Neurobiological Oscillations: The Clinical Science of Bipolar Affective Disorder
By Dr. Parag Sharma In popular vernacular, the term “bipolar” has been heavily diluted, often incorrectly used to describe normal emotional lability or transient mood swings. However, in psychiatric practice, Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) is recognized not as a psychological quirk, but as a severe, highly heritable neurobiological illness characterized by profound dysregulation of the […]
The Death of a Thousand Cuts: 10 Silent Habits Eroding Our Mental Health
By Dr. Parag Sharma In my psychiatric practice, I often remind patients that our mental health is rarely dismantled overnight by a single, catastrophic event. More often, it is eroded by the “death of a thousand cuts”—the daily, deeply normalized micro-habits that slowly and silently dysregulate our nervous systems. In modern, urban India, our lifestyles […]
The Therapy of Solitude: The Neuroscience Behind Why You Need a Solo Trip
By Dr. Parag Sharma In the Indian cultural context, we are deeply conditioned to exist in collectives. We travel with our families, we vacation with our college friends, and we plan corporate offsites with our colleagues. The idea of packing a bag and traveling completely alone is often met with confusion or concern by our […]
When Forgetting Becomes Pathological: Distinguishing Normal Aging from Dementia in the Indian Household
By Dr. Parag Sharma If you are in your late 30s or 40s, you are likely navigating the most demanding decade of your life. You are raising your own children, peaking in your career, and simultaneously watching your parents—the pillars of your family—begin to age. Inevitably, there comes a moment that stops you in your […]
The Tragedy of “Wasted Potential”: Understanding Undiagnosed ADHD and the Myth of the Lazy Student
By Dr. Parag Sharma Every week in my Mohali clinic, I meet brilliant, capable adults in their 30s and 40s who carry a deep, quiet shame. They are the individuals whose report cards from twenty years ago all shared the exact same teacher’s remark: “Highly intelligent, but careless. Has so much potential, if only they […]
Debugging the Sutta Break: The Neuroscience of Quitting in Bangalore’s Hustle Culture
By Dr. Parag Sharma If you work anywhere between the Outer Ring Road and Koramangala, the scene is identical: it is 4:00 PM, your screen is a mess of Slack notifications and pending Jira tickets, and the only logical escape is stepping outside the AC-sealed glass building for a cutting chai and a sutta. For […]
The Silent Epidemic: Decoding the High Rates of Depression Among Corporate Men in Northern India
By Dr. Parag Sharma If you look at the LinkedIn feeds of men working in the corporate hubs of Delhi NCR, Gurugram, or Chandigarh, you see a curated highlight reel of success: promotions, luxury cars, and aggressive networking. But in the privacy of my psychiatric clinic in Mohali, a very different, deeply concerning reality unfolds. […]
The Heavy Burden We Ignore: Understanding Young-Onset Obesity as a Mental Health Crisis
By Dr. Parag Sharma When a child or teenager walks into my psychiatric clinic in Mohali dealing with severe anxiety or depression, one of the first things I observe is their physical health. Increasingly, I am seeing a parallel epidemic that society fundamentally misunderstands: Young-Onset Obesity. In India, when we see an overweight child, the […]
The Empathy Gap: Why Educated Indians Still Choose ‘Magic Cures’ Over Medicine
By Dr. Parag Sharma It is a paradox we frequently witness in urban India. A 35-year-old corporate executive, equipped with a smartphone and a high-speed internet connection, will meticulously research the specs of a new car, yet trust a chronic medical condition to an unqualified faith healer, a self-proclaimed baba, or a local quack. In […]
The Silent Struggle: Decoding the Science and Psychology of Erectile Dysfunction in Modern Marriages
By Dr. Parag Sharma In the quiet confines of my psychiatric practice, one of the most deeply guarded secrets a couple can bring into the room is the husband’s struggle with Erectile Dysfunction (ED). For the modern, educated Indian woman—juggling career, marriage, and family in high-stress environments like Delhi NCR—this issue often arrives wrapped in […]