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I’m a 20-year-old female currently pursuing my Bachelor’s degree. While everything seems fine with my studies and life in general, I can’t shake the feeling of unhappiness. I would say I’m only 10 percent happy, and within that 10 percent, my parents and my boyfriend bring me joy. I’m struggling to pinpoint the exact cause of my unhappi. Please help me.

Answered by Rishav Koirala, psychiatrist and researcher

As a 20-year-old female pursuing your Bachelor’s degree, your persistent unhappiness is a matter of concern, and it’s important to recognize that multiple factors can contribute to this state. First,we need to find out whether it is natural or pathological (related to illness). If there are major negative ongoing events in one’s life, feeling of sadness is common. But we tend to overcome such sadness with time. If these symptoms are present without any major reason, then mood disorders such as dysthymia, and depression and adjustment disorders can be potential contributors to your unhappiness. Dysthymia, often referred to as persistent depressive disorder feeling, is characterized by chronic feelings of sadness and hopelessness that persist for at least two years or longer. While it may be less severe than major depression, dysthymia can still significantly impact your daily life and overall happiness. On the other hand, depression is a mood disorder marked by intense feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Depression can be episodic or chronic and can significantly affect one’s ability to function in daily life.

Academic stress is another factor worth exploring in your situation. Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree can be demanding, with the pressures of coursework, exams, and future career expectations. It’s advisable to discuss your academic concerns with an academic advisor or counselor who can offer guidance and strategies for managing your workload more effectively.

Moreover, it’s crucial to evaluate your overall lifestyle. Are you getting enough sleep, maintaining a balanced diet, and engaging in regular physical activity? Neglecting these basic self-care practices can have a considerable impact on your mood and contribute to feelings of unhappiness. Sleep problems, in particular, can manifest in various ways, including difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep for long hours, waking up too early, or experiencing poor sleep quality. These disturbances can disrupt your sleep cycle, leading to fatigue, irritability, and mood changes during the day. Sometimes, sleep disturbances may even serve as a symptom of underlying mental health conditions or stressors.

Regarding the duration of your condition, it’s important to note that it can vary widely depending on the specific issues involved. Mental health concerns like unhappiness, depression, or anxiety can have varying durations and trajectories. While some individuals may experience relatively short episodes, others may deal with these issues for more extended periods. To gain a deeper understanding of your specific situation, it’s essential to consider the possibility of underlying emotional or psychological factors. A licensed mental health professional can be instrumental in helping you explore these factors further and identify any underlying issues or traumas that might be contributing to your unhappiness. Consulting with such a professional can be a crucial step toward improving your overall well-being and finding effective strategies for addressing the root causes of your discontent.

Skin care is just as important as taking care of oral hygiene. Nowadays, people are relying more on social media beauty influencers who promote beauty and skin care products which sometimes can be rather misleading due to differences in skin types. Doing so may lead to allergies, rashes, irritation, and other skin problems. Therefore, it is crucial to treat your skin with skin experts instead of somebody you know.

Ami Pradhan is a consultant dermatologist in Healthy Choice Clinic at Baluwatar. She has been counseling and helping her clients with their skin problems. Babita Shrestha interviewed Pradhan about better practices to keep your skin healthy.

What are the key factors contributing to overall skin health? What basic steps should it include?

First and foremost, healthy skin means a healthy body and lifestyle. For that, you should have nutritious food,  a stress free mind, exercise and healthy sleep patterns. To work precisely on skin health, the first basic steps are cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection. In order to keep skin healthy, you must follow a daily skin care routine. In case you have sensitive skin, skin care is mandatory otherwise you may face severe skin problems. 

What role does diet and nutrition play in maintaining healthy skin?

A healthy, balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants can enhance your skin. You can nourish your skin even more by avoiding drugs, smoking, drinking alcohol, and aerated beverages. Be mindful of  keeping your body hydrated because when you keep your body healthy, your skin naturally gets healthier. So, for hydration, it's better if you drink 2-3 liters of water per day. 

What are your recommendations for sunscreen use for different skin types?

If you look at the tube of sunscreen, you can find sun protection factors ranging from SPF 30 to SPF 50+. Your use must be at least SPF 30. Additionally, you can check Ultraviolet A Radiation (UVA) and Ultraviolet B Radiation (UVB) spectra. The best sunscreen to use is broad spectrum because it blocks both UVA and UVB rays. These days, people are frequently exposed to mobile devices, laptops, and computers. For this, you can also find blue light and infrared light sunscreen. 

