In Conversation With Dr. Ishina Choudhary
She is also the founder of Insight Alchemy, an organization that is working with individuals who are experiencing psychological distress for a variety of reasons. People who want to learn where are why and how to move forward. With two branches in indoor and availability for other locations via videoconference meetings, her organization is rapidly growing. Welcome Dr. Rashina. I hope you enjoy the conversation today
So, Doctor, let me begin by asking you about your journey. When and why did you decide to go into the field of psychological counseling?
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 3:57
So then I took a decision to counsel people, to help people to not to give up on small, silly things in their life. Whether it's career, relationship, family, friendship, anything. Because everyone in this life is thriving through something or the other bad situations or bad phase. But also I want to tell everyone that it's just a phase of life, it will pass away. And also you'll have solutions to every problem
It's very inspirational to hear, Doctor, how you very courageously took up on the challenge to better yourself and then later on the compassion to help others with that same kindness as well. And I'm really grateful that people like you exist who continue to help others around them. My next question to you would be about your organization insight. Alchemy. Could you tell us when and why did you decide to set up inside Alchemy? And also about the impact that your organization has created over the years?
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 2:25
So I decided to open this company in 2019 because I think this was my phase of the journey where I started getting better in my life. And I took a decision to help people. So I thought to make a good place and a company where I can help and provide my services to the people. So it started like that. I know it was not an easy job. It was very challenging. People were just not open and ready to talk about their mental health
You. Thank you for sharing about your work, Doctor. With the growing awareness about mental health, I'm sure many more people will benefit from your services. Now, moving on towards the next question, I want to talk to you about cognitive behavioral therapy. It is a relatively new field in psychology, and yet it is being considered as one of the most popular and if active techniques out there
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:37
So whenever you are into some trouble or any situation is bothering you, at least you know you have that skill to cope up with the thing so that you cannot resist in your life or anything, but also you can grow in life. So that's how CBT helps. And CBT, basically it works only on your cognition and we are all thriving in our lives through our cognition only. So everyone has different thought process, different perception
That was a beautiful explanation, Doctor. I'm sure it has cleared up things for a lot many people who are listening to you today. Well, my next question will be why is mental health as a whole a controversial topic in our society? As in, why is there so much stigma surrounding mental health, even in this day and age?
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:58
You do that. So it is just to keep a check on your mental health. Because I think people are more ignorant here and they are not accepting things. And they should know more about how their life is totally dependent on their thoughts, on their mind, because they are working through their brain. Only the brain is the powerhouse through which they are performing their day to day routine. But they are just in that ignorant way
Can you say a few words to enlighten our listeners about why mental health is just as important as our physical ailments and our physical wellbeing? Because after all, as you mentioned, the brain is the powerhouse of the body
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 3:39
If you're not feeling good, if you're not feeling well, take a break, take rest for at least two, three days until and unless you're not feeling good, don't step out of your home. First of all, your priority should be yourself. You need to make yourself self aware about your own mental health. That how you are feeling. Are you comfortable or not? Are you going through rough phase? If yes, then take a small break
You. That was a great description, Doctor. I'm sure all those who pay heed to your advice will have wondrous benefits awaiting them. My next question will be about the younger generation and their mental wellness. Well, mental wellness is obviously getting increasing importance amongst children. And why do children need mental health sessions, in your opinion?
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:57
But if you give them the wrong kind of conditioning, definitely their future will be dark too and their parents will not be in good condition too. So I think it is the high time to make yourself aware about how mental health for children is equally important and please make them aware about their own emotions, their thoughts and how they can navigate their thought into right direction so that they can develop good and right and positive emotions too
Hello ma'am. I would like to ask you that what are your views about the increasing cases of mental wellness in India? And the trend is the younger generation is getting more prone to these mental issues than the older generations, although they are facing less and less hardships. But they are getting easily disturbed by small all changes in their atmosphere and ambience. And they are not adaptive at all about the things
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:07
You have different, right? We are all uniquely wired in our brain but again, people start comparing they have competition, they have few things which others have so many things are there which comes like that but it is not possible because everyone is uniquely able in their own scenario, in their own thing. So mental health issue basically if you start managing your own emotions you can deal with any adverse situation and uncertain situation coming in your life
I myself am a person with anger issues. I really get angry very easily. I know that it's the result of bottling up emotions and all. I've read about that as all but it doesn't just comes to me. I read about different psychological tricks and ways to stop my outburst of anger. But it is like that when it has to happen, it happens. And I'm not in control of my words
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 3:53
Hi Sushma, I totally feel you and understand that what you are going through. Look, it's hard when the situation comes but when you are already prepared you cross that problem easily. So basically you now have to stop studying and start working on yourself. Anger issues mostly arise through maybe you have some unresolved issues inside your mind. Maybe you have something which you want or you are over expecting about something. Or you have another imagination about anything
Well, that was indeed insight. Thank you, Dr. Ishina, for throwing light upon the lesser known aspect of children's mental health. Now, lastly, can you share some tips that normal people can include in their day to day lives to enhance their mental wellbeing of?
