Mental Well Being - 2 August 2021

Mental Well-Being:

Living in Times of Despair Monday, 2 August 2021 6.00 PM - 7.45 PM To Join, Click...

6:00 PM

Welcome Address

Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM Executive Director, MMA

Discussion on the theme Mental Well-Being: Living in Times of Despair

Dr Ravi Samuel Consultant - Psychotherapist

Fireside Chat In conversation with Dr Esther G Ebenezer Prof. Psychiatry at UniKL Royal College of Medicine Perak, Malaysia

Dr Balu Consultant - Psychiatrist, London

Dr Naveen Prasath Baskaran Associate Professor of Medicine University of Florida

Q&A Session 7:45 PM

Vote of Thanks

Share your questions by SMS/Whatsapp to 98401 23906

synopsis

Since 2019, ever since we heard of Coronavirus -19, it has been an extraordinary period. If you are reading this text, you are fortunate to have survived the onslaught of the pandemic. Though we have survived, many of us have lost loved ones, had set back in finance, business, etc.

Few unfortunate ones have even lost their livelihood, some took a percentage cut in pay, and many wondered how to sustain their family. In 2020 and 2021, all that people could do was ensuring being alive and coping with loss!

In 2020 while we were hoping to hear about the 'end of the pandemic', we ended up hearing that there was an Ist wave, followed by the 2nd and now threatened with 'third wave'! The much-awaited vaccines to eradicate the pandemic has only limited scope of minimizing the infection and its effects on the organs. Moreover, those infected have post-viral complications and consequences of being in ICU and hospital for a long duration. To quote a patient, "wonder why my family saved me from the virus" – such was the post-infection complications, which are taking months if not years to normalize if at all it does!

In this precarious state, how do we maintain our mental well-being! We need to cope with the business and financial loss, change of living circumstances and loss of people. If it is the loss of the family's breadwinner, then the whole sort of adjustments and restructuring the family and those around them have to go through!

The whole family spending all the time together created an enormous strain on each differently; the children were exhausted with 24/7 parental supervision. Parents were unable to cope with too much family time. Many parents had no clue to contain their children or engage them constructively. Some partners were expecting more sexual activity, which exhausted the other. Increased demands on ladies and men in some cases, in terms of housekeeping, cooking, socializing, taking care of the elderly, sick and infirm, burdened them, more so, if they were also working!

Elders inability to go out for their usual activities, exercises and socialization affected their quality of life too! In addition, elders could not meet their children, thus creating an emotional vacuum in their minds. Therefore, mental well-being is not a product of our making alone, but it is a dynamic collective contribution of those around us and the environment in which we live.

A panel discussion of mental health experts from India, the United Kingdom and Malaysia will discuss how people are coping and provide practical suggestions to emotional coping, restructuring lives, family, marital relationships, and upbringing children! In addition, they will answer queries relating to mental health-related to pandemic, lockdown and coping with grief. It will be a session of learning as well as sharing best practices in maintaining mental well-being.

Dr Ravi Samuel is a psychotherapist trained in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in National Hospital, Queen Square, Lond. UK. He did his Applied Research Methodology Diploma Course at Thames Valley University, UK and had MPhil and PhD in Social Work from Madras University. He had an orientation to brain injury rehabilitation in Jewish Medical College, New York!

Dr Ravi is practising in India for the past 30 years. He treats people with emotional, psychological and behavioural problems. He has a particular interest in cognition and the brain; he has published in national and international scientific journals on brain damage and cognition. He has extensively worked in cognitive stimulation among elders, patients with Dementia and patients with Multiple Sclerosis. He has treated 1000s of patients since 1991 with marital problems, depression, anxiety and ocd problems and other psychological and behavioural problems in India and between 1998 and 1999 few patients in UK. Presently his clients are from various parts of the globe attending therapy through online platform!

Dr Ravi Samuel has appeared in the vernacular television channels on numerous occasions and in print media on various social issues relating to mental health. In addition, he has presented papers in International conferences in Japan, United States, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Singapore, Dominican Republic, Spain and Sweden. He has also published in national and international journals on various issues about mental health.

Apart from clinical work, Dr Ravi enjoys conducting workshops and training programmes on personality development, developing Self-esteem, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Counselling Assertiveness, professionalism

DR RAVI SAMUEL Consultant - Psychotherapist

in work-place, conflict resolution process!