In addition, it is very crucial to use sunscreen based on your skin type. If you have oily skin, it’s better to use gel form and for dry skin, you can use cream form while for normal skin, lotion is recommended. Your skin will look better if your sunscreen suits your skin type. For the fact, the sunscreen can only last for 3-4 hours, so reapplication is very important. Nowadays, you have sunscreen sticks available in the market, which is quite handy to re-apply. Moreover, using the right portion of sunscreen is vital for healthy skin. According to medical research, 30 ml is required for the whole body. But it's impossible to measure everyday life. So, I recommend you to use the two finger rule to measure the amount.

Are there any ways to identify one’s skin type?

First, wash your face, and don’t apply any cream for one hour. Later you can check the sensation in your skin. If you feel rough and tight, it goes on the dry side and if you see oil in your T-zone including forehead, nose, chin and cheeks, it’s the oily skin. For combination skin type you may find both oily and dry sides. Sometimes, the hormonal cycle may also affect your skin type, especially in females. During the menstrual cycle, most of the time you have oily skin. It’s because of the production of sebum which is why you have skin breakouts. Besides, your skin type might change according to weather, age and some medication you take.

Are there common mistakes about skin care?

There are many. First one is the use of Glutathione IV tablets to make skin look fairer, which is not true. Glutathione is an antioxidant which boosts immunity in the process it helps skin. But it does not work for skin whitening. Secondly, it's about the use of Vitamin C serum for glowing skin. And another mistake is manipulating pimples in an unhealthy way. I highly recommend you not to do so as it will take a longer period to heal the scar. Not just that, later you might have a risk of infection. In case if you have to, do it in a very sterile way and if it is severe, it's better to seek professional help. 

How can one choose appropriate skin care products?

For dry skin it’s better to use cleanser instead of face wash while moisturizer and sunscreen can be used in cream form. As for oily skin, face wash is always a better option and you can use gel form moisturizer and sunscreen. While choosing serum, you can look out for hyaluronic acid serum which helps in retaining moisture. But if you have acne prone skin, niacinamide and salicylic acid is better in case of oily skin. For combination skin you can use any depending on your skin type. Also, there are other specific serums which you can use as per your concern.

What are some signs of skin problems?

I highly recommend visiting a professional if you have any irritation and discomfort in skin. Because sometimes a simple mole can turn into cancer. In case your mole is changing its size, color and texture, it’s better to seek skin expert help because with biopsy, they can figure out if it’s just benign or malignant.

What are the potential risks and benefits of various skincare treatments?

Skincare treatment makes your skin healthy and in good conditions. But before that, you should know that skin should be well prepared prior to any medical procedures. For instance, if you are doing peeling or laser therapy, your skin must be sun protected and  moisturized. If not,  then you may have side effects and healing may take time. And even after, if you don’t take proper basic skin care, darker marks might appear in the skin. Therefore,  treatments and basic skin care should go hand in hand to avoid any skin complications.

What skincare adjustments as you grow older?

As you age, your collagen starts depleting which results in signs of aging like wrinkles, puffy eyes and sagging. There is a skin turn over process, meaning our skin forms from the inner side and exfoliates the outer cell. This mostly occurs in teenagers every month  as a result their skin looks fresh. With your aging, the duration of cell time elongates which makes your skin dull and you lose plumpness. You can’t stop aging but can make your skin healthy using anti-aging ingredients using retinol and Vitamin C serum. You can try Micro-needling, which is considered one of the best skin procedures.There is also the option of Botox, which is only a preventive procedure for wrinkles as you have to periodically do it within 3-4 months.

I had come to see off my 84-year-old uncle, who uses a wheelchair at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. He was flying to New Delhi. We had chosen to fly him with India’s premier airline, Vistara, which prides itself on its joint ownership by two iconic brands, TATA and Singapore Airlines. Not to leave anything to chance, his son booked him on Business Class.

Kathmandu airport has two business lounges—the one managed by Radisson Hotel is a 20-odd-step climb on the first floor. There are no elevators. Soaltee Hotel operates the second lounge, which is on the ground floor. While the airline had booked a wheelchair for my uncle, it invited him to the first-floor lounge as it only had an agreement with the Radisson lounge. Forty minutes of discussion with three staff levels later, Vistara finally agreed to make an exception and allow him to the ground floor lounge. Had I not persevered, my uncle would have been denied using a lounge he was entitled to because of his age and disability.

The Nepal office of the otherwise outstanding Vistara had not used the prism of disability and aging when deciding to make an exclusive contract with one lounge, while other international airlines operating out of Kathmandu hedge their bets and let passengers choose a lounge. Making policies and guidelines on disability and aging requires complex multidimensional advocacy and leadership communication. Ideally, the organizations would have an aging and disability focal point that would be empowered enough to examine all client-facing decisions of the organization through the aging and disability lens. The Human Resources heads need to ensure that in their induction programs, disability and aging are featured in the curricula.

