Tuesday 21 July 2020

TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE !!


About the book

Mental health is a neglected area of our lives and there is an urgent need to recognize and remedy this. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an excellent, scientifically proven solution for both clinical and day to day psychological problems. However, access to a therapist may not always be possible or desired. Therefore, there is a need for resources that would enable one to use at least the basic CBT techniques by oneself. This book is an attempt to fill this void. Large, academic books on this topic exist, but may prove daunting to many. This book, therefore, has been deliberately written to be brief. The book also uses simple language and is written in a conversational style. The author is confident that it is going to be a truly useful self help book.

Thursday 23 February 2017

I KEEP GETTING THESE WEIRD & ABSURD THOUGHTS ONCE IN A WHILE, DOES THIS MEAN I HAVE OCD??

Hi friends,
                  First let us understand what OCD is.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD is a disorder characterized by obsessions, compulsions or both. An obsessive thought as described in psychiatry is quite different from the general usage of the word obsession in English. An obsessive thought is described as irrational and egodystonic (not in keeping with the person’s usual thinking style) besides being intrusive, excessive and repetitive. In other words, besides being preoccupied with something, it is also perceived as weird and strange. People can have obsessive images of some random object coming to their mind repetitively, seemingly serving no purpose. A lot of people have thoughts that they have not cleaned their hands/ house etc when they are aware that this is not the case. Many people have obsessive fears that they may cause harm to a near and dear one while in reality they do not want to do this at all.

A compulsion is something that is done in response to an obsession or something that is done in a ritualistic manner according to rigidly applied rules. For instance washing hands in response to the thought that hands are not clean; or, walking in a to and fro manner for a pre-designated number of times. Sometimes, the compulsions can be mental, that is, thinking of something to undo the effects of the obsessive thought.
Although both obsessions and compulsions are likely present in people suffering from OCD, it is possible to have isolated obsessions or compulsions only.

Now let us come to the question. If one has weird/ absurd thoughts once in a while, does this mean he/ she has OCD?

No! A lot of otherwise normal people can have an occasional thought/ act that would qualify to be called an obsession and/or compulsion. This is not considered as OCD and it is not necessary that they will progress to a full blown OCD. In fact, in a lot of people they probably won’t progress at all!

So when should one seek help? If one finds that these thoughts are progressing, taking a lot of time, interfering with daily activities or producing considerable distress, then they might warrant seeing an expert.

So that was what I had to discuss this time around. Please let me know if there is anything that you want me to discuss in particular, by typing in the comments section below.


So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert



Friday 27 January 2017

HOW IS COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY DIFFERENT FROM POSITIVE THINKING OR A FRIEND/ PARENT'S ADVICE??

Hi friends,
                    When familiarizing clients with the cognitive behavioral model of therapy, I often hear this remark ‘Oh! So basically you are asking me to think positively’.  Others get a bit more skeptical “Doctor, I have tried to think positive, but I can’t”. Still others say “So how is it special if it is to just think positive?”The fact of the matter is that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is not the same as positive thinking, although superficially it may seem so. So how is it different? Let’s find out!

The basic assumptions and principles of CBT have already been discussed earlier (http://drsathyaprakash.blogspot.in/2016/06/what-is-cognitive-behavioural-therapy.html). To highlight one such basic tenet, CBT believes in seeing reality as it is and without distorting it. In other words, CBT believes in realistic assessment of a situation and seeing the positive things as positive, neutral things as neutral and negative things as negative. Very often when one is having an emotional problem, neutral and potentially positive events are also seen as negative. Additionally, negative events are catastrophised so as to appear even more negative! In CBT when we say negative events are seen as negative, we mean that we don’t make it more negative than it already is. At the same time, unlike the generic principle of ‘positive thinking’, we don’t make a negative event positive either. Doing so would be making a fool out of ourselves! If a tiger is after you, if you try to imagine it is a cat, it will do you no good; but at the same time, if it is a cat and you are needlessly imagining it to be a tiger, then there is a problem! Thus CBT teaches you specific methods based on which one can identify maladaptive patterns of thinking, correct them and make this healthy thinking style part of one’s nature. In other words, it attempts to ‘cure’ a psychological condition.

