Anarghya Singh

A study shows that babies only fear loud sounds, and nothing else. Fear is something that they learn from their parents behavior towards certain situations. Can you imagine? Fear isn't a natural emotion rather a learned one, which makes me wonder wether there are more emotions that we learn?

When I was a kid I don't remember feeling insecure, I said what I felt, wore what I liked.

But somewhere between growing up the concept of "fitting in" started hanging like a sword over my head. I started to care too much about how other perceived me. And this wasn't the situation that I only I faced, rather everyone my age.

Our confidence slowly got replaced by comparison. The mirror became less of a friend and more of a critic. Clothes that once made us feel free now have to be “trendy.” Thoughts that once came naturally now get filtered through fear, fear of being wrong, of standing out, of not being “enough.” Social media didn't create insecurity but it surely knows how to feed it. Endless scrolling through perfect profiles makes us forget that there is a life outside perfections.

The video you're about to watch is something that is very close to my heart because it doesn't follow the story of nostalgia but acts as a reminder that we weren't born insecure.

Every once in a few years, a brand brings up a product that creates a sense of want for that product within the audience. One such brand name in recent times is Nish Hair, a hair extension company founded in 2017 by actor and now entrepreneur Parul Gulati.

For someone who doesn’t know much about the company, may find it an ordinary hair extension company, but only a few know the journey from scratch. In this Nish Hair Case Study, we will dive deep into the emergence and relevance of the brand.

Founding of Nish Hair: Brand Origin

It is said that when one creates a brand out of the issues faced by themselves, it always flourishes. This is what happened with Nish Hair. Tired of using fake and cheap quality hair extensions, Parul Gulati founded her own brand from her living room in 2017, promising best quality hair extensions at a rate affordable to all. This all started when she wanted to flaunt her hair for a shoot, but the production denied that the extensions would cost them a fortune and would be out of budget, and just when she was about to forget about this incident, she was struck by an idea while watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Nish Hair was created on the belief that everyone deserves to feel beautiful and confident. Its headquarters are in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Initially she started looking for sources to get human hair, after days and days of research, she narrowed down the suppliers and asked for samples. She asked her mother to help her out, her mother used to sew the hair together with the sewing machine and Parul used to hand sew the clips onto them. The starting ones were a little off, but they didn’t give up. And soon she listed three products on her website: Bang extensions, Halo extensions and length extensions. And this is how Nish hair became the first indian hair extension brand. Nish Hair’s motto was to make extensions affordable and accessible.

Early Stages of Challenges

While finding human hair and making the extensions by hand was a challenge in itself, Nish Hair faced many bigger challenges during its early stages. One of the biggest obstacle was to promote hair extension in a society where wigs and extensions are seen as a stigma. Society saw it as “fake beauty” or illness and not as a form of self expression. The idea of women openly purchasing hair extensions was still new in tier 2 and tier 3 cities where beauty standards are often conservative. Awareness on this topic was also next to zero, everyone viewed the product as if they were only for fashion models or actors.

Breakthrough Journey

Unlike many startups that depend on traditional forms of advertisements, Parul Gulati used her public figure to gain attention to her brand. Her appearance as an actor and an entrepreneur became a great PR tool that helped Nish Hair gain visibility. “She understood what her audience needed to convert them into clients. She created helpful content to guide people on using natural hair extensions or any of her products that suit their concerns.” This way of presenting made it a credible and authentic source of information for people, which surpassed the ideas of conventional marketing. Parul became the brand, she made herself the center of it. Nish Hair was recognized because of her.

One of the earliest and most effective PR strategies was storytelling through social media. Nish Hair was determined to stand out, but how? The brand’s communication, unlike traditional marketing, was focused on showcasing everything, be it the before and after results, the styling tutorials or the customer testimonials. This approach was both a subtle advertisement and a great PR move that made the audience resonate with the product as the brand maintained a sense of transparency.

Another great PR technique that the brand adopted was word of mouth. From going to interviews to airports, Parul made sure that she foreshadows and talks about her products, with the aim to not only promote but to break the stereotypes surrounding it. Almost all her videos on her instagram handle had her talking about how quick and convenient Nish Hair is or educating the public about the normalcy of hair extensions.. This positioned Nish Hair as not just a brand that was selling hair accessories but a brand that sells confidence and a sense of acceptance to women who suffer silently. It became a brand that wants to empower. Gradually, the media started picking up the story of a young female entrepreneur framing it as an inspiring journey.

Turning Point: Shark Tank India

The year of 2023 changed everything for Nish Hair. The founder took her business to season 2 of Shark Tank India. Shark Tank India is a television show where entrepreneurs pitch their business to a panel convincing them to provide them with funds or invest in their business. “Parul Gulati brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Shark Tank panel, where she served as a guest shark for a special episode focused on beauty and fashion startups” She pitched her company Nish Hair requesting for 1cr INR for 2% of ownership stake valuing the company at 50cr INR. The sharks Aman Gupta and Vineeta Singh started the negotiations, offering the same amount but for 3% of ownership. But Parul stood her ground and rejected these offers choosing to take full ownership, this act made headlines, people viewed her decision as a symbol of self- assurance in her brand. In the end one of the other sharks, Amti Jain, gave her what she originally offered and Parul accepted the deal.

Since that episode Nish Hair got a national platform and it was no longer limited to the urban women who were aware of the beauty trends. Sales exploded, orders hiked by 500% in just three months, they started having web traffic, product inquiries and what not. Social media was flooded with clips of the episode, talking about her pitch and her stance and discussing how coming on Shark Tank was a PR strategy within itself. It changed Nish Hair from just a small D2C startup to a competitor in the beauty industry. One episode changed Nish Hair’s journey in one night.