Clearly-articulated leadership communication on a company's commitment to creating inclusive products is a must and needs to be frequently repeated. There are, of course, trailblazers–Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, has spoken publicly about his commitment to making Microsoft products and services accessible to everyone. He believes that people with disabilities can significantly contribute to the workplace. Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, has said that her firm is committed to creating a culture of equality where everyone can advance and thrive and making its products and services accessible.

Soon, more airlines and airport operators will realize the economic imperative of using the aging lens in business decisions. WHO predicts that the number of people aged 65 years and older will increase from 1bn in 2020 to 1.6 billion in 2050. Also, the number of older adults who travel internationally will increase from 100m in 2015 to 260m in 2030. Growing up, I have known my uncle as a confident person whose wit and swift decision-making always got him out of any tight spot. He has been a sportsman for the better part of his life. However, with age, I see irreversible changes, which make airports and flights a challenge, especially when traveling alone.

Airports can be large and complex, with long distances, confusing signage and crowds. Elderly passengers may have difficulty finding their way around, especially if unfamiliar with the airport. Trust in the person pushing your wheelchair is critical for not getting an anxiety attack. A pleasant surprise was the Special Assistance staff at Delhi’s IGIA airport. The gentleman pushing the wheelchair was experienced in dealing with elderly passengers and showed patience and compassion at every stage of the journey. This highlights the importance of appropriately recruiting and training staff dealing with elderly passengers.

Airlines must understand the challenges elderly passengers face to provide them with the best possible experience. Luckily, there are global best practices that go beyond the standard priority boarding, wheelchair assistance, and special seating. Japanese airports have several features that make them more accessible for elderly passengers, such as clear and concise signage, elevators and escalators throughout the airport, and accessible restrooms. The UK government has a program called the ‘Passenger Assistance Request Service (PARS)’, which allows passengers to request assistance with tasks such as boarding and disembarking the plane, using the restroom, and managing their luggage. The United States has many laws and regulations in place to protect the rights of elderly and disabled passengers. For example, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) requires airlines to provide reasonable accommodation to passengers with disabilities. The ACAA also prohibits airlines from discriminating against passengers with disabilities. This might be why Delta, United and American Airlines CEOs have often publicly committed to making their products friendly for older people.

It is important to note that the needs of elderly passengers can vary depending on their circumstances. Airports and Airlines should be prepared to work with elderly passengers to identify and address their individual needs and train their staff to deal with elderly passengers. This includes training on how to identify and address the needs of elderly passengers and provide them with the best possible service.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both recognize the importance of travel for older adults. Travel can allow older adults to stay active, learn new things and connect with loved ones. However, it is crucial for older adults to be aware of the challenges they may face when traveling and to take steps to mitigate those risks. 

Airplane manufacturers Airbus and Boeing are already working on several initiatives to make their aircraft more accessible to people with disabilities, such as wider aisles and more accessible lavatories. They are also working with airlines to create new training programs for flight attendants to assist passengers with disabilities. This is all great, however, for elderly passengers and those with disabilities, reaching the aircraft comfortably is the first challenge. It’s time for airlines and airports to put on the lenses of aging and disability and then up their game. 

The author is a global health diplomat-practitioner specializing in strategic partnerships, high-level advocacy, and strategic leadership communication 

The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip have launched an unprecedented, multifront attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets. Dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border at several locations, catching the country off-guard during a major holiday. Israel has reported at least 40 casualties while other international media say the death toll has reached 100.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was ‘at war’ and called for a mass mobilization of army reserves.

The Nepali government has strongly condemned the ‘terrorist attack’ in Israel that left nine Nepalis injured. “At this critical hour, we express our solidarity with the Government of Israel,” stated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Nepali government extended heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the people and Government of Israel, as well as to the victims of this cruel attack and their families. “We wish for a speedy recovery of the injured,” added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Nepali government received information that a farm where 14 Nepalis were working came under attack. Nine Nepalis have been reported injured, with two of them in serious condition.

The Embassy of Nepal in Israel is in close communication with the Nepalis living in the affected areas. The Embassy is also in contact and coordination with Israeli authorities to ensure the safety, security, and rescue of the Nepalis, as well as providing medical treatment for the injured, officials say.

Given the situation, Nepali nationals in Israel are urged to remain cautious and follow the safety measures advised by the authorities, the Ministry stated.

American President Joe Biden has strongly condemned the “appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza” and mentioned that he has spoken with Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu.

In a statement released by the White House, Biden conveyed to the Israeli leader that “we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Israeli government and the Israeli people”. Biden also emphasized that the Jewish state “has a right to defend itself and its people”. He warned against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation.

The president underscored that his administration’s support for Israel’s security is “rock solid and unwavering”.

Various other Western leaders also condemned the Hamas attack and expressed their support for Israel.

Contact

Nepal Embassy in Israel: +972(0)35168085

Amb Kanta Rizal: +972545864423

1st Secy Arjun Ghimire: +972528289300

Email: [email protected]