Thoughts

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, most of us have adapted to new and unprecedented scenarios. We went from socializing, working and eating in three different places to doing all of them in one, and sometimes, doing them simultaneously. Over the past two and a half years, multitasking has become an important skill to acquire. Adults have to cook meals and work at the same time, parents have to pay equal attention to office projects and school assignments, children have to study and not balk under pressure. While this in itself is praiseworthy, some of us are also taking it a step...

The main symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are irregular menstrual cycles, gaining weight, excessive hair growth or hair fall, acne, dark patches of skin, inappropriate male features. PCOS is also usually detected during puberty, with the start of menses. This means – a girl who has PCOS might gain weight and will have a negative self-image in her teenage years.Womxn with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are at higher risk for binge eating behavior, having negative body image and depression and anxiety. Also womxn with PCOS have a higher prevalence for disordered eating than womxn without. It is clear that PCOD treatment should be done in...

The relationships between gender identity, sexuality, body image and perceptions about shape and size are complex. There are certain stressors that only LGBTQ+ individuals face that leaves them vulnerable to eating disorders. Like the fear or experience of rejection, internalised negative messages, experience of violence or discrimination or discordance between gender identity and sex assigned at birth.  While there are no significant Indian studies to prove more that individuals from the queer community are more prone to eating disorders, various studies have shown the trend in other countries. There are certain sections of the community more vulnerable to eating disorders. A survey in the...

In times like these, young children look at the behaviour and words that parents use. If you’re anxious, it’s likely that your child is picking up on it and getting worked up as well. Making it a point to speak to your children and communicating what is going on in as simple a manner as possible, and reassuring them that as long as they’re together and inside, they are safe can help a great deal. –Help your child to create and adhere to a daily schedule. It will help the child exercise some form of control in this time, and...

Most of us have been able to sense the anxiety around us. Sneezing, coughing, no masks or no sanitizers are making us uneasy all over again. March and April seem to be the months of doom. If you’re saying “Stop! I haven’t been able to cope with last March, stop throwing more stressors at me again.” Honestly, same. Having to deal with the uncertainty in 2020 was bad. But 2021 feels like a repeat. And the fact that this time around, we know what’s coming, how we might feel and what’s going to happen, but we are still uncertain about...