Q Can stress cause weigh gain? How is stress related to weight gain? How to prevent it?

Yes stress is the major cause for weight gain! People turn to food for comfort whenever they feel stressed and tend to overeat. To make it worse, often we choose junk food. So, one, we eat unnecessarily without being hungry and two, junk food means much more added calories than needed.n Over a period, the caloric imbalance leads to weight gain and eventually elevates risk of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.n Now that you know, choose healthy alternatives like an apple or roasted almonds next time you feel stressed and are tempted to eat!n Moreover, try alternate ways like going for a walk or dancing to the tunes of some soothing music. This will not only relieve stress but will give bonus benefit by burning excess calories.

Q I am 30 years old divorcee. My son is very disturbed after our divorce. He remains sad most of the time and gets angry very quickly. What should I do to help him?

Separation of parents is always tough to deal with for kids. Kids are very attached to both the parents and react to the divorce with either feeling anxious, insecure, angry, or sad. It may result in trouble coping at school, social withdrawal, aggression, and other social problems. Parents should help kids to deal with this separation by talking to them about their feelings. Reassurance plays an important role. Tell him that it will not affect the way you love him. Try to make him feel secured. Make sure not to display anger and resentment between you and your ex-partner in front of your kid. Let some time pass by. With time and support from parent, Kids adjust healthily to divorce. If your kid~s behavior remains same, then do seek professional help.

Q I am 15-year-old boy and I often think about sex. Is it normal, or am I a pervert?

It is absolutely normal to think about sex often. Thinking about sex once in a while or over and over again at this age is not attributed to any abnormality and does not make you a pervert. Hormonal fluctuations and changes in body that take place at teenage increase the curiosity about sexuality and your own body. You will start noticing and appreciating opposite gender, will be attracted to someone you like, daydream, and think about sex inevitably in dreams, while studying, or even when talking with friends. All this curiosity and sexual thoughts are natural.

Q How to deal with acute stress?

Relaxing or chilling out as they say is the easy and excellent way to deal with acute stress. The aim is to do something which would help you reorient yourself away from stress and get back to the normal state, similar to what you were before the stress hormones kicked in. You can do this by taking in some deep breaths and breathing the stress out. A quick warm bath can do the trick. Brisk walk or a small jog drains the stress. Speak the stress out to a friend. Count backwards from 10 to 1.This not only works in case of anger but also dissolves stress well. Figure out the acute stressors and incorporate meditation or yoga into routine to keep your calm through any stressful situation.

Q I have been seeing faces on walls doors etc. Sometimes they are scary looking, and look like they are in pain. Sometimes they are peaceful looking. Ill see them in clusters, male, female, even babies faces.

Can you relate to any experience or incident after which you started seeing these faces? How long has it been since they started and how frequently does it happen? Are you suffering from or are on treatment for any other disease/disorder? Any addictions to smoking, alcohol, drugs etc? If these faces have been appearing recently, just ignore them for a while. Try to divert your attention and keep yourself busy. Theyll probably go away on their own. However, if you have been seeing these faces consistently, it would be wise to see a Mental Health practitioner who will be able to help you out.

Q What is considered a serious mental illness?

Mental illnesses are serious medical illnesses. They cannot be overcome through "will power" and are not related to a persons "character" or intelligence. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. The good news about mental illness is that recovery is possible. According SMI patient having 2-3 following mental symptoms persistent more than 1 year considered as serious mental illness- 1.Feeling, Mood, and Affect: Uncontrolled emotion. Marked change in mood. Depression and/or anxiety incapacitated person. Emotional responses are inappropriate to the situation. 2. Thinking: Severe impairment in concentration, persistence, and pace. Frequent or consistent interference with daily life due to impaired thinking. Presence of delusions and/or hallucinations. Frequent substitution of fantasy for reality. 3. Family: Disruption of family relationships. Family does not function as a unit and experiences frequent turbulence. 4. Interpersonal: Lacks close friends or group affiliations. Socially isolated. 5. Role Performance: Individual is unable to meet usual expectations. Unable to obtain or maintain employment and/or conduct daily living chores such as care of immediate living environment. 6. Socio-legal: Inability to maintain conduct within the limits prescribed by law, rules, and strong mores. Disregard for safety of others. Destructive to property. Involvement with law enforcement. 7. Self Care/Basic Needs: Disruption in the ability to provide for his/her own needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. Assistance required in obtaining housing, food and/or clothing. Unable to maintain hygiene, diet, clothing, and prepare food.

Q Does moon phase has some connection with mental illness?

There are studies which states that symptoms of a person suffering from mental illness aggravates during full moon. There are also studies which say that moon phases only has effect on schizophrenic patients. However, many recent studies have found no co-relation between the moon phases and mental illnesses.

Q Can not leave with my wife any more as dont find her attractive any more am I making right decision as I have to consider my feelings also

Sorry to say but you are behaving selfishly. Try to look above her physical appearence. Try to rememeber what was so good about her that made you marry her. Physical appearances changes with time. You yourself might not be same as you were few years back. If something about her is bothering you then talk to your wife and try to work towards it. Ending a relation on such a silly reason is not the solution.

Q What is Bulimia? What are the causes of the same?

It is a type of eating disorder. A person with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of time and then tries to prevent weight gain by getting rid of the food either by vomiting or with the help of laxatives. The causes for the disease include - family history, any mental illness or stress, cultural factor etc.

Q What can you tell me about Borderline Personality Disorder?

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a Mental Health disorder that generates significant emotional instability. This can lead to a variety of other stressful mental and behavioral problems. When you have borderline personality disorder, you often have an insecure sense of who you are. Your self-image, self-identity or sense of self often rapidly changes. You may view yourself as evil or bad, and sometimes you may feel as if you dont exist at all. An unstable self-image often leads to frequent changes in jobs, friendships, goals and values. This is because people with borderline personality disorder often have difficulty accepting gray areas; things seem to be either black or white. The common symptom of borderline personality disorder are overwhelming feelings of distress, anxiety, worthlessness or anger, difficulty managing such feelings without self-harming, for example by abusing drugs and alcohol or taking overdoses, difficulty maintaining stable and close relationships, sometimes, periods of loss of contact with reality, in some cases, threats of harm to others. Treatment may involve a range of individual and group psychological therapies (psychotherapy) carried out by trained professionals.