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Chandni was one and a half years old when her father succumbed to physical illness. He was a national level shooter and could not participate in his championship due to illness. After this he had to stay in bed for 7 years. Growing up, watching her father struggle for a better life every day left a deep impression on Dr. Chandni Tugnait. After this he decided to become a doctor.
She wanted to choose a field that would help in the overall mental well-being of people. This attracted her to study psychology, psychiatry, mental health and various forms of therapy.
Now mental health has become such a topic that is not talked about in silence. Even though the world is changing now and people have started talking openly about mental health. Despite this there is still a long way to go.
Health Shots had an exclusive interview with Dr Chandni Tugnait, a mental health & wellness coach. In which he talks about his journey and challenges as a mental wellness coach. Here are some excerpts from the conversation with him.
Why is mental health still considered a taboo?
“Societal concepts have made issues related to mental health (mental health wellness) taboo. It has not yet gained social acceptance. Also, people do not talk about it because they fear that people around them will judge them. Many a times, people start distancing themselves from the mentally ill person. Even the family members feel hesitant to talk about this problem. Many times, due to lack of awareness, people consider anxiety and stress as normal. engaged.
Dr Chandni Tugnait continues, “About 12 years ago I started my journey as a healer and coach. In those days my decision was made a lot of fun. But my parents advised me to follow my heart. I did all the certification courses of my choice and today I am here working so strongly for mental health.
Exactly how different are psychotherapists, psychiatrists and psychologists from each other?
On the difference between psychotherapist, psychiatrist and psychologist, Dr. Tugnait says, “They are all mental health professionals, but their education, training, and approach to treatment are different. A psychologist is someone who has completed a doctoral degree in psychology and is trained in the assessment, treatment, and diagnosis of mental health treatment. Psychologists use many CBT techniques to improve the mental health of their patients.
Whereas a psychiatrist is a medical professional who specializes in the treatment of mental health conditions. They are trained in both psychological and biological aspects of mental health. Psychiatrists can prescribe medications to help manage symptoms. They can use ‘talk therapy’ in their treatment.
A psychotherapist specializes in ‘talk therapy’ and they have different levels of education. They use a combination of techniques such as CBT, psychodynamic therapy, and interpersonal therapy to help individuals improve their mental health.
How do you manage your own mental health?
“People think of us as superheroes who can never have a problem. However, they forget that our mental and physical health is also like that of normal people. We have to go through many troubles emotionally from time to time.
The only difference is that after years of practice, we have learned to manage mental stress and trauma. One of the biggest contributors to keeping my mental health in balance is getting enough sleep. I know the importance of sleep as it directly affects the way I treat my patients. Also, I always try to learn something new. This is very important for my development.
This gives me the motivation to deal better with my customers. Also, I make sure to visit my friends once a month. It keeps me very calm mentally. Also, I definitely go to some place where I can spend time alone and try to understand my own feelings. Also, I have now learned to set appropriate boundaries with my patients.”
What changes need to be made for good mental health for all?
We need to follow a multifaceted approach to reduce the rising statistics of depression and suicide in our country. Mental health services should be made easily accessible to all. Everyone should be allowed to take fair advantage of it. Many people still feel that going to a mental health expert ie psychiatrist is a social taboo. With this, we can improve the awareness and education about mental health in the country.
At the same time, we can improve mental health by reflecting on the social issues that affect it, such as poverty, trauma and discrimination. All of these increase the risk of mental health. Finally, we can create a community or a safe space where people feel free to talk about their mental health issues.
Why is it important as an individual to make mental health a priority?
According to Dr. Chandni Tugnait, mental health affects your overall health, your relationships and productivity. That’s why it is important that every person takes care of his mental health. Broadly we can count 5 reasons for this –
1. Poor mental health affects physical health
“Poor mental health has a negative impact on physical health. Due to which many symptoms like gastric, acidity, numbness, burning sensation and insomnia can be seen.
2. Poor mental health affects productivity
A poor mental health affects a person’s ability to work. At the same time, there is difficulty in staying focused on the work and the person leads to low productivity and even absenteeism.
3. Relationships get affected
When a person starts a relationship, it is very important for them to be mentally balanced first. Therefore, in order to develop strong and healthy relationships, it is important to make your mental health a priority.
4. It also affects your social relationships
Poor mental health also affects society. This leads to increased health care costs, decreased productivity and increased social inequality.
5. A good mental health is a human right
A person should have adequate access to mental health care and they can take full advantage of it. It is their right.
Dr. Tugnait says that “even though there is a lot of talk on social media about mental health, but it is not right to consider it separately from other problems. It is perfectly normal to seek help from a specialist in this regard. In fact, there was an increase in mental health among people who took expert advice. However, many people come with the fear that people will judge them for going to a mental health expert, but this concept is completely wrong. Not only this, till now people are not able to openly talk about issues related to mental health even with their family members.
(Dr. Chandni Tugnait has been nominated for the Health Shots She Sledge Award in the Mental Health Advocate category. Click to vote for her and know more inspiring women like her – Health Shots She Sledge Award।)
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