Brand Expansion

With national recognition now secured, it was time for Nish Hair to offer beyond the regular hair extensions and stand out. The challenge was to expand the product line and the trust of customers.

One of the first steps was product diversification. Primarily they were known for selling hair extensions and clip ons, now they added various top ons, donut buns, ponytails etc. for quick styling. Each launch was not just a new product release but was framed as the brand’s bolder step towards its forever goal: making solutions easy, quick and empowering women across different lifestyles. Nish Hair already had a moderate presence in social media, but after Shark Tank, the efforts in social media marketing increased as a lot of people became more aware of the brand and wanted to see what they offer. The brand also started to collaborate with a lot of beauty influencers and models. This strengthened their brand as they showed real women, who face real issues being provided with a quick solution. By collaborating with creators they gave the assurance that hair extensions are beyond actors or models, they are made for anyone who wants to feel fancy or confident. Another crucial development that took place was the expansion of deliveries, at first they used to deliver only to the metro cities, but they soon started delivering to tier 2 and tier 3 cities. By leveraging logistics and e-commerce, the brand became more accessible around the country. It also listed its products on Blinit allowing it to be more feasible, while offering people a quick solution to be at their door in 10 minutes. Nish Hair opened up a studio in Mumbai that offers trial services and functions as a salon. Nish Hair also started attracting a lot of media coverage, YourStory, Forbes India, and Lifestyle Asia, ran different features on Parul, portraying her as a role model woman who successfully juggled both creativity and a business while also living a life of an actor.

Cause driven PR and Media Visibility

As the brand grew, the team realized that the brand will stay relevant not only by selling the products but also by sparking conversations on ‘hush hush’ topics like hair loss, hair thinning etc. “Instead of treating wigs and extensions as purely cosmetic accessories, Nish Hair began framing them as tools of empowerment”, especially for women who often felt embarrassed or judged for their struggles.

This cause- driven PR approach gave the brand a new push. Campaigns were launched that focused on transformation stories of women who suffered medical conditions, videos were made of people who were struggling from such issues, trying on the extensions and wigs in their salons. These real-life experiences resonated far more than glossy advertisements, because they represented resilience and self-love.

Parul Gulati, who by now became the face of the brand, started talking about hair thinning, alopecia etc on her instagram account, which made Nish Hair not just a brand that sells beauty products but a brand that supports communities. Founder made content has worked very well for Nish Hair, it's a non-conventional way of marketing, because once a start up gets popular they start hiring celebrities or creators to do their promotion, but maintaining the founder made content gave a feeling that nothing changed, and to show that Nish Hair is not just a business to its founder but also a way to give back to the community. Parul Gulati, in her videos and interviews, started referring to herself as ‘Malkin’ as in, ‘owner’ in regard to Nish Hair, this unexpectedly catched on to audiences eyes, everyone started to acknowledge and assign that word to Nish Hair’s founder. This became such a moment that now Gulati has a song named ‘The Malkin Song’ sung by Sunidhi Chauhan, Yashraj Mukhate and Parul Gulati herself.

Public reception was deeply personal. This cycle of honesty, trust, and visibility became one of the strongest foundations of Nish Hair’s public relations success.

At Present

After a lot of successful campaigns and efforts, today Nish Hair is one of the most recognizable hair extension brands in India. It has become a name in the fashion and beauty industry and also a household name within many young women. While Hairstop and Germia Hair used to dominate the indian hair extension market, slowly they are unable to offer as many varieties as Nish Hair and are very expensive to a lot of people, hence Nish Hair has been able to achieve the aim that they started the business with: to make good quality and affordable hair extensions. Brand’s approach of being digital first has ensured that the company remains visible and relevant on all online platforms where its audience lives, that is on Instagram and Youtube. Initiatives such as opening up offline pop-up studios and collaborations with hairstylists as well as influencers while also connecting with other hair salons have further strengthened their game in the market.

With Nish Hair’s success, Gulati has launched a new brand called “nhdegree6” that sells haircare products. As of right now they have listed two products only, one being ‘Hair Perfumes’ and the other is ‘Hairline Powder’ The company’s marketing feels quite similar to what Nish Hair has done, and while that definitely works, there’s a chance people might get bored if it all starts to look the same. To keep things interesting, the team needs to try something new and creative, something that makes the brand stand out on its own, instead of just being seen as a copy of what came first.

Nish Hair has also successfully opened up its first International store/ salon in Dubai. The store offers the standard range: clip-ins, toppers, wigs, halo extensions, accessories, which are made of sourced Indian human hair. Being physically present in Dubai allows customers to experience the products, colour match, get hairstyling wash/blow-dries, etc. This enhances customer trust & visibility.

What Derailed the Brand & Future Challenges

While Nish Hair’s journey has been of growth and fame, it has crossed paths with its own set of challenges. One of the biggest challenges came after its appearance in Shark Tank, as the brand slowly faded away and struggled to remain in the limelight and faced difficulty to be able to make the same amount of sales and buzz about it. Soon the audience who once was very curious about Nish Hair had started focusing on the other startups that came upon the show. This revealed itself as a major setback: To sustain attention of the audience beyond a single breakthrough moment.

Another challenge was not new to them, it was the sensitivity of the products and how they are still surrounded by various stigmas in India and how not every customer is open to purchase such products. There were times where Nish Hair’s PR campaigns sparked controversies, such as the Cannes appearance where Parul Gulati wore a braided hair dress, which was bold and attention grabbing to most but faced criticism for being too gimmicky and a self absorbed move by the founder. Such moments proved how easily a brand operating in beauty and fashion can be overshadowed by the controversies surrounding it affecting its own visibility.

