A rational approach!

Stress, depression, beauty obsessions, addictions, caregiver burden, anger and grief unfortunately are emotions that pop up in all our lives at some point. With the right help they can all be overcome, but are we getting that support when needed? Our network of family and friends are not always sufficient. Therapy and professional help is the answer to figure certain stuff out, even if people around you think it’s a trivial issue. So how do you deal with the unpleasant?

Nothing like speaking to a therapist. Someone listens to you, gives you right advice, medicines if needed and best of all won’t be gossiping behind your back or getting agitated after hearing your problems and stress you out more. And if you can’t get the appointment straight away, a good self-help book which gives you pointers on coping is not a bad idea.

Positive words can beat the blues. This is why clinical psychologist Pulkit Sharma’s book, When the soul heals, exploration in spiritual psychology, is a good read.

But what exactly is spiritual psychology? “It is an approach amalgamating ancient spiritual wisdom with contemporary psychology, connecting us to the psychic powers within, kindling a complete transformation of our being and transcending barriers of religions and cults. It helps us find out who we are, why we suffer and how we can reclaim our life and be happy,” explains Sharma.

Spiritual people are happy and optimistic, they can find meaning and purpose in life against all odds and realize their true potential.

Attaining this happy state isn’t difficult as the book reveals sometimes all we need to do is meditate for 10 minutes.”

However, if you feel that despite trying your best to overcome issues, nothing is happening, don’t shy away from taking professional help. The book tells us why it’s important to get that appointment to deal with modern day problems.

One of the major issues plaguing millennials is the craze for a ‘designer body’. It is so acute that these people follow the harshest diets, most strenuous workouts, complicated beautification processes and exhaustive surgical procedures to overhaul their normal average looks. “A client approached me in a suicidal state for help because he could not get the ‘perfect nose after three nose jobs” reveals Sharma.

Many also suffer from low frustration-tolerance, relationship conflicts, addictions, boredom, loneliness and meaninglessness. “This chaos has been triggered by multiple factors — families struggling to stay connected and function normally, declining emotional and social support, preoccupation with consumer goods and entertainment, indulgence in excessive pleasure-seeking and unsupervised use of social media,” says Sharma adding,

“I see many youngsters approaching me on their own as they are somewhat aware of the mental health issues plaguing them. However, it takes them time to develop trust and open-up as many of them have lost faith in relationships. While a majority develop some degree of trust within the initial four to five sessions, some of them who have a traumatic past take longer.”

Take your time to open up, even check out a few therapists till you find one who works for you, but pay attention to the book’s message that it’s a good idea to get proper help.