How to tackle the Noonday demon?

Depression is colloquially known as the afternoon demon. Who doesn’t know this term? I am sure there are very few who have not heard this term. It is not very unusual for us to say, “I am depressed” when the life doesn’t go as we want it to be.  In fact, it has become a meme, to borrow the term of Richard Dawkins. But what is depression really? The DSM defines depression as a state of mind, where is one is persistently sad for a period of at least 15 days which in turn has a debilitating effect on one’s normal, day to day functioning of life. But the story doesn’t end there.

All thanks to the recent advancements in technology, we now know that depression is not just when your mood hits the downhill, but it is empirically proven that it is a bio-chemical disorder of the brain. There is a neuro chemical called serotonin, which plays a key role in the gelling of the synapses. The deficiency of this chemical causes depression. But depression is not just mere sadness. It is much more that, and it comes in many ugly colours.

Some feel sad, for some experience emotional turmoil, beyond one’s capability of expression and some even get angry. It is said that there are myriad symptoms of depression. It takes only a certified mental health professional; be it a psychologist or psychiatrist to diagnose it. A big caveat for the patients or the caretakers: Never take the task of treatment in your own hands. Let the professionals do that for you.

Psychotherapy is usually considered to be the first line of treatment for depression depending on the patient’s score on the Hamilton scale. Hamilton scale is considered the gold standard for evaluating the given patient’s intensity of depression. It can be mild, moderate or severe. It is my opinion that for mild or moderate cases, psychotherapy would do. If one is severely depressed; say on a scale of 1-10, if the score is 8 or 9 then the patient should be immediately put on the anti-depressant medication.  This is what my reading and research indicates.

However, it takes time for the medicine to have its effect, and cause a substantial change in the patient’s behaviour, thus allowing him to resume his normal lifestyle. Above all, it should be remembered that depression is not a weakness of character, and seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Timely help and prompt treatment will make the patient’s life better and the caretaker lives easier.

 Disclaimer: The above article is just my opinion. It is no substitute for a consultation with a psychologist. I have written this article based on my readings of psychology

Why Youtube marketing is important

A picture is worth a thousand words and a motion picture is worth a thousand pictures. This metaphor aptly suits the YouTube Marketing phenomenon. In today’s hyper-competitive, fast-paced world of ours, we cannot imagine our lives without YouTube. It educates us, entertain us, make our lives beautiful and above all, is a big boon to the online marketers. It is one of the most formidable online platforms available to make one’s presence felt in the market, and thereby gain a strong foothold or niche.

With YouTube marketing, a billion customers per se are just a click away. Here is the chance for the marketers to tell their enthralling stories about the product that would make the target customers hooked. With the attention span of the audience decreasing gradually, the onus is on the marketers to make the video content as much spell-binding and captivating as possible because ‘Content is King’.

 

Why reading is important?

So many books, so little time said Frank Zappa. How true this is ! I consider reading to be one of the most refined pleasures. It nourishes your intellect and strengthens the spirit. So many great people from   Benjamin Franklin to Mahatma Gandhi have found solace in reading during the hard times and emerged resilient. 

Yet, very few take the advantage of reading now a these days, though books can be bought just at the click of a mouse. For most of the students, reading is just not their thing! Reading is not-so-cool thing to do for many. They don’t want to be labelled as a nerd or a bookworm by their peers.

We live in a society which prefers empty, mind-numbing entertainment.  Students would rather watch countless videos on YouTube, do WhatsApp, and snapchat or Instagram. Little do they realise that it is a colossal waste of time.

Reading is the most productive of all the activities you can engage in as a student. The most important benefit that can be reaped from reading is that it improves your vocabulary. The more words you know, the more fluently you can think. And the ability to think fluently is like having a superpower. 

Moreover, it needs no statistical data to support the fact that students who read voraciously score  exceptionally well in the entrance tests and academics. No surprise there, but it is also proven that they tend to do well in their professional and personal lives later. 

All the great people have one thing in common. They are terrific thinkers. And thinking undeniably comes with reading. Today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders. For instance a CEO  on an average reads 50-60 books per year. Theodore Roosevelt used to read a book everyday, and Sir Wisnton Churchill is believed to have read 5000 books in his life time. No wonder that they created history.

So, if you really want to lead, then read.