Looking in the future, Nish Hair’s major challenge would be to stay relevant. The D2C beauty and hair market is expanding rapidly in India with international players joining and local startups attempting to replicate Nish Hair’s designs at a cheaper rate. As the competition grows simply relying on Founder led content or social media presence won’t be enough. The brand will need to innovate with the requirements of both the audience and technology, they can introduce virtual trial services on their websites, customized/ personalized products etc. to stay a step ahead. Another hurdle which may or may not be faced by the brand is scaleability, now that they have entered the tier 2 and tier 3 markets, the issue of managing supply chains, transportation, while maintaining the quality and pricing of the products can be difficult. To add on, Nish Hair has now started its own haircare product line, and to carve out its own path in an already occupied market filled with well-trusted brands would be really difficult.

Conclusion

Social media has become an inseparable part of our lives. Things that were once done in a time consuming manner, can now be done within seconds. There was once a time where people used to send secret letters to each other in order to start a movement, then came the era where people used emails and phone calls to start a campaign and now? Now a simple text or hashtag can gather people with the same cause and start a strike.

The real question is, if that is a boon or a bane? Does social media help in spreading the movement easily? Does it have an impact? Do people pay attention? All these questions will be answered by the following example taken of an social/ activist movement that was powered through social media.

Greta thunberg, a Swedish environmentalist or environmental activist who started a movement for climate change. The movement was called Fridays For Future. It started when Thunberg decided to skip school on a friday and decided to skip school on Fridays until the Swedish elections of 2018. Greta was joined by her schoolmates, and they encouraged other youngsters to skip school on Friday and join them for a global climate strike, demanding urgent meausures towards climate. Their slogan was 'Fridays For Future'. The movement went viral on social media and soon spread globally. A lot of youngsters of different parts of the world decided to join this movement and went on strike. 'Fridays For Future' got a lot of politicians and environmentalists' attention worldwide.

Social media has been a back to a lot of social movements. It has played a significant role in backing many movements like FridaysForFuture, but on the other hand it comes with its challenges like fragmentation, harassment, misinformation and many more. These challenges must be addressed so that social movements can be spread around the globe more easily and safely. Social media has a dual impact on all the social as well as activist movements. Evolution of social media will slowly and gradually it will navigate its own challenges.

Most of us haven’t noticed yet, but the last few years has given a rise to a whole new generation right inside our homes: the Netflix Parents generation. A generation of Indian Parents who have warmed up to OTT platforms better than we imagined, and sometimes they’re more welcoming towards it compared to us.

It’s so ironic, because our parents grew up in a time where stereotype followed every aspect of entertainment. Entertainment meant looking a certain type, similar type of spicy storylines, but they have very readily accepted the new aspect of entertainment where the cast necessarily doesn’t fit the role of “hereos”, where the stories are more than a toxic masculine man saving a nerdy weak woman, but rather well researched stories set in Indian background and context. I mean what are the chances that they feel heard when they come across some shows? I feel that the probability is higher of that then we think. It’s also so implausible to think that they have become tolerable and receptive to the concept of divorce, extra martial affair, LGBTQ+, the topics that were taboo to talk about when they were little.

I think we always see our parents as a protecting source of power, someone who knows the world, and maybe in that process we forget to think of them as people who too are living their lives the first time. Seeing my parents watch the same shows and movies as me humanizes them so much, it makes me feel like they too have a life beyond responsibilities where they watch cinema to escape it all and just live. We always think of them as a separate identity from us, but whenever I go home there isn’t a single day where we don’t sit together and watch some good movies or shows(sometimes even brain rot). I have always looked at cinema as a way that brings similar people together, and with OTT platforms it’s proven to be truer than said.

Recently I went home for Diwali and I told my mum I didn’t get the time to watch this new show called Ba****ds of Bollywood, and to my very shocking surprise my mum replied, ”You should watch it, its amazing”. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard because you’re telling me that my mom? Watched the most Genz Bollywood show of recent times? And LIKED IT? When we talk about movies that I have watched or want to watch, my parents had already watched half of my watchlist, and that always makes me wonder, is the taste for cinema also genetic? It makes me wonder, what percentage of them resides in my everyday choices, that I don’t focus on?

Almost a year ago, a news came forward about a model Poonam Pandey who died due to cervical cancer . This news left the fans devastated, shortly social media hashtags trended paying respects to the model, only to later find out that this was all a hoax. Why? You may wonder. It was a PR stunt to raise awareness about cervical cancer. The announcement was aimed at creating public awareness but the lie spread on social media was a great breach of trust and ethical norms.

Social media for many has become a trustworthy source of information, which is often taken advantage of by many companies and people who like to spread misinformation in order to gain followers and views.

This incident took a tool on people’s emotions. Hearing the news of such a young celebrity dying suddenly from a serious cancer trigged genuine sadness and shock. The cause of death, cervical cancer had a spike in searches. People wanted to know what it is and what can be done to prevent it. They feared the disease and had the desire to find new information to protect themselves and their loved ones. However, the big reveal the next of everything being planned turned grief into deep anger and frustration. The audience felt betrayed, and their compassion and emotions were exploited and mocked for a marketing stunt. None of them saw this as an effort to spread awareness but rather saw it as a breach of trust from the celebrity’s side. Leading them to question, “Why should we believe anything from this source again?” Incidents like these make the audience think that everything was done with the sole purpose to gain followers and views, not with the good faith of spreading awareness.

