your job is interfering in other pleasurable activities that you could engage in earlier, before joining the job you're currently in.  5. You are unable to give time to your relationship because of your work commitments. 6. You are suffering from a mental health issue. 💭 WAY TO MONSLAY.......🎢 1. Identify the  underlying cause (your own inability to fulfil targ...

SELF LOVE Let's choose ourselves first in a world where we cross oceans for people who would not even jump a puddle for us. So, prioritise yourself before we  become available to the world out there. It means: Talking to and about yourself with love Giving yourself a break from self doubts and self-judgement Trusting yourself Being true to yourself Being nice to yourself Setting healthy boundaries for yourself  Forgiving yourself  Self Care basics: Listen to your body Take breaks from work and move / stretch. Put the phone down and connect to yourself or others, or do something creative. Eating healthy, but sometimes indulge in your favourite foods. Self-love means ACCEPTING YOURSELF AS YOU ARE in this very moment for everything that you are. It means accepting your emotions for what they are and putting your  PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING   first. How to cultivate self-love? Become  mindful . Know what you think, feel and want. Be mindful of wh...

A CHILD IS AN UNCUT DIAMOND.                                                     - AUSTIN O'MALLEY THE MIND OF A CHILD IS FRAGILE. THEIR EMOTIONS TOUCH THEIR FUTURE. AND YOUR WORDS SHAPE THEIR DESTINY.  FROM THE WOMB OF THE MOTHER TILL ADULTHOOD, THE CHILD IS INFLUENCED BY HIS PARENTS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO SURROUND HIM. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT CHILD ACQUIRES HABITS AND TRAITS AS WE SHOW THEM. SCHOOL EDUCATION WILL NOT ESSENTIALLY HELP HIS PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT. IT'S THE PARENTING THAT PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN A CHILD'S LIFE. A CHILD IS A GREAT IMITATOR - WILL FOLLOW YOUR ACTIONS. SO IT'S BETTER FOR PARENTS TO PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH TO CHILD . IF YOU AREN'T GETTING UP EARLY IN MORNING, DON'T EXPECT YOUR CHILD TOO. AND IF YOU ARE SHORT TEMPERED, HOW CAN THE CHILD STAY CALM!!!  IF THE CHILD IS STUBBORN , IT MEANS ...