“Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.” — Robert Frost There are few human experiences as celebrated and as poorly understood as romantic longing. We romanticise sleepless nights, obsessive thoughts and the inability to get someone out of one’s mind. But what happens when these experiences cease to be pleasurable? When thoughts become […]
Tag: MINDS Newsletter
External Posting Essentials: Part 3 – Bringing the Learning Back Home
In Part 1, thoughtful preparation laid the foundation for a meaningful external posting. In Part 2, that preparation shifted into active observation, engagement, and learning within a different clinical environment. But the learning does not end when the posting does. It ends when you have translated what you learned into something usable in your home […]
Recognising the red flag signs of suicide
Suicide remains a significant public health concern in India, with a reported burden of approximately 12.2 per 1 lakh population. Beyond the numbers are individuals who may be struggling silently, often without anyone around them realising the extent of their distress. There is no single behaviour or statement that can definitively tell us that someone […]
Patient Care Starts at Home
A psychiatry resident advises a patient to maintain good sleep hygiene. An intern counsels the patient on the importance of a well-balanced diet. A physician advises the patient against smoking, alcohol, and cannabis. But then we go back to the wards; we skip our meals, we push through disturbed sleep cycles, and when we find […]
Uncontrollable Tears
Each drop as heavy as her heart,flows down her cheek. Reluctant to stay hidden anymore,for it is her choice no more. Undeniably, unforcedly, unwillingly,comes the attack onto herself after a thousand of it,felt lighter her heart. For all it counted later,was as the molecule of the ocean that mattered. Days of remorse, pain, heaviness and […]
Depression: More Than Just a Bad Mood
As MBBS students, we learn to diagnose illnesses based on science, not assumptions. Yet, depression is often misunderstood. Many people believe it is simply “feeling sad” or that a person should be able to “snap out of it.” In reality, depression is a medical disorder that affects the brain, emotions, thinking, and behaviour. Feeling sad […]
External Posting Essentials: Part 2 – During Your Posting
In the first part of the series, we discussed about how thoughtful planning lays down the foundation for a successful external posting. Once you arrive at the host institution, you must execute the planning. The first three days: observe before you perform The temptation on arrival is to demonstrate competence, to show that you are a capable resident who can clerk patients, […]
The Biopsychosocial Model: Seeing the Person Beyond the Diagnosis
“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.” – William Osler Imagine two patients presenting with the same complaint of low mood. One has a strong family history of depression and hypothyroidism. The other recently lost a parent, is socially isolated, and is struggling academically. Although both […]
Implementing the NMC MD Psychiatry PG Appraisal Form: Perspectives from an Expert Panel
The implementation of the National Medical Commission (NMC) MD Psychiatry PG Appraisal Form marks an important step towards competency-based postgraduate medical education. During the panel discussion, experts from the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) and Indian Teachers of Psychiatry (IToP) reflected on the opportunities and challenges associated with adopting this framework across psychiatry training programs in […]