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Shock therapy returns to cure mental illness

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When the man in white coat recommended shock therapy to battle her schizophrenia, Anamika*, then a 20-year-old medical student, felt a chill. The first image that flashed across her mind was that of a balding man, his head caught between the pincers of a medieval contraption, thrashing and moaning in agony with his eyes rolled back.

Close to six years later, when she tells people she got relief from the treatment, she gets the same wide-eyed response: “They still do that?” “Every time I tell them it’s nothing like how you see in movies, they look at me incredulously,” says Anamika, who is pursuing her MD. She had struggled with schizophrenia for more than a year. Her condition was such that the drugs prescribed tortured her more with side-effects than heal her.

“For me, back then, the therapy was my only hope. I was scared, but my family and my doctor stood by me,” she says. Mired in stigma that has lingered for long, electric shock treatment – referred to frequently by its less-alarming clinical term electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) – is now slowly receiving patients’ nod. Doctors say, in the therapy today , anesthetic and tranquilising drugs are used prior to administering the shock to minimise fear, pain, and the risk of violent muscle spasms.

“Previously , the procedure was used without anesthesia,” says Dr R Thara, director of Schizophrenia Research Foundation.Though effective, she said, the procedure often led to injuries and fractures. “It also created a lot of fear in patients as they were aware of the seizure or fit,” she says.

First developed in 1938, ECT, for years, had a poor reputation with many negative depictions in movies, books, and media.But in modern ECT treatment, doctors say , patients are under anesthesia during the entire process and unaware of the electrical currents charging through their brains.A muscle relaxant prevents their bodies from jerking around once the seizure is triggered. It is usually recommended for people with severe depression, mania, and schizophrenia who do not respond to or tolerate medicines.
Dr B N Gangadhar, director of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, is among the leading advocates of ECT in the country .

“It does not just deter people but also stops psychiatrists from recommending it,” says Dr Gangadhar. In the 50s, when medicines for mental illness were launched, the popularity of ECT dipped but doctors soon found that the pills could not cure all the maladies of the mind. What followed was a series of research papers on the effective ness of shock therapy .

Health

These three drinks can be a blessing for your gas and acidity problems

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ily foods, spicy dishes, fried fares… Done it all and regretting it? If you’re suffering from acid reflux, you probably know what to eat and what to avoid. But is there anything to relieve you from such digestive issues? Well, there are certain drinks for acidity to improve your digestive health, if you consume them regularly.

Ready to find out? Let’s go!

In an Instagram video, nutritionist and health coach Neha Ranglani has suggested that to calm your acid reflux, you need to help your food get digested well. This can be done by improving your stomach acid production and healing your stomach cells. And these drinks that she has suggested, can help with just that, allowing you to digest your food well without the burn.

Here are 6 drinks for acidity:

1. Cucumber juice

Cucumber is a favourite salad ingredient in summer because of its cooling properties. Consuming cucumber juice can be really beneficial for relievingacid reflux because it is highly nutritious as it provides your body with both fibre and water which is needed for better digestion and has a low calorie volume. What’s more? It can also keep you full and help you avoid reaching out to junk foods!

2. Lemon water

Lemon can do you a world of good! Being rich in vitamin C and B and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium—drinking lemon water regularly will not only help you burn fat but will resolve your digestive issues such as acidity. Moreover, lemon water contains laxative properties that can help improve your bowel movements and clear toxins from the body, keeping you hydrated.

3. Ginger water

Ginger aka adrak, is a very well known ingredient that has been used for ages to help relieve acidity and gas. Also, if you are facing digestive issues due to overeating or undigested food, consuming ginger water can help in emptying your stomach. You can also consume it by adding it to soups, subzi or curry, and even tea. Remember that you’re not allowed to consume ginger in excess amounts.

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