Since the therapist is a neutral person, he/ she is not caught up in the emotional conflict; this is unlike a friend or a relative of the person suffering. Therefore, the therapist is able to provide rational solutions. Moreover, unlike a friend or parent’s advice, the therapist usually does not provide a direct answer, but facilitates the best utilization of the client’s own potential so that he/ she can reach the best possible solution. The therapist helps the client to recognize and steer clear of known traps in thinking style, avoid emotional decisions and so on.

Friends, these are just the general principles. When CBT is actually done, there are detailed techniques that will help one to put these principles to practice.

CBT IS DIFFERENT FROM JUST TALKING TO A NEUTRAL PERSON AND SHARING ONE’S FEELINGS, IT IS ABOUT ACTIVELY WORKING ON ONESELF SO THAT SIGNIFICANT AND REAL WORLD CHANGE IS POSSIBLE!

So that was what I had to discuss this time around. Please let me know if there is anything that you want me to discuss in particular, by typing in the comments section below.

So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert


Friday 23 December 2016

I AM ON MEDICINES FOR DEPRESSION, CAN I CONSUME ALCOHOL?

Hi friends,
                  One of the commonest questions that I am asked while treating clients is “Doctor, Is it okay to drink when I am on the medication?” Many others do not ask the question but assume that it is not okay. Therefore, they skip the dose of the medicine on the day they intend to drink. So what is the correct approach?

            Firstly, the term ‘psychiatric medicines’ or psychotropic agents refers to a wide group of chemical agents and therefore cannot really be taken as one group. So, there is no general answer to the above question; it really depends upon the specific medicine one is on. For convenience sake, let me divide the medicines into three groups.

            The first group of medicines is those that are popularly known as ‘sleeping pills’. Chemically, these medicines usually belong to the class of benzodiazepines (and related drugs). They are generally not recommended to be taken along with alcohol. They have several properties that are remarkably similar to alcohol itself. This implies that on taking them along with alcohol, their effects become supra-additive; resulting in extreme intoxication and potentially depressed functioning of the heart and lungs. This can occasionally even be fatal. Although a lot depends on the doses of alcohol and the benzodiazepine in question that is being taken, it would generally be considered unsafe to combine the two.

            The second group of medicines are those that are not generally regarded as ‘sleeping pills’ and whose primary use is something different, but they also have a significant sedative effect. A number of antidepressant and antipsychotic medicines can be considered under this category. Unlike the benzodiazepines, although these medicines are sedating, the characteristics are very much different from that of alcohol. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised while combining these medicines with alcohol. Excessive sedation may result and can be potentially dangerous in people who are already medically compromised.

            The third group consists of those medicines which have minimal to no sedating effects, and in any case, has effects that are qualitatively completely different from that of alcohol or benzodiazepines. They are generally safe with alcohol use. Missing a dose of this medicine in order to consume alcohol would be seen as a double whammy – the deleterious effects of alcohol plus the lack of protective effects of the medicine. A number of modern antidepressant and antipsychotic medicines belong to this category.

It is important to understand that alcohol (with or without the medicine) is generally detrimental in those suffering from psychiatric/ emotional problems of any kind. It might seemingly make one feel better in the immediate aftermath of drinking, but in the medium to long term (and in many even in the short term), it is likely to worsen the existing condition. So if you are worried about the interaction between alcohol and the medicine, skip the alcohol, not the medicine!

So that was what I had to discuss this time around. Please let me know if there is anything that you want me to discuss in particular, by typing in the comments section below.



So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert



Wednesday 23 November 2016

I AM A VERY SHY PERSON. IS THIS NORMAL? CAN THIS BE OVERCOME?