Prof. Dr. Esther Ebenezer is the Professor in Psychiatry at UniKL Royal College of Medicine Perak and Consultant Psychiatrist of Ipoh Specialist, Pantai hospital and visiting consultant Hospital Ipoh. She obtained her Master in Psychological medicine from University Malaya and Fellow in Old Age Psychiatry from the University of Western Australia, Perth. She started the ‘Memory Clinics’ in University Malaya Medical Centre in 2004 and in Hospital Ipoh during 2006. Prof. Dr. Esther is the Chairperson of the Dementia Society Perak since 2010. She started the first Dementia Daycare Centre in Perak state on 2012. She is well known for her work on dementia and currently working on the ‘Ipoh Model of Care for Dementia’. She is instrumental in building Malaysia’s first purpose built BebeLEC day centre for People with Dementia. Her dream is to build a Dementia Specific Residential Home. She is also an EXCO member of the Alzheimer’s disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM). She had published many articles and invited speaker for many occasions nationwide and in overseas conferences. Prof. Dr. Esther is actively involved as Principal Investigator in many researches and clinical trials with new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other psychiatric disorders.

DR ESTHER G EBENEZER Prof. Psychiatry at UniKL Royal College of Medicine Perak, Malaysia

Dr Balu is a medical Doctor and a Consultant Psychiatrist in Central London working both in the National Health Service, United Kingdom and Private Practice. Voted as the “Doctor of the year 2018”, by the readers of Asian Voice in the United Kingdom, he is well known for his holistic mental, emotional and behavioural health work focused on reducing the impact in common mental health problems on the functioning of individuals and groups. Dr Balu had the privilege of studying and working with some of the most accomplished entrepreneurial minds in information technology, media, real estate, sports and business. He developed an interest in Organisational behaviour and the impact of emotions on decision making in the financial services industry. He retains a keen interest in the field of neuro-economics and behavioural finance. During his work within the Investment Management sector, he was able to help several professionals successfully overcome anxiety, anger, fear, procrastination, obsessional tendencies and addictions. He observed a clear positive change and emotional wellbeing in teams he was working with. He has expertise in working with high achievers and people with Type A personalities helping them achieve their full potential while minimising the impact of their emotional problems on their work and family life. His treatment approach is holistic, tailored to individual needs working in collaboration with his clients, whom he believes are the experts in their own condition. Dr Balu is committed to helping his clients achieve their full potential and enjoy a state of physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual wellness. His other interests include the use of technology in improving access to healthcare, integrated physical and mental health care and promotion of health and wellness. Dr Balu is a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK, American Psychiatric Association, and the USA. He completed his MBA from the University of Oxford.

DR BALU Consultant - Psychiatrist, London

EDUCATION AND TRAINING INTERNAL MEDICINE RESIDENCY 2021 - John H. Stroger Hospital Of Cook County, Chicago, Illinois BACHELOR OF MEDICINE AND BACHELOR OF SURGERY ( M.B.B.S.) 2014 - The Tamilnadu Dr. M. G. R University, Madras Medical College, India MEMBERSHIP Member of AHIMA and AMIA; Member of Society of Hospital medicine.; Member of American Board of lifestyle medicine EXPERIENCE CLEVELAND CLINIC - MAIN CAMPUS - Ohio, Cleveland - Clinical Rotation 2017 MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE - Miami, Florida - Clinical Rotation DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH - Tamilnadu, India - Medical Officer 2015 - 2017 Delivered outpatient medical care for Leprosy patients in 2015; I worked in a secondary care hospital for outpatient and inpatient medical practice in a flood-affected village in early 2016; In late 2016 worked in outpatient and inpatient medical care in a secondary care hospital for Dengue epidemic control; Duties include independent management of infectious disease, chronic medical conditions.

PUBLICATIONS • Imaging in Vaping-associated Lung Injury - Beyond the Haze - Journal of Addiction medicine • "Your airway is dilated": A case of presumed Mounier-Kuhn syndrome in an urban tertiary care center - American college of Physicians

DR NAVEEN PRASATH BASKARAN Associate Professor of Medicine University of Florida

• Evaluation of Ferritin and Transferrin Ratio as a Prognostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma • Prognostic value of right ventricular dysfunction in submissive pulmonary embolism. CHEST Journal

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