Mental Health is still fighting for its rightful place in mainstream healthcare. Only a handful of professionals choose to lead with expertise and empathy. Among those comes a highly regarded Psychiatrist in Delhi, Dr. Vijay Pathak. He is renowned not just for his clinical excellence, but also for the trust and comfort he inspires in his patients.
Dr. Pathak is an expert in adult psychiatry (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders), child and adolescent psychiatry (especially ADHD), de-addiction, and community psychiatry. He has a strong background in many areas, like neuroscience, psychopharmacology, psychopathology, psychological therapies, and research.
In our conversation with him, we explored his insights on myths associated with mental health and talked about how he hopes for a society that better supports mental well-being.
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People don’t think twice before visiting a doctor for a physical illness, but when it comes to mental health, there’s still hesitation. Why is that?
The World Health Organization defines health as a complete state of physical, mental, and social well-being. But we only pay attention to what we can see, and that’s where the problem begins. We often ignore mental health. Many serious health issues, like migraines or anxiety, aren’t visible. Similarly, feelings like sadness, stress, or being overwhelmed are often brushed off as “normal” or “just a phase.” This leads to denial. Mental illness is still seen as something to be ashamed of. People fear being judged or labeled.
Access to treatment is also a challenge. In medical education and hospital systems, mental health hasn’t been a top priority for years, not in training, not in faculty development.
Then, cost becomes another barrier for many. Sadly, even cinema and TV have often misrepresented mental health by showing exaggerated or incorrect portrayals, which confuses people even more.
There are two broad categories to Mental Health: Mental Disorders, which affect about 10–15% of the population (like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.), and the other category is Mental Distress. This is something which everyone experiences at some point: stress from work, marriage, relationships, financial issues, or even climate anxiety.
By understanding these differences and improving awareness regarding mental health, we can take a big step toward better mental well-being for all.
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What is the impact of technology on mental health? What digital habits should we avoid?
Through our phones, we get instant entertainment, validation, and a constant stream of content, which gives us a temporary sense of joy or satisfaction. In many ways, mobile phones have become a legal and unlimited drug.
Technology is created to improve our lives, but like everything else, it comes with its disadvantages. When it comes to mental health, the downside is becoming more visible. Social media, in particular, has done a lot of damage. It often creates unrealistic comparisons, fuels anxiety, and sometimes even worsens feelings of loneliness or low self-worth.
Another issue is how we consume information online. Medical information, especially related to mental health, is often half-baked or misleading. People start self-diagnosing or panicking based on what they read on the internet.
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Nowadays, the term OCD is being used too frequently, even by people who don’t have it. Why?
There are two reasons for this. First, some people who feel a certain kind of awkwardness use the term to justify their behavior. They feel they might be judged, so they say it to protect themselves.
Second, some people have OCD in reality. It is a real disorder, and it definitely needs treatment.
There are several myths around OCD:
Myth 1: OCD only means handwashing or touching things repeatedly. This is a myth. In actuality, OCD can include intrusive thoughts, aggressive mental images, obsession with symmetry, fear of harming others, or constant checking.
Myth 2: People with OCD are “crazy”, but in reality, it is a mental health disorder.
Myth 3: OCD is just a bit of nervousness or tension. The truth is, it involves persistent, unwanted thoughts and compulsive behaviours that interfere with daily life.
Myth 4: OCD cannot be cured. It’s not true. OCD is manageable with proper treatment.
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What is anxiety? At what level, it become a concern? How is it different from depression?
What we often do is confuse routine sadness with depression. But we are all born with certain emotions. For example, anger is not the problem; the way you express it is what matters. Envy is also an emotion; you can either get inspired by it or feel jealous. In the same way, sadness is a natural emotion. You might feel it when someone close to you is unwell, but that doesn’t mean it’s depression.
When we talk about treatment, it’s either clinical depression or high-level mental distress. Clinical depression includes three main signs: deep sadness, exhaustion, and loss of interest in things.
As for anxiety, we should not confuse it with simple worry. Don’t label nervousness as anxiety. Anxiety has different types and levels. That’s why it’s important to use the right vocabulary and understand what each term really means.
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Any tips and tricks that you would like to share that can help us take care of our mental health.
Two key things: access and balance. You can’t have good mental health without a healthy body, and you can’t have a healthy body without a healthy heart.
For young people, especially, three things are important: An occupation or cash flow for daily sustenance, Something that takes care of the physical body, and Something that nurtures the emotional self (the heart).
Once your basic needs are fulfilled, don’t keep doing the same things at the same level. Learn to pause, reflect, and grow. Whenever you feel that your basic necessities are fulfilled so stop doing the same things at the same level.
Get good sleep, make healthy choices, eat well, and spend time with friends. Most importantly, remember that all of us have a species-specific programming, certain behaviours that are naturally built in. Humans need about 8 hours of sleep regularly, but many people are missing this these days. We also need a balanced diet. In the end, discipline in life is very important. It can solve most of the major problems we face.
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