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I am a 21-year-old student who was diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder when I was 17. I was given medication to treat my depression. But last year, I quit my medication without consulting my psychiatrist. I feel like I am doing fine and I am mentally stable. I fear that my psychiatrist will get angry with me if I tell her that I quit my medication. But at the same time, I also need an expert to tell me that I am indeed fine. What should I do?—A confused patient 

Answer by Kapil Sharma, Counseling Psychologist, Hudec Nepal

The first thing you need to understand is that your psychiatrist is there to help you, not judge you. Your doctor will not be angry at you. She is there to guide you. There are many cases of patients quitting medication without any consultation. Chances are your psychiatrist may have had the experience of cases like this before. 

You should also understand that the fear of her getting angry is an imaginary scenario that you have created in your mind. Again, know that your doctor is there to help you.

Second, every doctor wants their patients to be happy and healthy. It is the same in your case. You being better is the main goal, for both you and your doctor. If quitting medication has made you feel better, then your psychiatrist will definitely address that. 

But sometimes while we think we are doing fine, something inside us might be going wrong. So it is necessary for you to visit a professional and get a legitimate diagnosis. It is the only way to determine whether you are actually doing fine. 

Feeling good and being healthy are two different things. Sometimes when we feel good about our mental health, we might still not be healthy. That’s why professional diagnosis is essential.

In case the diagnosis is positive, then that’s great. But if it turns out to be negative, there is no need to panic as well. Sometimes we slip off and we pull ourselves back again. The doctor will give you necessary suggestions, will resume the required medication if you need it, and with a bit of time, you will regain your mental health. No matter what happens, your psychiatrist will always be on your side, as both of you have the same goal—your mental wellbeing. 

Coming back to your fear of angering your doctor, if you are unable to move on from this fear, you can always consult a new psychiatrist. You might feel the new psychiatrist does not know your history. That is alright. In some cases, a patient’s mental health history is not necessary. Also, you can always share your history with your new doctor. 

I still suggest you visit your psychiatrist to gain more clarity on what to do next. If you cannot, you can always go to a new one. 

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chief Whip Dev Gurung has demanded that the government postpone the US visit of Chief of Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Taking part in the ongoing discussion on the budget at the Parliament, the Maoist leader said that the visit would not be appropriate now considering security sensitivities.

“CoAS Sharma and Prime Minister Deuba’s visit is not necessary,” he said, adding, “I would like to request CoAS Sharma and Prime Minister Deuba to postpone the visit keeping in view of the national security sensitivities.”

Even if the visit is not postponed, there should be no agreement including State Strategy Partnership, he said.

Saying that the US is mounting pressure on the SSP, he stressed on the need to move ahead only through all-party and national consensus while signing any agreement.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Naresh Bikram Dhakal as the ambassador to Qatar.

Bhandari appointed Dhakal to the post on the recommendation council of ministers in accordance with Article 282 of the Constitution.

Earlier on April 8, the government had recommended 20 people for appointment as ambassadors of Nepal to various countries.

Two persons died after being struck by a lightning at Madhuban in Bode Basain Municipality-3, Saptari.

The deceased have been identified as Ram Ji Yadav (56) and Satya Narayan Yadav (60). 

Inspector Balister Singh of the Area Police Office,  Kadarbona said that the incident occurred when they had gone to graze the cattle.

The Indian rupee hit a record low against the US dollar on Thursday as the relentless surge in global crude oil prices raised concerns about a sustained rise in imported inflation, while choppy domestic shares also hurt, Reuters reported.

The partially convertible rupee was trading at 77.79/80 per dollar after touching a record low of 77.81. The previous low of 77.7975 was touched on May 17.

"There is possibly some bit of dollar selling by the central bank that is there, but they can only prevent day to day volatility, the direction for the rupee is clearly lower," a senior trader at a foreign bank said.

The central bank has time and again reiterated that it only intervenes to arrest extreme volatility in the currency but does not target any specific levels.

Traders said the rupee could eventually weaken towards 79/dollar levels by end of fiscal year 2022/23 but the fall could be accelerated by firm crude oil prices, according to Reuters.

Oil prices held firm near 13-week highs on Thursday after China reported stronger-than-expected exports in May, although new Shanghai lockdown restrictions capped gains.

India imports nearly 85% of its oil requirements and high crude tends to push up domestic inflation while also widening the country's trade and current account deficits.

Indian shares extended losses to a fifth session as investors worried that aggressive policy tightening by central banks could stifle global economic growth. 

RBI raised its key repo rate by 50 basis points on Wednesday.

Foreign funds have sold stocks worth more than $23 billion so far in 2022 while they are net sellers of $2.1 billion in debt, Reuters reported.

Bearish bets on Asian currencies eased on signs that China's economic pain may abate with the relaxation of COVID-19 curbs, but analysts were still wary of future lockdowns and the direction of U.S. monetary policy, a Reuters poll last week showed.

"Further depreciation in the rupee will be seen if levels around 77.80 start to be breached consistently. This will open targets of 78.25 for the rupee," currency analysts at Emkay Global wrote in a note, according to Reuters.

British tourist Richard McSorley walked past a stinking heap of garbage in Nepal's capital Kathmandu on Thursday, reminiscing the much cleaner temple-studded city he had visited decades ago for the first time, Reuters reported.

"If I was a new tourist I would be disgusted," the 48-year-old told Reuters, pointing to a pile of trash by the side of a street in Kathmandu, where the government is keen to draw more tourists after the country's cash-strapped economy was battered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For weeks, proper disposal of waste has become a chronic problem in the hill-ringed city after attempts to dump garbage in a small landfill site at a village outside Kathmandu was met with resistance from local residents.

Biswas Dhungana, a protester at the dumping site in Bancharedanda, said villagers would not allow trucks loaded with trash to enter, alleging authorities had done little to provide infrastructure and manage garbage.

"We have been forced to live like pigs in yucky conditions for several years as the government has not done anything to keep the village clean," Dhungana told Reuters.

On Wednesday, hundreds of villagers including women and children erected a barrier of rocks on the road to Bancharedanda and forced about 200 trucks laden with Kathmandu's garbage to return without dumping their load, according to Reuters.

The protesters pelted stones from hill tops injuring three police personnel, who fired tear gas shells to break up the protests, three witnesses said.

Sunil Lamsal, an official overseeing the handling of the Kathmandu's trash, said he was working to address the concerns raised by Bancharedanda residents as soon as possible.

"We are coordinating with the protesters and will invite them for talks to resolve the problem," Lamsal said.

But the trash piles on Kathmandu's streets are steadily growing, adding to the angst of residents.

"I am fed up with the authorities who can't even keep the city clean," Kathmandu resident Laloo Magar said. "It is a shame... a disgrace."

Nepal reported 22 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 1, 655 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 12 returned positive. Likewise, 1, 098 people underwent antigen tests, of which 10 were tested positive.

The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours. The Ministry said that nine infected people recovered from the disease.

As of today, there are 112 active cases in the country.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 17. 64 points to close at 2,062.80 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 4. 01 points to close at 396. 36 points.

A total of 4,156,104 units of the shares of 229 companies were traded for Rs 1. 47 billion.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 2. 93 trillion.