"Reading"-It's impact on our mental health!!

 Reading and its effect on mental health

Reading in my opinion is the most mysterious activity I’ve ever encountered.  While reading a thriller book we find ourselves imaging the whole scenes and also when reading fantasy novels, we can imagine things that don’t make any sense practically than how does our brain imagines those scenarios? How do we can see things in our mind that are not seen before? How can we humans imagine differently while reading the same book? The book can be a fantasy, love story, action story or even alien story we’ll still be able to imagine the scenes, characters and the voices too.

When I read books, I can hear the characters talking while reading their dialogues and even if I’m reading a life lesson book, I can still hear their voices. I imagine the characters, voices and the surroundings too. Once I was reading a book where the characters were visiting Turkey, and I who never went out of the city where I was born, can literally visualize Turkey, sitting in my sofa, eating snacks and having a warm cup of coffee. If the character is enjoying a view, a song or anything I enjoy with them too. Just like how we sometimes connect the vibes of a song and create the whole ambiance from it. This depends on how a writer executes their art too but have you ever thought of how despite being so normal we can visualize such extra ordinary things.

Reading is just an art which takes a visit of our brain and makes every part of our brain active. When we read something, our brain is fully active and focuses on the smallest details of the content we read. Our brain is active and focused during reading that it improves our brain power. Just like how after exercising our body becomes stronger, reading makes our brain stronger.

Reading takes you to another world

When we are reading our mind can only think of what we are reading. It takes all the focus from everything and diverts into reading. When I feel stressful or upset, I tend to read some good book that I’ve read 100 times before but I’ll still read again and my stress, mood swings and sadness just disappears and I find myself focused into that book or story. I find myself imagining the characters and even different imaginary worlds. That’s how impactful reading is. It takes to a whole new world tour by just sitting in your room.

Reading acts as therapeutic

Reading is an art that also is therapeutic for us. Having to focus on small details of writing is very healthy for our brain. We can emotionally feel what a book character says or feels. It also stimulates our emotions and we feel emotionally attached to the characters or books. Reading is a great catharsis for our emotions. For example, while reading Harry Potter, I was sobbing on the death of Professor Dumbledore it was the greatest shock for me and so upsetting that I was reading the scene at 3 am and I had to hide myself in my pillows so that my family can’t hear me crying just for a book character. For them it was just a character but for me he was PROFESOR DUMBLEDORE!!! How can I not cry for him who was with me for 6 books but now my favorite character was betrayed by his own ally (Well that’s how it seemed at that time).

Reading cures disorders too!!

It has been proved through scientific researches that reading proves beneficial for mental health issues and it improved people's mental health.  Active brain can avoid many diseases and specially at old age. An inactivity in brain increases the chances of people getting affected by diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia, so reading helps in keeping your mind active. In this era, where mental health issues are rising rapidly and we can’t even find the time to go for therapy, such simple activity of reading can help you a great deal. So get out of that procrastination mode and jump to good book your friend has been telling you to read since forever and its never too late to adopt a healthy hobby. Have good read!!

OCD- Myth vs Reality!!

OCD- Myth vs Reality!! Cause and symptoms?

 

Have you ever noticed around yourself someone doing certain things repeatedly? Someone being over conscious about hygiene or too organized about their living patterns?

Well, that may or may not be a normal behavior!

Yes! Some people are very conscious about being neat and clean, organized and live in their comfort zone that is their personal choice or preference.

But problem arises when some people relate these preferences with a very common term nowadays that is OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). And also when people take this disorder very normally or deny it.

So the question arises here is :

what basically OCD is?

As the name suggests that it's a disorder and a serious psychiatric condition. Obsessive Compulsive means that a person suffering this order has no control over the behavior he/she is doing It's compulsory for the individual to do certain task for which he/she is being obsessed with otherwise they will be in a state of anxiety or different individuals have different outcomes or behavior for example, someone will keep shivering unless he/she is done with doing that certain task or they may feel something pinching their minds etc. The obsession in this case maybe in the form of intrusive thoughts, images or impulses and people with OCD have no control over these thoughts or impulses.

Myths about OCD

There are common myths about OCD

One common myth is that people relate repeatedly hand washing with OCD.

Yes, it may or may not be a sign. Some people are hygiene conscious but when this habit is consuming a lot of your time at home, at school, or at work or anywhere and you become anxious without doing it or your behavior or mood changes when you don't wash your hands for particular number of times and your mind is filled with intrusive thoughts like this act of yours can cause illness to you or people around you, then it is a sign of OCD. But when sometimes, you want to wash your hands for particular number of times but you didn't get a chance as you were running out of time or any other reason so, you feel bad for a moment but you forget it later then it is totally normal. Other common habits of OCD patients are walking in certain patterns, organizing everything in perfect alignments.

The main reason of distress for OCD patients is that they understand that there compulsions and behavior is not normal but they have no control over their thoughts and the responses they show and when they go against their OCD they get frustrated.

While talking about being a patient of OCD people usually try to hide this as this is considered as a taboo or stigma. On the other side some people take it very lightly and relate their usual habits as OCD for example, someone who like organized things will say that they have OCD about this or there are some people who like to keep their things in even numbers. But in actual OCD is much more than being hygiene conscious and organized. It is also not a stigma as a person who has OCD is also a patient just like other patients like diabetic, heart patients etc. they also have treatments and therapy for this disorder but people are not aware of this because they don’t consider it a disorder just like many other mental disorders.

 

So, what are the real causes of OCD?

This question have been under research for a very long period of time. And the correct answer is still not found. Some researchers have proved it to be a neurological disorder so, it is due to brain functions and some have suggested that it can be a genetic disorder.

The good part of it is that it has a cure. One way is to get proper medication from specialists and the other is to get proper therapies by psychologists. But early detection of OCD is necessity to get cured. As OCD leads to more and more frustration and anxiety which will become more difficult to be cured with time passage.

But it is very important for a patient to accept that they are suffering from a certain illness and only than it is possible for them to treat it. But that is very difficult even in today’s era where many famous people such as David Beckham, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Leonardo DiCaprio etc. also suffer from these problem but still people don’t accept it completely. They just ignore it thinking that it will be fine in some time neglecting the fact that this is a mental disorder and when it form the worst shape then they consult doctors or psychiatrists but it is sometimes too late to treat it quickly. It will take time to get treated so it is the best to seek help in the beginning stages.