In today’s time, words like ‘depression’, ‘anxiety’, etc. have been flowing around, but what are these words, and what do they mean? Such terms are associated with Psychological Disorders. Psychological disorders are mental health conditions, also referred to as mental or psychiatric disorders, that disturb a human to function properly. They may not be observed physically, but it may affect a person psychologically and disrupt a normal way of thinking or initiating an abnormal thought process. “Since abnormal literally means “away from the normal”, it implies deviation from some clearly defined norms or standards.” Such disorders can affect one’s emotions as well as behavior which may distress one’s relations in society.

Ever heard about ‘Autism’, or ‘ADHD”? These disorders fall under the category of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. The term “neuro” means brain and “developmental” means development hence implying that these disorders alter the neurological functioning or developmental of the brain and influence how a brain should work. They affect the person’s life in more than one domain in life i.e. personal, social, academic etc. Most of these disorders have a broad spectrum and the symptoms may vary accordingly even if people have the same diagnosis.

People often mistake Psychological and Neurodevelopmental Disorders as one, but that's not the case. These are two very different disorders, their symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment are all very vast and different. They may align on some grounds as both of them affect a person's mental health, but they are not similar. Psychological disorders don't fully interfere with a person's ability to learn, whereas developmental disorders disrupt a person's ability to think, learn, and understand the world.

Below, I've attached a podcast where I, with a friend of mine, discuss the perceptions about psychology that people hold today. Vania is a final year student of B.Sc. Psychology and has been studying psychology for 5 years now. It's true that we are no professionals, but it is something that interests both of us. The context to this podcast wasn't planned but rather impromptu discussion on how people around us had stereotyped depression which led me to think why don't I make a podcast out of which. And I did exactly that.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oCh-HswcoJ6xIXReZFQ0d5ihmrGXd5_y/view?usp=drivesdk

Every one of us has grown up watching movies and if I’m not wrong movies have shaped us in some or the other way. Movies play a big role in shaping an individual’s personality, sometimes people inherit a movie’s character trait subconsciously because they like it so much. Hence, it is important that movies represent the true state of mental disorders including their struggles. Indian cinema has paid attention to mental illness, at first during the 1900’s the representation for the same was quite low in number however the graph increased with the passing of time. The 2000’s and 2010’s saw a rise in movies talking and showing different mental disorders. Although, a far as observed Bollywood only represents on two ends, either very dramatic and stereotypical or very oversimplified and romanticized.  

Misleading portrayal:

Movies like Koi… mil gaya and Bhool Bhulaiyaa show developmental disorder and dissociative identity disorder respectively, but they fail to give a truthful representation to both of these disorders.

In Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), Rohit, played by Hrithik Roshan, is a young man with developmental disabilities. His character is portrayed as innocent and childlike, someone who struggles to fit into a world that often overlooks or ridicules people like him. The movie subtly reinforces the idea that his life becomes valuable only after external intervention—his transformation into someone "extraordinary" thanks to Jadoo’s powers. The narrative unintentionally shifts the focus from accepting and celebrating Rohit for who he is to "fixing" him so he can fit societal norms. This oversimplifies the reality faced by people with developmental disabilities, who don’t need to be "cured" to lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.

In Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007), Vidya Balan has a dissociative identity disorder which is portrayed as supernatural possession for most of the film. Even when the psychological explanation is revealed, the damage is done as it had already implied to the audience that mental illness is scary, unpredictable, and something to be feared of and moreover something that needs to be treated by a “baba” and pooja rather than taking professional help.

Romanticized representation:

In Dear Zindagi, we meet Kiara (Alia Bhatt), a young woman who appears to have it all together but is quietly battling anxiety and depression, who after having bunch of sleepless nights decides to go to visit a therapist. This movie leaves a remarkable stamp in the Indian cinema. The film normalizes therapy, presenting it as a safe space rather than something to be ashamed of. The conversation between the two characters, one being played by Alia Bhatt and the other by Shah Rukh Khan unpacks the chaarcter’s past traumas and learns coping mechanisms, making the audience feel that healing is possible. However, the movie simplifies the process of therapy. Therapy is shown as a relatively quick journey of self-realization, where a few candid conversations lead to profound breakthroughs but in reality therapy is often a long and non-linear process. It requires patience, vulnerability, and continuous effort, with no neat conclusions. Although Dear Zindagi deserves a credit for opening a new door for the Indian audience.

A Shift:

Now, understanding mental health has transformed significantly from historical times to today's era. Such a transformation indicates changes within the scientific realm, cultural expressions of attitudes, and the priorities of society. Historically, most mental health issues were misunderstood, stigmatized, and due to supernatural reasons. But today, people are more aware and of accepting nature. However, challenges stay constant.

Traditionally, mental health issues have been understood by religion, mysticism, and superstition. Psychosis or depression were explained in terms of divine punishment, demonic possession, or spiritual imbalance. All treatments varied; from exorcism and rituals, there were cruel practices such as isolating and punishing the mentally unfit. For example, people with mental illnesses living in medieval Europe were often in dungeons under very horrific conditions as a form of "treatment."

There was some progress when philosophers and early scientists started to question supernatural explanations. There was Philippe Pinel in the 18th century who argued for more humane treatment and placed compassion and care over punishment. The stigma, however, continued and hence these places remained confinement rather than opening healing institutions.

The 19th and early 20th century witnessed a significant shift in looking at mental health as a medical issue rather than a moral failing. Psychiatry emerged as a distinct field, and theories of Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalysis explored the inner workings of the mind.