Hi friends,
               It is common knowledge that many of us are very outgoing while many of us are rather shy and like to stay to ourselves.  A small number are so shy that they cannot effectively carry out their jobs or enjoy life as they would have wanted to? So is this normal or abnormal? More importantly, is there a way to change it, and if yes, how? That is what we will be discussing today!
The extent of shyness varies from person to person - so too, the exact nature and cause. In a lot of people, shyness is their nature, a part of their personality, whereas in others, it is a psychological disorder. In still others, it is a combination of both a personality with a superimposed disorder. 

Let us consider the personality part first. (Read http://drsathyaprakash.blogspot.in/2016/08/what-are-different-personality-styles.html) Interestingly, a section of people who keep to themselves are not really keen on meeting others – they are quite happy with themselves and do not feel the need to meet others. This kind of personality is often called a schizoid personality. They may seem rather cold and unemotional to others, and often have few or no friends.  But then there is another section, who would want to be amongst others, want to go out but their anxiety and apprehension prevents them from doing so. The same anxiety often interferes with their academic, career and romantic pursuits. . This kind of personality is often termed as an anxious-avoidant personality.  This section of people often suffers a great deal without realizing that this aspect of their personality, although natural and common, can actually be changed and improved upon. 

Now for the disorder part; social phobia or social anxiety disorder is now gaining increasing attention by the day. People with this disorder are otherwise rather normal, but are plagued by marked anxiety in social situations. In the more severe instances, persons may be unable to talk even on phone or make simple conversations with people for daily needs. Unlike an anxious avoidant personality where the ‘symptoms’ have been present since childhood (and hence part of the nature), in case of a social anxiety disorder, there is often a change from one’s previous self. Such a change, many a time, is precipitated by an important or not so important incident. 

         But irrespective of the debate on what is normal and what is abnormal; what is a personality issue and what is a disorder, it is quite clear that a lot of people would want an improvement in this kind of a situation. So what are the options? Broadly, the options can be divided into medicines and non-medicine based strategies.

Medicines are useful only in the moderate to severe forms of social phobia and very severe forms of anxious avoidant personality disorders. Even in these scenarios, they need to be combined with other modalities such as psychotherapy.
      The non-medicine related aspects includes several strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, structuring of routine, relaxation exercises, regular exercise and yoga. In fact, it is often the combination of many of these medicine and non-medicine strategies that often works best.

Therefore the bottom-line is this: If one loves to be alone, does not want to change it, that is alright and fine. But if one is distressed and wants to change the scenario, it is quite possible. So don’t wait and suffer alone! Seek help and enjoy life!

So that was the discussion for this week friends. Hope you liked it!

Please let me know if you want me to discuss any specific issue by typing in the comments section below.



So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert





Friday 21 October 2016

ARE SLEEP MEDICINES SAFE? ARE THEY ADDICTIVE?

Hi friends,        

Medicines for sleep or ‘sleeping pills’ are viewed by different people in different ways. For a lot of people, sleeping pills mean tablets that are addictive and damage one’s organs such as kidney and liver. For others, taking them is a habit even though it may be harmful. Still others discount the presence of any harmful effects and use it. Yet another group of people might feel it as safe as long as it is prescribed and supervised by a qualified expert. So what is the reality? We shall discuss this today.

While the term ‘sleeping pill’ is often used to refer to any medicine that can put one to sleep, they are chemically very different and have different properties. The first thing to understand here is that medicines that induce sleep often have additional properties, which may be beneficial, or viewed as side effects. Depending upon these properties, certain medications may be primarily used for sleep while others, although inducing sleep, have primary effects that are used for some other purpose. Another way of looking at these medicines is to divide them in to two groups – addictive or habit-forming, and, non-addictive or non habit-forming.

Many classes of medicines can be classified under the heading of sleeping pills that are addictive. Usually, these medicines have additional actions like anti-anxiety and muscle relaxant effects. Some of the newer ones have an almost exclusive sleep effect. The duration of effect of these medicines varies from couple of hours to an entire day or even longer, facilitating selection based on the exact need. The older medicines were very dangerous in overdose, but the newer ones are far less so. But they are all addictive, some more and some less. This means that the following things are likely to happen on regular use: need to increase the dose periodically because of inadequate effect at the previous dose (tolerance); anxiety, sleeplessness and seizures (fits) on abrupt stoppage (withdrawal symptoms). Daytime sedation may lead to dulling of intellectual functioning, errors at work, accidents and falls, with their attendant implications. Because of this risk, these medicines should not ordinarily be used unless benefits clearly outweigh the risks. When they do need to be used, they are not recommended for more than 4-6 weeks.

