Kinjal Jain

Infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant despite having carefully timed, unprotected sex for at least a year for most couples.

We have all heard of terms like IVF, infertility, hormone treatment, IUI many times over the recent years with the astonishing advance of technology in the medical field. Yet, in a society where the only value people bring into a marriage or a family is their ability to procreate, can you imagine the pressure and hostility a person will face if they are unable to reproduce? Being infertile comes with a lot of mental stress, especially for women who have been told their entire lives that the only purpose of their lives was to bear children.

When one finds out that they are infertile when they actually want a child, it can be quite shocking and disheartening, to say the least, and it may be a huge blow to their self-esteem, feeling like an utter failure. Many people become overly careful about everything that they do and people often feel an immense sense of guilt over their past behaviors and habits, thinking it’s their “fault” they cannot have children.

Individuals also usually blame themselves and feel worthless when they receive negative results for pregnancy. The intense desire to become parents has a chance of putting unhealthy pressure on the couple’s marriage as they focus on the goal of conceiving much more than they pay attention to themselves as well as each other. It’s also possible for a blame game to happen in between couples, either they will wallow in self-pity or point fingers at each other, forgetting their partnership in pursuit of parenthood. There are various ways to conceive a child in this time of modern medicine and surrogacy is a valid option.

If every other door does close for someone, there is always the choice of adoption for a couple as there are many innocent children around the world yearning for a warm loving home.

Eating healthy is one of the hardest habits to form these days, especially for young people who are on the go every single moment of the day. It is not at all an unusual thing to see college students chewing away at potato chips or chaats during their lunch break when they should be having wholesome meals.

Skipping breakfast and binging during dinner is also become widely popular among youths. Downing multiple cups of coffee and ordering take out has become an undeniable part of young people’s lives. It is expected that young adults and teens will not feel their best after eating copious amounts of unhealthy food. Most of them may feel groggy, bloated, and uncomfortable after a meal of fries and sodas. They might not notice it yet since their metabolism is at the peak but later down the road, it will prove to be disastrous for their physical and mental health.

The food you consume affects your moods and emotions as well. The overly caffeinated drinks that they consume tends to mimic certain symptoms of anxiety and the extra energy that they provide will crash in a short amount of time. Many people in the Western world are dependent on caffeine products and the Eastern Side of the world is catching up to them at an alarming speed.

The nutrition needs of the body are not met which can wreak havoc on the well being of bones, muscles, blood cells, and immunity. Studies have shown that teens with a low-quality diet are 80% more at risk of depression than teens with a well-balanced diet. Anyone who has seen a fair amount of Hollywood romantic comedies must have seen at least one instance of the female lead eating a whole tub of ice cream after a fight with her significant other or when she is feeling down.

Emotional eating is a very real thing and a very unhealthy thing. Mostly it will make you put on weight and fill you up with junk. People who gain weight or is on the bigger side tend to be insecure, of course, there are exceptions. Since most of them have a distorted body image of themselves, it is highly probable that they develop an eating disorder like Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa which is a major threat to one’s mental health.

It is about time that we sat down and have a long discussion with ourselves about the complicated relationship we have with food and make some changes.

Bullying is not the same as the little back and forth teasings that happen between friends or the light-hearted roasting sessions between loved ones. Bullying is the use of force, coercion, or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate another person.

There is an intent to cause harm and a power imbalance between the person doing it and the person suffering it. Many children partake in bullying others because of the exposure to aggression and violence in their own homes. Many times children or even adults bully others who they perceive as weaker to hide their own insecurities and feel powerful and in control, something that may be lacking in their real life.

Research has found that those who bully, as well as the ones that are bullied, are at an increased risk of having depression. Although it may seem like fun and amusing for the bully, it can have long-lasting effects on the victim. Studies show that people who were bullied as children are more likely to develop mental disorders like agoraphobia and panic disorders in their later years as compared to people who were not bullied in their childhood.

It also makes it more likely that the individual will suffer from emotional problems such as feeling helpless, social problems such as social withdrawal and substance abuse in their lifetime. Many people resent themselves for not standing up to their bullies and takes a huge hit to their self- esteem and confidence. Many initiatives are taken in schools and workplaces to stop bullying and harassment but there are still thousands of individuals who become prey to the cruel actions of their peers.

Unexplained bruises, bad dreams, differences in attitude, changes in eating habits, constant pains, the decline in academic activities, withdrawal, etc are some telling signs of bullying that everyone needs to keep an eye out for. It is important that we teach children from a very young age about respecting others and their boundaries.

Teaching them that it is not “cool” or “fun” to harm another human being for their own selfish reasons is wrong and dealing with their insecurities in a positive manner can be the best initiative to stop bullying.

It is very usaul and normal to feel angry when the things in your life doesn’t go your way which can cause frustration, emotional stress, dissatisfaction etc. Its is highly improbable that there is a person in this world who has never gotten angry. The expression of anger in people vary significantly from person to person. Some people may explode and throw things, break objects or do some other destructive actions and others may take the anger they feel and fuel the fire of passion or motivation within them. A number of factors like low self esteem, mistrust, history of physical and emotional abuse, financial issues, family issues can contribute to an individual having an anger management problem. Anger is an incredibly powerful emotion that has the strength to make or break one’s life. Anger, if not given a proper outlet can function as a self destruct button. Although anger in itself is not a mental illness, suppressed anger can lead a person into anxiety and depression. Excessive or being in a constant state of anger can be telling of undetected mental illnesses like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Bipolar Disorder, Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), substance abuse and so on. Anger which is unchecked, suppressed, and uncontrollable can be destructive to one’s mental wellbeing, emotional wellbeing and social relationships. It is crucial that a person who has anger management problems identify their triggers and examine the reasons for their anger which they feel is overwhelming or uncomfortable so as to not harm oneself or others with words or action that they may come to regret later.