Public opinion had not much changed at that point. Mental illness was considered a family shame. Many mentally ill people were secluded, leaving them in even greater isolation from society, leading to worsening their condition. The media did not help. People with mental illnesses were represented as dangerous or unstable.

The mid-20th century saw significant progress in understanding and treating mental health. The introduction of medications, such as antidepressants and antipsychotics, revolutionized treatment options. The general rise of psychology as a discipline helped in popularizing discourses on mental health, although many stereotypes and myths remained.

Today, mental health is understood as a necessary component of the entire spectrum of well-being.

Neurosciences and psychology have established a more extensive understanding of the biological, psychological, and social underpinnings of mental health. Syndromes such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia are no longer perceived as moral or personal failures but as complex, multifaceted disorders.

Events like World Mental Health Day, along with initiatives from the WHO and the website and campaigns from Mental Health America, have increased the global awareness. Celebrities, athletes, and influencers also came forward and revealed their struggles so that it made a normal conversation around mental health.

The new generation or Gen Z has adopted cultural changes regarding mental health awareness. Social networking sites have enabled the exchange of experiences, which has reduced isolation and promoted feelings of empathy. However, this era of connectivity has led to new challenges, including cyberbullying, which often leads to mental distress.

Majority of the people who suffer from mental illness go undiagnosed? Why so? Mostly because of the lack of awareness, people are unaware of the symptoms that follow mental disorders because of which they don’t think that anything is particularly wrong or different than usual. However, it is very important to get a proper diagnosis in order to get the treatment for the betterment. The defined symptoms for all the mental disorders as well as the way of diagnosis and appropriate treatment are mentioned in DSM-5, which is published by the American Psychiatric Association. This is a manual that is referred to by all the professionals who deal with mental health wellbeing. The reason why this manual mentions the symptoms and diagnosis of all mental disorders separately is because the diagnosis of mental disorders is as vast as the sea and sky.

The diagnosis of mental disorders can’t solely depend on the presence of symptoms, as many symptoms of one disorder clashes with the other. For example, “typify attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but they also are common in conduct disorders, developmental disorders, and bipolar disorder.” Hence, there are a few steps that are followed to reach a diagnosis.

1. Gathering Information

A mental health professional will take a detailed interview, she/he will ask you about your symptoms, your main concerns, life history as well as medical history. If any additional information is needed, it is gathered by asking the family members. In this step even physical exams, lab test and psychological tests may also be included although it is not necessary and varies from situation to situation.

2. Narrowing the options

Once all the needed information is gathered, the professional begins to examine the given information, i.e. symptoms, history etc. to see if it matches with any of the mental disorders. He/she notes down the experiencing symptoms and then compares it to the list of symptoms of different disorders. If those symptoms are common and closely matches a particular disorder’s list of symptoms, a diagnosis is made.

3. Diagnostic impression

After observing the list of common symptoms an impression is made by the professional which is often just a tentative report or diagnosis.

One should Make sure to tell these points if present during the process:

• Mention if any specific trigger worsens your mental health

• If your mental health issues are not permanent (comes and goes)

• When did you start to notice changes in your wellbeing?

After a proper and final diagnosis is made, the professional proceeds to provide you with appropriate treatment.

The treatment depends on the severity of the disorder, sometimes multiple treatment methods are combined together to treat a disorder. Mild mental illnesses with controlled symptoms are manageable either by the patient themselves or their care giver, but in more serious cases professional help is required relying on medicine, therapy etc.

1. Medication:

Some mental illness can be treated by giving proper and regular medications such as anti depressants and antipsychotics. These medicines chabge the brain chemistry in order to lessen the symptoms felt by the patients. It is important to take the medicines as directed by the professional.

2. Psychotherapy

Talking to mental health professional often helps in dealing with mental disorders. It not only gives a person moral support but also helps in de-tangling the inner issues. Individuals learn about their condition and also their personalities.

Almost 80% of the people go undiagnosed of a mental disorder, and less than half from that rest 20% seek professional health. Just like any other disease, mental disorder is also considered an illness and a serious medical condition that should be taken care of by professional help and yet many people do not seek help. Why so? It has been observed that this is because of the stigma and misconceptions that has been going around for ages regarding the mental disorders. These myths are deep rooted in people especially orthodox and conservative families. It has been seen that such families force their beliefs on their family members restraining them from seeking help as well. Let’s discuss few of the most common myths about disorders:-

Mental disorder is a sign of weakness

People who develop a mental health condition are often seen as “weak” or considered to have low IQ in the society. It is said that they lack willpower or control in their life hence this was the result. It is also considered a personality weakness or a character flow and individuals who have mental disorders are told to “snap out of it”. However this isn’t true.  Many biological, genetic factors can cause mental illness, it is not in one’s control. Mental disorders can also be triggered by some experiences in life that no one expects. Hence, mental health condition is not “weak” and isn’t caused by being lazy or having less control in life.

No need for a therapist

When you get hurt or sick the first thought that you have is to go consult a doctor, in a similar manner people who suffer from mental illness should seek professional help in order to get better. However, a lot of misconceptions surround therapy. First, that a person should be able to deal with the issues alone as it is not that “big deal”, secondly there is a myth that people who go to therapy are “retarded” or “crazy” which is why many people restrain from going to therapy or mentioning that they seek help from professionals.

