is also a career counsellor elaborating on the situation dr pulkit sharma a clinical psychologist in new delhi says that there are too many triggers today pressure isolation and imbalance in life he names a few adding though there are people around you everyone is a target for some kind of gain to each other6 must know signs of depressionis someone you know depressedidentifying early symptoms can go a long way in helping a person overcome depression surprisingly these are the signs we usually ignore or take very lightly sudden weight loss or gain and a disinterest in working meeting or talking to people psychologist salma gives us examples if these symptoms manifest dr vasudeo recommends physical exercise rest proper diet worklife balance and meditation as therapy but only for the very early symptoms he cautions adding that it is mandatory to seek professional help at the earliestmental illness can drive one to suicide drugspatients of depression can develop a disinterest in life itself forcing them to react drastically and even attempt suicide while this was earlier a criminal offence the government has acknowledged that around six to seven per cent of our population is suffering from some form of mental illness hence earlier this month the rajya sabha passed the the mental health care bill 2013 treating those who attempt suicide as patients of a mental illness until proven otherwisecounselling goes onlinetelephonic and online counselling have become the first choice of patients who like their anonymity but while these have connected people in rural areas with professional help experts share reservations about the methods part of counselling has to do with reading the patients facial cues ajanta informs us and dr pulkit adds but if you must go for online sessions give priority to a video counselling service like skype or facetimethe genetic linkmedical professionals have found that mental health issues can be hereditary but this genetic influence is only partially responsible for depression there are different kinds of depression and some of them can be genetically transmitted for instance bipolar disorder can be transmitted through genetics shares dr vijay genetic links to depression are currently being researched across the worldalter your lifestyle advise expertsyouve definitely heard enough about eating healthy and following fitness regimens but thats not enough to ensure mental health say doctors recommending a few lifestyle changesbe less greedy identify whether you are chasing a need or a desirepartying hard regularly can lead to addiction dont let it become a coping methodtake at least two days in a month for a technology fastpractice mindful meditation and learn to breathe properly your stomach should swell when you breathe in and contract when you breathe outcuddling a professiondid you know that professional cuddling is a business in new york this is one of the many new services that are cropping up across the world to help people deal with isolation and loneliness and with home counselling already in its nascent stage in india what does the future