Many medicines can be used for the purposes of inducing/ improving sleep and are not addictive. These medicines include certain antidepressants, antipsychotics and miscellaneous agents such as anti-histaminics (often used in the treatment of allergy/ common cold). They are often used in much lower doses than in cases of treatment of depression/ psychosis and must be used with caution, under the supervision of a qualified psychiatrist. They can also have certain side effects which can be minimized/ abolished with an expert prescription and supervision. Their biggest advantage is that they are not addictive and their additional antidepressant properties can be a boon, as sleep disturbances are often associated with stress.

Irrespective of the kind of medicine, they should only be used when their use is clearly warranted and the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. For most situations where sleep disturbance is temporary, medicines must not be used. In any case sleep hygiene measures (http://drsathyaprakash.blogspot.in/2016/06/how-to-get-good-nights-sleep.html) must first be instituted before medicines are tried.

So going back to the original question? Are medicines for sleep addictive? Some are, some are not. Are they safe? If they are properly prescribed and monitored, they are safe, but it is best to avoid the addictive ones as far as possible.

So that was the discussion for this week friends. Hope you liked it!

Please let me know if you want me to discuss any specific issue by typing in the comments section below.



So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert




Friday 30 September 2016

DEPRESSION: IS IT A CHEMICAL ABNORMALITY OR A REACTION TO LIFE SITUATIONS?

Hi friends,
                    One of the most commonly asked questions about psychological problems is about the nature of the condition that is called depression. The concept of depression as understood (or misunderstood) by many, varies from person to person. For many, depression represents a reaction to setbacks or tragedies in life, and therefore, cannot be set right until the problem is solved. (Well that is right, isn’t it? Well, not quite! We shall discuss this in a bit.) For others, these are to do with ‘chemical changes in the brain’. So what is depression really? How is it caused and what can make it better?

We all know that a wide range exists in people’s abilities to cope with a given situation. Thus while one person is able to cope with a huge tragedy without much distress, another person may breakdown under seemingly minor stress. So what is it that makes this difference? To take this a little further, some people can breakdown and go into depression with almost no stress at all! In other words, feeling sad although there is nothing to worry about! So how do we make sense of all this?

Well, let me put it this way – Depression is a condition characterized by certain symptoms (such as sustained low mood, lack of interest in pleasurable activities, pessimism, poor confidence, tendency to self harm), the exact nature and duration of which is defined by experts from time to time. Depression is best seen as a set of co-occurring symptoms, and at a superficial level, seem to be very similar in different people suffering from it. In reality though, depression varies from person to person. In the case of a situation where a person is depressed with no obvious source of stress in life, it is perhaps that an internal abnormality in the chemicals in the brain has occurred spontaneously (due to inherent errors like genetics). These chemical abnormalities ‘activate the parts of the brain that trigger feelings of sadness’, making the sufferer feel sad! In such cases, medicines are likely very effective, as they can reverse the chemical abnormalities.

          In other instances, depression emerges in the wake of a major tragedy (or any stress) that may be seen as causing certain changes in the brain. Thus, although medicines may be useful in this scenario, additional strategies such as counseling, in order to reduce the psychological impact of the tragedy and integrate it better, will be needed.

          Let us take the help of an analogy to understand this better. A person having really weak bones due to old age suffers a fracture, without any trauma (what is called a pathological fracture), as he was just walking on the road. Another person, a young man, breaks a bone in an accident. In the former situation, merely resting and plastering will not help much unless the problem of weak bones is rectified; because otherwise, a re-fracture is likely – as the problem is within! In the second case though, resting the affected part and plastering it to mitigate the effects of the trauma will be the main intervention.

