YANA YouMatter

25/10/2024

Have you been a “nice girl” or a “nice boy” as a child that nobody had to worry about? Did you always feel as a child that it was your responsibility to make sure all the adults around you didn’t get upset? Were you always putting the needs of your parents and other adults ahead of your own needs? Nice kids may grow up to be adults with a myriad of mental AND physical health issues. Side effects of being a nice kid can manifest as severe anxiety, depression, low self worth, chronic physical illnesses, such as migraines, heart diseases and more.

Nice kids invariably grow up to be people pleasers and as an adult they feel responsible for how others feel - this could be at their workplace, in intimate relationships, in a social gathering and even with complete strangers. Being able to put their own needs first might be an extremely difficult task for them. Those years and years of learning to put the parents first, the children first, your spouse first, your in-laws first can be very difficult to unlearn. As a result they end up not doing pretty much anything they wanted to do or achieve in life. They might even have a difficult time accepting the fact that they have been people pleasing all their lives. They might think - What’s wrong with being nice? Well, it is not our fault that we are too nice, it’s just that as kids we were not allowed to feel that it is okay to speak up for ourselves. There is no shame in admitting that this was not a fair expectation from us and we were not in a situation to recognise the unfairness in the first place. Recognising, admitting and forgiving yourself is the only way to move forward.

22/10/2024

29/08/2022

It’s not linear

Is it time to think of autism as a wheel, rather than a line?

28/08/2022

This is interesting and complex….but those who have kids with these traits will know exactly what this means

18/03/2022

16/03/2022

Today I indulged in some self care by practising these manga style eyes and noses

14/03/2022

“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a response to a traumatic event or series of events. Something that is traumatic for one person might not be traumatic for another, but what matters is how that experience stays with the person. It can include flashbacks to the traumatic event, uncontrollable movements and thoughts, anxiety and hypervigilance, physical and emotional triggers, among other symptoms.

PTSD is most commonly found amongst survivors of sexual violence, as well as war veterans, survivors of abuse or natural disasters, and witnesses to violence. Not all traumatic experiences lead to PTSD and there are many factors that affect the severity, such as the number of other traumatic experiences in a person’s life, their reaction to the event, and the kind of support they received after.”

I have not come across any person suffering from PTSD myself and don’t have any first hand experience with such survivors. Hence I have taken this write up from a website called www.artwithimpact.org. Do check this page out if you are interested in learning about a community which is also trying to spread mental health awareness through art. It’s an impactful one.

13/03/2022

You might be sad, but you're not a sad person.

There's a difference between feeling blue and being depressed. It's important to acknowledge that difference and take care of yourself when you're struggling.

If you're feeling anxious or depressed, here are a few things that can help:

-Talk to someone: There's no shame in asking for help, and it can make you feel better to let someone else in on how you're feeling. Someone who truly understands you and believes in you.

-Identify and avoid your triggers: If you notice that a certain person or situation makes you feel particularly down or anxious, try to avoid them if you can.

-Try to focus on the positive: It is particularly difficult to think of any positive thoughts during a depression. However, trying to figure out the thoughts that has no particular logic and is yet fogging your mind might help.

-Take time for yourself: If you've been feeling exhausted or stressed, take some time off. If you don't feel like getting out of bed it is okay, as long as you can eventually get out and get going. If you feel that you are not able to get out of bed and out of the house yourself, you need immediate help. Talk to someone, or seek medical help!

Sure, things seem bleak when you're in the depths of your depression or anxiety, but it's not permanent—or even close to it. You're going through a rough patch, and there are ways to get past it: with treatment, both medical and non-medical options, you can find relief from these feelings and become more able to cope with them in the future.

12/03/2022

It's uncertain how many people are unhappy in their jobs or in their relationships with their partner. A toxic relationship can drive you to depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness and eventually may lead to substance abuse. Signs of a toxic relationship include lack of trust, controlling behaviors, and feeling drained. Both partners can fix a toxic relationship if they try therapy, reflective listening, and honesty. However, it is also important to understand when it is getting dangerous for you. When you leave a toxic relationship, you don’t lose anything. You gain clarity, freedom and the knowledge that you deserve love, respect and appreciation. Also, if your job is causing this difficulty for you, then you need to think hard about getting out of it as soon as possible.

11/03/2022

A Bipolar Disorder, also called Manic Depression, is a disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
The exact cause of bipolar disorder isn’t known, but a combination of genetics, environment and altered brain structure and chemistry may play a role.
Manic episodes may include symptoms such as high energy, reduced need for sleep and loss of touch with reality. Depressive episodes may include symptoms such as low energy, low motivation and loss of interest in daily activities. Mood episodes last days to months at a time and may also be associated with suicidal thoughts.
Treatment is usually lifelong and often involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy.
There are more than 10 million cases per year in India alone of this disorder. It is a chronic illness which can last for years or even for a lifetime. Although this requires lifetime management. Plenty of people with this condition do well; they have families and jobs and live normal lives.
🎨