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...