In both cases, there is a fracture – in the former, it was a problem within, but in the latter, it was due to external trauma!

Between these two extreme descriptions, exist an entire spectrum of depressive conditions with causal contributions from both internal abnormalities as well as external sources of stress. Therefore, in the real world, a combination of medicines and counseling usually works best – Medicines correcting the internal abnormality, and therapy taking care of the handling and processing of external stressors.


                SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IN A SINGLE SENTENCE; DEPRESSION RESULTS FROM A COMBINATION OF FACTORS, INCLUDING (BUT NOT RESTRICTED TO), INHERENT/ INTERNAL VULNERABILITIES, EXTERNAL STRESSORS AND CHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE BRAIN, WITH THE AMOUNT OF CONTRIBUTION OF EACH FACTOR VARYING FROM PERSON TO PERSON!


So that was the discussion for this week friends. Hope you liked it!

Please let me know if you want me to discuss any specific issue by typing in the comments section below.


So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert



Wednesday 14 September 2016

MY PAIN IS REAL, BUT DOCTOR SAYS IT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??

Hi friends,
               
           When I see a client for the first time, I often get this question: “I came here for my chest pain and headache, not to see a psychiatrist! Do you think I am a ‘psychiatric patient’??”  The scenario often repeats itself with people presenting with a wide range of other symptoms such as body ache, leg pain, back pain, vomiting, fainting and so on. So what is this peculiar presentation? Can psychological problems present with physical symptoms? Does that mean that the pain is ‘not real’? Does it mean that the patient is ‘faking’ the symptom? Well, that is what we shall be discussing today.

            It is extremely common for a lot of people to have physical symptoms that do not have a medical disorder explaining it. This, however, does not mean that the symptoms are not real. It also does not mean that the patient is faking the symptom. Unfortunately, these symptoms are very often considered (and wrongly so) unreal, fake and ‘all in the head’ by laypersons and sometimes physicians too. Psychiatrists often receive referral from their medical colleagues for such complaints. So how do we make sense of this?

            Psychological problems very often present with physical symptoms. Without going into a detailed discussion and medical jargon, it suffices to say that physical symptoms may represent the only symptoms of a psychiatric condition, part of the symptom repertoire of conditions such as depression or may represent an exaggerated version of the symptoms of an underlying medical disorder.

                              So how can a psychological problem lead to a physical symptom?

Many people are unable to accurately identify and label their own emotional state. For instance, they may be sad, but be unable to acknowledge and identify that they are sad. All they can make out is that they are feeling uncomfortable and distressed. But when this distress needs to be conveyed, it often takes the form of physical sensations (eg. heaviness in the chest) that are associated with the sadness. In due course of time, excessive attention and magnification of these bodily sensations (heaviness in the chest) becomes a problematic symptom (pain in the chest) in itself. Similar explanations also hold true in situations where one is culturally not expected to show certain emotions and associated behaviors (men not expected to cry). So the distress gets expressed in physical terms. But here is the catch! All these processes are unconscious and the person is often not aware of it!

                   We are all familiar with the fact that when we are quite happy, pain does not bother us as much as it does when we are otherwise distressed or irritated. Thus, psychological problems interfere with, and often alter the perception of pain itself. This in turn results in non-painful sensations being perceived as pain or, mild pain being perceived as severe pain. Also, it is common knowledge that there is a large inter-individual variation in the tolerance to pain. While a soldier serving the nation in a war zone can withstand the pain of a gunshot wound, city dwellers may find it difficult to tolerate pain related to a thorn prick. What is considered a light touch by one person may feel like a deep pressure to another. What is considered pressure may be perceived as pain by another. Thus, the label given by the brain to an incoming sensation varies from individual to individual, and depends a lot on one’s genetics, upbringing, life experiences, demands of the situation and many other factors. Sometimes, physical symptoms provide the only available way of diverting one’s attention from unacceptable psychological distress/ conflict or handling guilt (physical problems explaining one’s inability to achieve goals set for himself and resultant shame/ guilt). Again, these processes are often unconscious!

