Medicine and Ways to Avoid Taking Medicines |

WHITE-COAT CHRONICLES

Sohini Halder*

*Senior Resident, Department of Medicine, LHMC, New Delhi

Most of us who take the metro to commute in Delhi must have come across a billboard in some of the stations having a black and white picture of a serene face of Bapu with one of his quotes “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver”. Well, as we rush through the metro stations each day, in sync with the pace of life, hardly having time to glance at the above-mentioned quote, let alone ponder on it, do we realize the magnitude of truth behind the saying? I hardly think so.

The erstwhile Gay Related Immune Deficiency (GRID), present day Acquired Immuno-deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) originated from the United States, soon to become a pandemic. In recent times, we had our tryst with the infamous, ominous COVID 19 pandemic. And almost similar proportions have been taken over by mental health diseases yet it’s still a condition where most of the victims feel that it can be handled or it’s just a phase. In spite of devastating consequences, it’s still a taboo or it’s considered as only a period of extended sadness. Although, with mighty advances in the field of medicine, mental health problems can be linked to genes, yet it’s undeniable that the way we live or the pace we choose to tread through life plays a major role in the onset and advancement of the condition. (Pulitzer award winning author, Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book, The Gene is a very good read regarding the association of psychiatric disorders and its genetic basis). Couple of years ago, we have lost actor Robin Williams to depression. Who knew that the man who made us laugh on screen and unveiled our sensitivities, would lose his battle against the clinging darkness of the mind? A certain dialogue by him in his super hit movie called the Dead Poets Society, always strikes a chord with me and it goes like this “…medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life but poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for”. And merely staying alive is not enough. The way we live each day finds an important place in leading a healthy life.

To be precise and hence statistical, it has been found that 60 % of factors, which contributes to individual health, wellbeing and quality of life are related to lifestyle. And it can’t be emphasized more that illness, disabilities and even death due to musculoskeletal problems, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, malnutrition, and violence have been found to be caused due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Unhealthy diet, smoking, consumption of alcohol, drug abuse, stress is a few very common and for many people, a dominant way to navigate through life. Also there has been tectonic shifts in the work life of people with technology playing a big role in the form of virtual communication especially, post-covid, work -from -home style, in most renowned, multinational companies, which is a serious threat to wellbeing, both physically and in terms of mental health. I feel the need to add here that with rising unemployment, the misuse of technology in the form of cybercrimes, is not only a threat socially and legally but again it comes down to being stressful and the wearing out of our mind and body. Studies have also shown that the more we are glued to our smart phones, chances of depressive symptoms also rise.

Diet is one of the most important factors which has a direct association with health. Obesity and its adverse consequences are a battle in the present-day urban society which is hard to win against. With advertisements and chains of McDonalds, KFC, and a million more fast food chains, it’s an easy and appealing option for most youngsters, struggling to strike a balance between unrealistic work hours and a life, that they lose a foresight of the dire yet precedented consequence (metabolic syndrome etc.) of their action. Recommendation is to have a healthy, balanced diet incorporating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat free or low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts and limiting saturated, trans fat, sodium and added sugar. There have been studies regarding intermittent fasting or periodic fasting, which have been proven to be harmless, but the benefits have not been convincingly proven.

Another way of living a healthy lifestyle is found in yoga. Almost a 3000 year old tradition, yoga is now considered as a holistic approach to health and is classified by the National Institutes of Health as a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Making yoga a part of daily life helps instill a sense of calmness, compassion, self-control along with increase in strength, endurance, and flexibility. Regular yoga practice reduces depressive symptoms and improves levels of serotonin.

Proper sleep cycle has a positive impact on social, psychological, economical, and physical wellbeing. Also, inclusion of leisure time is of utmost importance for overall well-being. It is worth mentioning that reading puts our mind to exercise and has shown to reduce rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

I must reiterate again what Gandhi Ji had said “There is more to life than increasing its speed”. So instead of rushing through life, let’s practice mindfulness. Let’s begin by discarding unhealthy practices. Let’s navigate through life with a consciousness. After all, Hippocrates had said “Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity”.