When Arjun (name changed) told his father that he was feeling depressed and suicidal, he said “You spend too much time on the phone”. His friends said, “Just work out and be social, you will be fine”. He tried all of those things, but nothing changed.
“Sleeping well, eating healthy, working out and having a routine are supportive factors that help stop the onset of a disorder. They may even support recovery when you are undergoing treatment for disorders. But they don’t fix a problem,” says Dr Arun B Nair.
He adds how the mind is the higher functioning of the brain. “Thoughts, memories, emotions, perceptions are all actions of your mind. Neurotransmitter changes in your brain can amount to mental health disorders.For example, lack of serotonin and norepinephrine leads to depression while an unchecked increase in dopamine levels could lead to schizophrenia. While mild depression or anxiety can be treated with mild therapy and change of lifestyle, severe cases of depression definitely requires medical intervention,” says Arun.
Related: World Mental Health Day: When it comes to psychotic illnesses, are we equipped to help?