            At a neurobiological level, all these processes are orchestrated by a wide array of chemical substances operating within and outside the brain. Medicines often correct these chemical abnormalities and provide relief from pain. Obviously, the regular pain killers are not effective in these scenarios!
Thus, the bottom-line is that it is not only possible but is also extremely common to see people having seemingly unexplained physical complaints that are actually part of a psychological problem.

THE PAIN IS REAL AND THE PERSON IS NOT DELIBERATELY FAKING IT. SUGGESTING THAT HE/ SHE IS FAKING IT WILL ONLY WORSEN THE CONDITION!

So the right approach is to look at these symptoms as a sign of distress and evaluate it in a non-judgmental manner. A judicious combination of psychotherapy and medicines often works best in these scenarios.

So that was the discussion for this week friends. Hope you liked it!
Please let me know if you want me to discuss any specific issue by typing in the comments section below.


So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert




Wednesday 7 September 2016

I AM ALWAYS TENSE, ANXIOUS AND WORRIED; IS THERE A SOLUTION TO THIS?

We all have a friend, relative or a colleague who is always tense and anxious! Ever wondered why is he/ she so anxious all the time? Or, is it that you are the one who is anxious and made fun of?   So what is this condition and how can we ‘solve’ it? Is this normal? This is the focus of discussion today.

            Being anxious sometimes is a good thing and helps us correct mistakes and prepare well for the future. However, when anxiety is present all the time, it is not such a good thing. Why? Because, being anxious all the time makes you feel bad and prevents you from enjoying life. It also impacts your physical health and can be detrimental to organs such as the heart. Additionally, being tense and worried all the time impairs your ability to concentrate, plan and solve the problem at hand, thereby defeating the whole purpose for which the nature probably designed anxiety for! And more the problems persist, more the anxiety – a vicious cycle that many find difficult to come out of!

            So what causes some people to be more anxious than others? Is it that their lives are more difficult than others? Well sometimes yes, but not always! So if there are no more problems, why this excessive worry? Let’s find out!

Broadly, we can view the problem to be related to two kinds of issues – one, personality style and two, psychological disorder.

Certain persons have a personality style that is prone to worry. It is not that they are suffering from a mental disorder that is making them anxious. It is just the way they have always been, since their childhood days! And why have they been that way since childhood? Genetics, family and cultural background, events in early childhood, chemical changes in the brain and so on. Personality styles characterized as anxious-avoidant, anankastic and paranoid are often prone to this kind of anxiety.

The second group of psychological disorders includes a wide range of anxiety and depressive disorders. Unlike personality styles, they often have a definite onset and sometimes a definite end point. In other words, there have been periods when the person is not so worried and periods when he/ she is markedly worried. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a well known disorder in this category. As the name suggests, the persons suffering from this disorder have worries related to multiple areas of life even though they sometimes recognize or have been told by others, that this anxiety is unwarranted.

SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

Let us consider the second group of psychological disorders first. This group is often treatable with medicines. A disorder implies a specific abnormality and hence the ability to correct the abnormality with medicines. Psychotherapy is also useful but tends to be used in those with milder symptoms.

The first group, i.e., problems associated with a personality style, is generally corrected, with psychotherapy. Medicines are generally not useful, except in very severe cases or in the presence of additional psychiatric complications. Can personality styles be changed or corrected? Yes, contrary to popular belief, it can be changed to a significant extent!


So that was it for this week friends! Hope you found it useful!

Please let me know if you want me to discuss any specific issue by typing in the comments section below.


So until next time, STAY HAPPY!


Dr. Sathya Prakash, MD, Dip. CBT

Consultant Psychiatrist, Psychotherapist and Behavioural Sciences Expert


About Me

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Dr. Prakash is a highly accomplished mental health expert with qualifications from both Indian and western universities. He is a gold medalist from the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He is a winner of several national and international awards. Besides treating patients he has a keen research interest and has published over 50 research papers in national and international journals. He is frequently present at scientific conferences in India and overseas where he has made numerous presentations. LYBRATE.COM/DR.SATHYAPRAKASH