Expert Speak: Mitali Srivastava, Senior Clinical Psychologist at CIMBS

Recent decades have seen a significant rise in emotional difficulties being faced by people in the general population. Stress has become a part of everyday living; no matter whether a person is young or old, early in their career or an established professional everyone has stress.

But, what can we do about it? With soaring expectations and shrinking deadlines, increasing competition and decreasing ‘availability’ of time, role confusions and communication gaps, one’s life has a tendency to become a roller-coaster ride. Lack of communication creates personal distance, increasing workload takes away close friends – and families’ reactions can be emotionally charged, so whom do we talk to? How do we manage stress? How should we manage relationships?

In a nutshell, how do we manage life?

Seeking help from a therapist can be one easy way to make a start.

People who feel that psychotherapy is for people with severe mental illnesses are poorly informed. Rather, a professionally trained and experienced Psychotherapist is very well versed in handling all sorts of emotional issues whether they emerge from relationship difficulties, workplace stress, ability to cope up with daily demands and stress, inability to achieve one’s desired goal or problems of Depression, Anxiety, Phobia or any other such ailment.

Sometimes referred to as ‘The Talking Cure’, Psychotherapy is considered a collaborative endeavour between the therapist and the client, where the client opens up her/his heart to a non judgmental, accepting and empathetic professional in a safe, supportive and absolutely confidential environment. The client comfortably and confidentially shares feelings and experiences, which she or he might not have been able to comprehend before.

With increasing awareness about the positive impacts of psychotherapeutic work, individuals often approach a psychotherapist when they feel depressed, anxious or angry. Some others look for help in coping with a chronic illness interfering with their emotional or physical well-being. There may be others with short-term problems, which they are able to navigate because of Psychotherapy.

Following are just few examples where Psychotherapy typically works wonders:

• feelings of overwhelming, unmanageable helplessness and sadness;
• constant worries, feeling of being on the edge, extreme or negative thinking;
• tendency to get angry and aggressive, propensity to harm self or others;
• difficulties in concentrating well on assigned tasks;
• a general sense of uneasiness and/ or restlessness;
• interference with performance and day to day activities due to emotional state;
• feeling of helplessness despite  efforts and help from family and friends;
• disturbed, conflictual interpersonal relationships;
• coping by indulgence in drugs or alcohol.

Obviously, as psychotherapy is a collaborative effort, patience and the correct attitude of involvement from the patient are important. Sometimes, the process of introducing a new person, the therapist, into the patient’s world can be a difficult task, and one that takes its own time. However, once developed, this bond has the potential to work with the patient to overcome their deep rooted fears, resolved underlying conflicts and bring about positive changes in their life and their ‘sense of self’, perception, thinking and behaviour.

A well-trained and experienced psychotherapist acts like a guide through this journey; coaching and stimulating the patient to explore and understand their emotions and thoughts and lead towards positive living.

The post The Power of Psychotherapy appeared first on CIMBS.

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

Optimism is a way of life. It is the tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things. The word is originally derived from the Latin word “OPTIMUM”, which means “BEST”. Thus, an optimistic person perceives the best and expects the best possible outcome from any given situation. Whatever the circumstances, an optimistic person believes that the situation has an underlying positive meaning and that things are going to turn out well. So, a person with optimism, or in other words positive thinking, approaches life’s challenges with a positive demeanour.

Optimism does not mean avoiding or ignoring the bad things, rather it means making most out of the potentially bad situation. Positive psychologist Martin Seligman describes optimism in terms of explanatory style. “One’s explanatory style is how one explains why events happened”. People with an optimistic explanatory style tend to give themselves credit when good things happen, but typically blame outside forces for bad outcomes. They also tend to see negative events as temporary and atypical. On the other hand, individuals with a pessimistic explanatory style often blame themselves when bad things happen, but fail to give themselves adequate credit for successful outcomes. They also have a tendency to view negative events as expected and lasting”.

Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer opines that optimists tend to share several positive characteristics that increase overall happiness and promote health, while reducing depression and chronic stress:

• They think about, reflect on, and emphasize the good things in life.
• They are grateful and thankful for all their blessings.
• They don’t complain when something bad happens.
• They feel that nothing can hold them back from achieving success and reaching their goals.
• They believe in abundance.
• They are confident that the world offers plenty of opportunities for everyone to succeed.

Benefits of Optimism

The concept of Positive Thinking has gained a lot of attention from researchers in recent years.

According to positive psychology researcher Suzanne Segerstrom, “Setbacks are inherent to almost every worthwhile human activity, and a number of studies show that optimists are in general both psychologically and physiologically healthier”, which has been well proven by empirical researches. According to the Mayo Clinic, positive thinking is linked to a wide range of health benefits including:

•     Longer life span
•     Strong immune system
•     Less stress
•     Lower rates of depression
•     Increased resistance to the common cold
•     Better stress management and coping skills
•     Lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related death
•     Increased physical well-being
•     Better psychological health

Developing Optimism

Even if you are not a natural positive thinker, with some attitudinal change and persistence you can surely develop it.

• Become aware of your thinking pattern. If you are somebody who is more prone to have frequent negative thoughts,just STOP for a while,take a deep breath and think about the POSITIVE alternative.
• Expect good things to happen. Do things that make you happy.
• Avoid company of negative people and look forward to being with positive ones. Stop letting other people’s negative attitudes influence yours.
• Optimism is contagious. If you are a source of positive thought, you are also a source of positive energy to the environment and people that you interact with.
• Use positive words in your inner dialogues, or when talking with others
• Use your imagination to visualize only favorable and beneficial situations. Before starting on any new project or activity, visualize the positive outcome. Our actions are guided by our thinking and hence Thinking holds the power of determining the final outcome..
• Smile a little more, as this helps to think positively.
• Avoid using negative self statements, such as I can’t, rather say, “I KNOW I CAN”
• Maintain good body posture. It enhances optimism. Walk and sit with straight.
• Regular physical exercise is another key. Any form of physical activity results in release of endorphins, the positive hormone. It is well known for generation of positive thinking and feelings.
• Use positive affirmations.

The post Cultivating Happiness: Bring Changes to Your Life By Changing Your Thoughts appeared first on CIMBS.

Starting my education in the field of social work, I too – like many enthusiastic students of the field – hoped to dedicate my life to the people in need. With so much to work with, confusions of all sort took a load on me. With time, during my course of study, I felt inclined towards issues of Mental Health and the work needed to be done.

To gain first hand knowledge of the subject, I took refuge in  books about the subject in my college library. While there were those who dissuaded me, my mentors and my own self-will were the driving forces for me to enter this field. Gradually, my heart was set. With utmost conviction, I joined this field and with love chose this path and intent to travel along it as a foot soldier. This is a unique field which has given me the opportunity to feel professionally content, derive joy and experience a caring bond with the patients.

The post Love What You Do: Psychiatric Social Work & Patient Recovery appeared first on CIMBS.

There are only a few things capable of intriguing the human mind more than the mind itself. Psychology is the scientific study of human and animal behaviour with the object of understanding why one behaves the way one does.

An entire field with millions of professionals across the world devoted to study our behaviour.. Wow! Seems excessive?

There are differences in the way people think, feel, or even approach a particular situation. These traits provide us with our unique personalities and identities. While there can be great diversity in our behaviour, psychology attempts to understand those diversities and the reasons behind them.

But… is psychology of any significance to you and me?

We spend a lot of time thinking about our physical fitness and well-being. But, what about our mental well-being? Mental health forms an integral component of our overall wellness, and in determining the quality of our lives. Yet, the human mind remains a mystery yet to be unraveled and mental well-being issues are amongst the most neglected.

So, today – take a moment to give your mind a thought.

Think you or your loved one may need help? Don’t worry. We have you covered. Reach out to a professional at CIMBS. 

The post Mental Well-being: What Does Psychology Do For Me? appeared first on CIMBS.