Indian Addiction and Recovery Blog

Behavioural activation therapy: An easy way to uplift your mood

Akansha Sahay

April 3, 2023

Let's picture an individual with depression wants to improve their mood by engaging in more physical activity. The therapist and individual might start by identifying a larger goal, such as running a 5K race. However, the individual may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of running a 5K race, and may not know where to start. To help the individual achieve…

Healthy diet for a better mental health

Akansha Sahay

March 29, 2023

Could the Mediterranean dietary model – and not just medication or meditation and even mediation with psychotherapy – be the key to sustainable improvement in mental health? Already renowned for its physical health benefits such as lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean dietary pattern is now also associated with overall mental well-being. According to latest findings, the Mediterranean…

How to help someone with body dysmorphia?

Akansha Sahay

March 27, 2023

What is it like to have Body Dysmorphia? We’ve all had days when it’s hard to look in the mirror without judging your appearance when you’re comparing your body to someone else’s or attempting to hide your flaws, using make-up and uncomfortable clothes to match society's beauty standards. We all have certain parts of our faces or body that we…

10 negative effects of technology on our mental health

Akansha Sahay

March 17, 2023

Ed Sheeran does not carry a cell phone. In a podcast aired in 2022, the multi-platinum, award-winning singer and musician revealed, “I don’t carry a phone…I haven’t had a phone since 2015.” Adding that it affected his mental health — especially the “pressure of replying to text messages straight away” — he explained, “I got really, really overwhelmed and sad…

Is it love or is it codependency?

Akansha Sahay

March 6, 2023

Is it love, or is it codependency? When it comes to trending topics, love may be one of the hottest topics of all time. For centuries people have debated, written about, and pondered upon love. It also features in movies, music, poetry, and even religious texts! So, it is safe to say one would be under a rock to escape…

Types of emotions and how to identify them

Akansha Sahay

March 1, 2023

What are emotions? We’ve all experienced emotions and continue to do so in every moment of our lives. At some points, we might even feel more than one emotion at a time, sometimes also contradictory emotions. Sometimes our emotions might be more intense, like when you first spoke to your crush and felt elated sometimes, they may be more moderate,…

All about Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Akansha Sahay

February 28, 2023

What is DBT DBT is one of the most popular psychotherapies today. It was traditionally developed by Dr Marsha Linehan to treat people with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Today, it is used to treat various other mental health illnesses like depression, stress, anxiety and also substance abuse. It is an evidence-based therapy with many kinds of research showing its efficacy…

Body Dysmorphia and Substance Use

Akansha Sahay

February 22, 2023

If you had three wishes, would you use one — or all of them — to change your physical appearance? If you would, chances are you are not alone. A study published in the Body Image journal and reported by the online edition of Time Magazine reveals that men and women are equally unhappy about their appearance. And if…

What is Psychotherapy?

Akansha Sahay

February 7, 2023

‘Mental health’ and ‘therapy’ are words that have become common in our day-to-day conversations. While you might know someone who is taking therapy, you might not know what it is like, what it does, or who needs it. This blog answers all these questions for you. It's easier for people to seek help now than a few years ago.…

All About Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Akansha Sahay

January 23, 2023

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is one of the most popular forms of psychotherapy mostly used in one-on-one counselling sessions. As the name suggests, CBT is based on a mix of cognitive (mental processes like thoughts) and behavioural approaches. This therapy was started by Aron Beck in the 1960s. CBT helps identify negative thought patterns that impact your emotions and…

Understanding body Dysmorphia

Akansha Sahay

January 17, 2023

Twelve-year-old Riya hated her nose. She wondered why her nose wasn’t pointy and tiny like her barbie dolls. When she started putting clips on her nose, her mom thought nothing much of it. A couple of years later, when the COVID pandemic struck, and masks became mandatory, Riya started wearing masks even at home. She would not remove it even…

Rehab for dual diagnosis

Akansha Sahay

December 15, 2022

What is dual diagnosis? The term dual diagnosis is fairly common in the de-addiction realm. A person is said to have a dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders when they suffer from a substance use disorder as well as a mental health illness. There could be psychotic disorders, mood disorders, or personality disorders. More than half of the people who suffer…

How to educate your children about drugs and addiction

Akansha Sahay

Children are precious and innocent, and we want to shield them from bad influences that they may come across in their lives. However, as they grow up, they will be exposed to many things, both good and bad. So, wouldn’t it be better if we start having conversations about things like cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs while they still look up…

Celebrities who spoke about their battle with mental health and addiction

Akansha Sahay

Mental illnesses and addiction issues are some of the most serious problems that affect human society. However, harmful stereotypes around it make it impossible for people to talk about it, let alone ask for help. Thankfully, in the last few years, conversations around mental health and addiction are moving from the private space to the public domain. With more and…

What is medication-assisted treatment for drug addiction

Akansha Sahay

November 13, 2022

Substance use disorder (SUD) can be termed as a chronic relapsing medical illness with relapses and remissions and a strong genetic component. Long-term chronic drug addiction requires a holistic treatment that includes pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and to an extent, exercise and diet. How does pharmacotherapy for addiction work? In simple terms, pharmacotherapy (pharmacology) is the treatment of a disorder/disease/health condition with…