This last month has been really intense on the home and work front. My husband and I are very privileged to be able to have a nomadic lifestyle, so on a regular basis we are in between India, Spain and the US and we also travel to other places when we can. We both work remotely so that gives us the space. For nearly two months I have been in India now. Because I was going to be here for…
One of my biggest and constant problems is a continuously thinking mind. Parallel thoughts running inside my brain like crossed wires. Also the reason why sleeping is so hard and a fixed routine and a meaningful productive life is so important. I crave silence but silence and my brain are like star crossed lovers. Then there’s anxiety as another villain. All stars have to be aligned to get through the day with as little drama and anxiety as possible. Moments…
This post talks about the challenges of depression and the importance of close relationships.
Using chaos theory as an analogy for chaotic emotions
I am not a morning person. Well, sometimes neither am I a day nor night person! When I wake up, I never feel happy or have a carpe diem attitude. On some days, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to get out of bed. On most days, a cup of chai gives the push. After reading a number of articles, I came to the conclusion that I probably have morning depression. These articles stated that people with mental illness…
I come from a unique family where my parents are each other’s best friends, companions and partners. My mother is undoubtedly the rock of our family and my father will attest to this. She is the strongest and most compassionate person I know. Someday I hope to be sthitapradnya (stable or balanced) like her. I am sharing this because through my father’s illness, even when he was at death’s door, she was rattled but calm, composed and accepting of the…
I feel intensely. It’s not just stress or anxiety but all emotions- joy, anger, hurt, sadness, frustration, irritation et al. There is extensive research on emotion regulation in bipolar and anxiety disorders and there seems to be a connection. People with these disorders tend to be poor at regulating emotions. I have spoken to friends who have mental conditions and they too say they feel intensely. I used to be much worse at regulating emotions than I am today. The…
Slipping into the mental fog I was 13 years old when my mental health issues started. I went to school one day after summer vacation and was greeted with silence. A friend had spread some rumour about me and literally everyone stopped talking to me. I don’t remember what the rumour was or how the issue was resolved, but the stress stopped me from sleeping. It was just the beginning of what doctors would later tell me was Bipolar II…