People with mental disorders are dangerous

Due to the portrayal of mental disorders in media, the society has formed a perception that people who have mental disorders are too dangerous and violent in nature, and they try to stay away from these people in order to be “safe”. This causes the individuals suffering from mental illnesses to isolate themselves as they feel outcasted and different due to other’s actions towards them. Even though this perception is wrong to an extent. Not all mental disorders causes a person to be harmful or violent, yes, there are a few disorders whose symptoms involves the patient to get a little physical but only if they are triggered, however this is not the case for all. This conception is also formed due to the lack of knowledge and awareness about disorders and their types.

Children don’t have mental health issues

Mental health is not a concept or skill that one learns, it is something that exists despite of the age factor. The biggest misconception of mental illnesses is that children are not prone to get any kind of mental disorders, wrong, mental health issues can and do affect children as well. According to the statistics, “Fourteen per cent of the world’s adolescents experience mental-health problems. Globally, among those aged 10–15, suicide is the fifth most prevalent cause of death, and for adolescents aged 15–19 it is the fourth most common cause. Half of all mental health conditions start by the age of 14.” It is important to intervene, identify and accept that children can also develop mental health issues, only then will they be able to live a better life as adults.

Mental disorders are for a lifetime

While some conditions and disorders are lifelong, this isn’t true for every mental health issue. Major of mental disorders or issues are curable and treated with right medication and regular therapy. Recovery is possible and is also seen in many individuals if they are regular with following the treatment.

We have already discussed the factors that can lead to a mental disorder and symptoms that mark the presence of it, today we will be discussing the risks or changes that a person observes after they develop a mental illness. These changes can be different with respect to the seriousness of the disorder, and it can also vary from person to person even if they have the same disorder. Let's have a look on them:-

Physical health risks:

Mental disorders have been directly linked to physical health issues like diabetes, heart diseases, loss or change in appetite, excessive increase or decrease in sleep etc. This is also followed by weakened immune system. Many disorders like depression, anxiety etc. can have a negative effect on the immune system making the body very weak to function properly which can lead to sudden drop of weight. Due to a weakned immune system the individuals are also prone to develop infection or a disease very easily. Many individuals also turn to substances like alcohol or drugs in order to reduce their stress and give them a temporary high in life, this usually ends up on the bad term as people develop a substance addiction or abuse.

Loss of people:

People suffering from mental disorders often feel isolated or alone which leads to a feeling of unworthiness or undeserving. This feeling of isolation can occur due to the symptoms or loss in interest or the stigma and stereotypes followed by metal disorders. With time people lose connections with other people as they feel very low and the feeling of being a burden takes over them, because of which many people lose their support systems which often ends up causing a strain in relationships.

Suicide or Self-Harm:

Certain disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar etc. have a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Due to the decrease in social interaction they become anti-social and isolated which means most of the time they are stuck in their head with their thoughts. Many of these thoughts because of the disorders are negative and hence they involve in self-harming activities as a way to cope with their emotions or to feel a sense of control in their life.

Some other changes are:

Mood changes 

Apathy

Increased sensitivity 

Problems thinking 

Nervousness

Unusual behaviour

Changes in school or work

Different approaches are used by psychologists worldwide in order to understand the complex varieties of different mental disorders. These approaches involves the study of various factors that leads up to such disorders. Few factors involve: biological, genetic, psychological, socio-cultural etc. Further in this blog we will be discussing these factors.

Biological factors:

A large range of biological factors like faulty genes, malnutrition, injuries etc. effects the normal developmental of a person which can lead to abnormal behaviour. According to the biological model, abnormal behaviour is formed on a basis that is either physiological or biological. Biology researches have stated that abnormal behaviour is caused by the disturbance of transmissions from one transmitter to another. For context, synapse is the tiny space present between two neurons that separates one from another, the message must move along it. When a message is received by the neurons ending a chemical is released known as neuro-transmitter. The abnormal activity in this chemical has been linked to certain disorders like, “Anxiety disorders have been linked to low activity of the neurotransmitter gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), schizophrenia to excess activity of dopamine, and depression to low activity of serotonin.”

2. Genetic factors:

Mental disorders are more common in people whose blood relatives have also been observed having abnormal behaviour. Genes have been linked to bipolar and related disorders, schizophrenia, intellectual disability and other psychological disorders. However the specific genes have not been circled out by researchers yet. Certain risks increase the probability of developing a mental disorder. Genes have been found as the reason behind many psychological disorder like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolarity etc.

3. Socio-cultural factors:

According to this model the socio-cultural factors play an important role in the functioning of a person, as it influences the actions of individuals. Behaviour is said to be shaped by societal norms like family strictures, stereotypes, societal roles etc. therefore, certain factors leads to abnormal behaviour. It has been observed that children belonging to overinvolved kind of family structure have more difficulty in being independent and that leads to abnormal activities as family members are involved in the personal space and feelings of the individual. Studies state that people who like to be left alone and are isolated lack a system of support in their lives, which makes them more vulnerable towards developing a depressive disorder. “Socio-cultural theorists also believe that abnormal functioning is influenced by the societal labels and roles assigned to troubled people. When people break the norms of their society, they are called deviant and ‘mentally ill’.”

Few other factors include:

Life experiences, traumas etc.

A traumatic brain injury

Substance abuse/ addiction

Imposter syndrome

Sexual abuse/ assault

Neurodevelopmental disorders effects the brain and the neurological functioning of the brain that effects a person’s development. The most common feature about neurodevelopmental disorders is that it occurs during the early stages of development. Hence, they are often seen in children when they are about to enter schooling or during early stages of schooling. This leads to children facing social, cognitive and emotional functioning. It often also leads to children unable to have age-appropriate achievements or behaviour. DSM-5 includes three major types of neurodevelopmental disorders along with others.

Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder

Commonly known as ADHD, attention deficit/ Hyperactivity disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with the attention span of people. Main symptoms of ADHD are inattention and hyper activeness. People who suffer from ADHD have a hard time in following instructions or keeping their attention on one thing or place. This disorder is usually diagnosed early on in life but sometimes it is also found during teenage years.  "Common complaints are that the child does not listen, cannot concentrate, does not follow instructions, easily distracted, forgetful, does not finish assignments etc." the NCERT states. Children who are impulsive seem to have difficulty in controlling their reactions to their instant thoughts, as they may not be socially acceptable or harmful to other people. They also face difficulty in delaying gratification and urges, which can lead to minor mishappenings and also major accidents. Whereas hyperactivity can be seen in many ways like a child being unable to sit stationary, the need to keep moving, fidgeting etc. ADHD is usually treated with medications as well as regular therapy, behaviour therapy is considered as the most effective therapy for ADHD. Parents of the patients are also suggested to go to therapy to understand the condition better.

Autism spectrum disorder

This disorder deals with the impairments faced in social gathering or to socialise. People who have autism disorder find it very difficult to interact with other people in a gathering or to understand the set norms of the society or the unspoken rules of conversations. They also have repetitive behaviour and are unable to function in schools and social environment.  Autism is known as spectrum disorder as it has a lot of variations within itself and different types of symptoms varying among people.  It is often diagnosed in the first 2 years of life. Kids who are diagnosed often also face intellectual difficulties. It is also observed that people who are autistic, are often extra-ordinary or a prodigy in one or two subjects, however that isn't necessary in all the cases and remains a few exceptions. Symptoms of Autism are: making very little to no eye contact, appearing uninterested, difficulty in holding the conversation, difficulty in adjusting to new environment, etc. Certain medications along with therapy helps reduce the symptoms of autism however it isn’t totally curable.

Intellectual Disability Disorder

Intellectual disability is another type of neurodevelopmental disorder where a person’s Intelligence Quotient is lower than average. Hence, they have certain cognitive limitations unlike other people leading them to develop on a slower rate. The American Association on Mental Deficiency (AAMD) views intellectual disability as “significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behaviour and manifested during the developmental period”. The disorder is divided into 4 parts based on the IQ of a person.  The different levels of intellectual disability are: Mild (IQs 55 to approximately 70), Moderate (IQs 35–40 to approximately 50– 55), Severe (IQs 20–25 to approximately 35–40), and Profound (IQs below 20–25). At mild level, people do develop on a lot slower rate than those who don’t have ID yet they are considered to be able to function in the society alone, hold jobs, have families etc.  Although, people at severe and profound level need constant watch and care as they are unable to function on their own. The table below refers to the characteristics of individuals at different IQ levels in Intellectual disability.

As you guys read in the blog previous to this, it discussed some of the most known and common psychological disorders. In the current blog, as you read further you will witness the names of the disorders that are not that commonly heard or known.

• Trauma and stress related Trauma and stress related disorders are the aftermath of experiencing something traumatic. It is majorly divided into three main types. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Commonly known as PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder develops after one has gone through a traumatic event in their life, this event could have happened to them or witnessed by them. While PTSD doesn’t remain for a lifetime, it’s occurrence can affect someone for a long while. People who have been in a natural disaster or stuck in a terrorist attack or a serious accident often experience PTSD affecting their ability to function in their daily lives. Symptoms of PTSD include recurrent dreams, flashbacks, nightmares, stress, dissociation. It may last more than a month, sometimes even years. Acute Stress Disorder: It refers to the stress immediately after the traumatic event, it usually just lasts for 2 to 3 days or 1 week at maximum. The symptoms are very similar compared to PTSD; its duration is just shorter than that of PTSD. Adjustment Disorder: Adjustment disorders are a group of conditions that can occur while one is trying to cope from a difficult situation or event. The inability to adjust to the occurrence of the stressful event is known as Adjustment Disorder. It can affect both children as well as adults. There are six types of Adjustment Disorders:

Adjustment disorder with anxiety

Adjustment disorder with depressed mood

Adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood

Adjustment disorder with disturbance of conduct

Adjustment disorder with disturbance of emotions and conduct

Adjustment disorder unspecified

• Somatic symptoms and Related disorder Somatic symptoms and related disorder is diagnosed when a person has physical symptoms in the absence of a physical disease. The patient may face psychological difficulties and complain about physical pain but there may not be any biological cause behind it. It has 3 types as follows- Somatic Symptom disorder: It involves a person having continuous physical pain which may or may not be related to any serious physical medical condition or diagnosis. People suffering from this disorder are always preoccupied with their symptoms and continuously worry about their well- being, often making regular visits to the doctor. This causes a lot of distress in their life making them unable to function to their full potential. Illness Anxiety disorder: This refers to the preoccupation of developing a serious medical condition, and constantly being anxious about that possibility. People suffering from this, are often anxious about having an undiagnosed condition, negative diagnosis or never being able to trust the reassurance given by the doctors. Conversion disorder: This refers to the reported loss of some or all of some basic bodily functions. Symptoms include paralysis, deafness, blindness etc. this develops because of some stressful event and can be quite sudden.

