*Parth Shastri* *January 22, 2011*
*AHMEDABAD*: Asha, 31, is a woman living in an extended family in Ahmedabad where her daily duties include looking after around 20 members' needs. She is a regular at a physiotherapy clinic where she complaints of aches in every joint. When doctors could not cure her with routine therapy, they dug deeper and were surprised to find she was actually suffering from depression that had aggravated her conditions. When many believe that the immune system of the human body functions independently, new research by psychologists has thrown light on how the mind affects body unknowingly. On the second day of the national conference of clinical psychologists, a number of research papers were presented by the participants and practitioners. Dr K B Kumar from Sweekar Academy, Secunderabad, was a guest speaker on psychoneuroimmunology. "The word is not as heavy as it sounds. We all encounter it on a regular basis when we see that a person who is in depression is more prone to illnesses or trauma than a normal person. Thus, the science that involves principles of psychology and neuroscience to understand immune system is a new discipline. We have conducted a number of experiments and have got to know the correlation between the two systems," said Dr Kumar. The immune response is often called the sickness response because it triggers a series of physiological and behavioral changes, including fever, changes in liver metabolism, reduced food and water intake, reduced exploration and increased anxiety. On the other hand, said researchers, if the person is in better mental health, researchers have found improvement in their physical health. "The bottomline is, if you want to be healthy, you not only take care of your body but also mind," said Dr Kumar. The psychologists also presented papers on subjects of psychotherapy, community mental health, forensic psychology and clinical psychology. The conference will conclude on Sunday. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Your-mind-affects-your-immune-system-Experts/articleshow/7343929.cms -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