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:48
So for maintaining a good mental health you should follow the rule of Se t that means S for sleep hygiene e for eating habits and D for your mind diet. So first of all, you should maintain a routine of your sleep cycle like you should sleep on time, wake up on the same time, you should have ritual of sleeping too just like you do a ritual for maintaining yourself. You dress up so well before going out, so before sleeping also, you need to maintain your sleep ritual too
Ah, very good evening to you Ishina ma'am. I am Kadambari Gupta. And my question to you is, ma'am, that does cognitive behavioral therapy has any side effects like the way a doctor prescribes medicines, like antibiotics for various illnesses? They do have some side effects of their own. So does any cognitive behavioral therapy has any side effect? That's my question to you
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:20
Hi Kadambari. Very good question. So first of all, I just want you to know that CBT does not have any side effects as it is chemical free. It is only about your own thought process, right? So if you are indulged into some chemical process that definitely have some side effects but this is your chemical free thing, right? So if you have any side effect, you will only have a side effect of your own thought process
Jaya Sharma
@jayasharma · 1:24
Hi. Dr Ishina chaudhry. Good evening. Nice interview and conversation. You have good topic. I listen it carefully. Depression, sadness, boring lifestyle makes a helpless to people. And they feel very sad in that time period. What I do? Who am I? Why I come to the earth? Nobody with me, et cetera, et cetera. Question around them. They feel very question having around them. They feel very difficulty to pass the time. That time
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:21
It is important to self realize that what is good and what is bad for you, how you can save yourself. Here we can take an example of COVID times, right? In COVID times, what we did, we had only two options of getting ourselves safe and secure. One is not to go out and second to just to sanitize and wear a mask, right?
Vipin Kamble
@Vipin0124 · 0:57
Good evening, ma'am. Very insightful talks. And the guidance you have been giving is amazing. And the work you are doing for the society and the social well being, it's amazing. Congratulations for that. I have a very small question. I need your guidance, actually. If you are with narcissistic kind of a person who's having narcissistic traits, how can we deal with such kind of humans? Because you know how the narcissism behaves and how dangerously it impacts others life
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:20
Hi there. So dealing with a narcissist personality is a very tough task. It is hard to understand this kind of personality because this kind of thought process are very toxic for us. So better for us to if you are living or if you are dealing with any narcissist personality, it is better to keep yourself at distance
Like to some extent we can do rely on the books that are written by professionals, but what about the books that are written by people who went through a down period of mental health and then they decide to share their mental health journey and all that? So what about it? So that's my first question. And I have another question as well. The second one that the education system is entirely changed now. Now we don't have MPhil. And yeah, now we have the cuity as well
Prabha Iyer
@PSPV · 1:45
If at all you have a personal problem like being human everybody has their own problem. And the temperament is not maintained exactly on the same level throughout. We cannot do that. Probably we can try doing that and that will become a show kind, right? So we have to let our I meant our frustrations too. So how do you manage in doing that? Do you go to another doctor or a friend of yours? Or you meditate?
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:55
So that makes your brain go at ease too. And then finally meditation. This is the best medicine for each and every one of us. We being human beings, have this power to meditate. It takes time, but it happens for sure that you will keep your mind sane, good and clean. So basically, meditation is meeting with yourself. If you are having a meeting with yourself, you will never lose yourself and also you will start feeling happy
mannya nayar
@shesalliwannabe · 0:22
Hello, ma'am. Good evening, ma'am. I would like to ask you, how do you think one can, you know, get out of a specific state of mind and start working on themselves? How does one motivate themselves? How does one do it? How does how do people try to make meaning of their lives? Thank you
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 1:20
Hi there. So the answer for all your questions will be changing your perception. Upkeepnika nazarea nazarea badal tejo. That means, I'll say that if you are changing your perception, changing your negative thoughts into positive, that will definitely make your thought process good. It will make you more healthy and fertile and that will again create thoughts of goodness, positivity, motivation. So start working for that. It is just not a one day process
Do not forget to follow Dr. Ishina on her social media handles and here on Swell, all of whose links have been posted on this wellcast. Also check out her organization Insight Alchemy on the link provided above. And at the end, if you liked my content, please do follow me here on Swell because I post such content regularly. Thank you and I hope you have a great day ahead
Insight Alchemy
@ishina · 2:31
This generation should have a good approach of practical as well as a theoretical so. In my opinion, theoretical as well as practical both knowledge are equally important in your life because theoretical, it makes your brain more educate. They helps you to broad your learning sense. So it is giving you a sense of learning process. The way to learn it is a way for your brain. So reading for the theoretical knowledge and also reading is good for your brain