• Bipolar and related disorders Bipolar disorder also known as manic depression is a psychological disorder which causes extreme mood swings. People who have are bipolar either experience extreme emotional highs known as mania or hypomania (hypomania is less than mania), or extreme lows called depression. This sudden change or shift in emotions affects sleep, diet, judgement, behaviour, inability to make clear decisions. There are several types of bipolar disorders. Bipolar I disorder: People experience at least one manic episode that may occur before or after hypomania or depression. Both mania and depression may last from 1 to 2 weeks, which may even lead to consulting a doctor. Bipolar II disorder: This type means that people have experienced a major depressive episode and also one hypomania episode, but never had a manic episode. Cyclothymic disorder: In this type, people have experienced symptoms of both hypomania and depression for 2 years in adults and 1 year in children or teens. Symptoms experienced in this type are less serious than major depressive disorder.

• Schizophrenia spectrum and other related disorders Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition where people’s social and personal life weaken because of having a disturbed though process. It is said to be a weakening disorder, as it weakens a person’s mind and brain effecting their potential to live life to a fullest. People who are schizophrenic often seem to lose touch with reality and create their own world. Few symptoms of schizophrenia include hallucination, delusions, disorganized thoughts and speech etc. Most of the people who suffer from schizophrenia aren’t aware that they have this disorder due to which they believe they don’t need therapy but schizophrenic people are advised to take lifelong therapy, medicines or talk.

As discussed in my previous blog, there are different types of psychological disorders. We are going to be discussing few of the major and most common disorders in this blog.

Psychological disorders are usually divided into 7 major types which are further sub-divided into many disorders. Psychological disorders are described and classified under Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5 the Edition (DSM-5) published under the American Psychiatric Association. It provides some discrete clinical criteria which helps in the diagnosis of the presence or absence of the disorder. Along with DSM-5, International Classification of Diseases(ICD-10), prepared by the World Health Organization is also referred to when a diagnosis takes place. These are the only two documents that are world widely accepted as the official books that describes and explains the clinical feature as well as symptoms of various disorders in detail. The following list contains the major types of psychological disorders: • Anxiety Disorders Many times in our day to day life we feel worried, scared or sometimes even stressed, that is very normal human behaviour which even acts as a motivating force for a person. A long persistent wave of worry, fear followed by a vague unpleasant feeling can be defined as Anxiety. It can be noticed by a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating in palms etc. Anxiety is further divided into 4 parts:

Generalized anxiety disorder They consist of a long vague intense feeling of fear, which is not attached or focused to anything in particular. They can be general about anything; hence it justifies its name. The symptoms of GAD are worry, hypervigilance, scanning the surrounding for danger, excessive worry. The symptoms can get so out of hand that it can interfere with a person’s effective way of functioning.

Panic Disorder Panic disorders consists of periodic anxiety attacks, where a person experiences a high and deep sense of fear. They can be triggered by anything and can occur anytime. A panic attack is rise of anxiety due to the presence of a certain provocation, which can cloud a person’s normal thoughts. The symptoms of it can be noticed as shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, palpitations, choking, nausea, chest pain or discomfort, fear of going crazy, losing control or even dying.

Phobia-related disorders You may have noticed people who are afraid of heights, to speak on stage, afraid of certain insects or animals. You may have also noticed somethings that you are afraid of. These type of fears are termed as phobias. While fear and phobia are two different things, but excessive fear that causes anxiety is phobia. People who suffer from phobia-related disorders, often get a rise in anxiety just by thinking about the stimuli, the anxiety caused by the stimuli can be more than the actual danger that it can cause. Phobia can also be explained as irrational fear towards some object, situations or people. Phobias can be further divided into 3 parts. i. Specific phobias This is the most common occurring phobia. This phobia includes an intense fear from a particular object, or situations. People with this type of phobia can go to extreme lengths to avoid the said stimuli, which can be an animal, insect, situation etc. ii. Social phobias The acute fear of dealing with other people around them is called as social phobia or social anxiety. People suffering from social anxiety are often afraid to deal with other characters in their life as they fear the chances of embarrassment iii. Agoraphobia This phobia involves an irrational fear of leaving their comfort of home to go to places where escape may be difficult. These places may include crowded rooms, or places, closed spaces or even leaving one’s home.

Separation Anxiety Disorder Separation anxiety can be seen in infants. Toddlers often get cranky when they are separated from their parents or close ones. They get this feeling of distress when taken away from their caregivers, such incident can be seen when dropping them off at day cares or schools etc. These symptoms can also be seen in teenagers or adults which causes Separation Anxiety Disorder. People who have SAD have a constant worry over losing an attachment figure of their life or harm them in any way. They even have a fear of being left alone or abandoned. Symptoms may include headache, stomach-aches, nausea, vomiting etc.

• Depressive disorders This is the most widely known disorders. Anyone who thinks of psychology thinks about depression. The biggest misconception of this disorder is that everyone mistakes normal sadness as depression, which is false. Depression covers a wide range of moods and changes. Major depressive disorder It is a constant period of depressed feelings, including loss of interest or pleasures. the symptoms for the same are as follows: change in bodyweight/appetite, tiredness, inability to sleep, loss of interest/energy, difficulty in thinking, lack of concentration, feeling of worthlessness, hopelessness, suicidal thoughts or self-harm. According to studies, women are more likely to get diagnosed with depressive disorders in comparison to men.

• Obsessive compulsive disorder Obsessive compulsive disorder also known as OCD is a kind of disorder which causes people to want things in only one particular way, and when it’s not in that way they obsess over it until it gets done. People suffering with OCD are preoccupied with specific thoughts or ideas unable to carry out normal day to day activities and hyper focusing on carrying out certain actions only. Obsessive behaviour is the inability to stop thinking about a particular idea or situation. Compulsive behaviour on the other hand is the need to perform a certain task in a particular manner for a certain number of times for example: counting, ordering, checking etc.