The pressure on journalists is intense and breaking news syndrome has taken a toll not just on news but also journalists, psychiatrist C.R .Chandrashekar has said.
He was speaking at an interaction programme on the topic, Stress management for Journalists, organised by Shadakshari Swamy Diggaonkar Trust in Kalaburagi on Tuesday.
Dr. Chandrashekar gave an insight into the mental challenges faced by journalists in day-to-day life. He asked whether the newsroom managers understand the psychological issues, stress and distress faced by journalists.
Dr. Chandrashekar said that apart from dealing with stress and depression, there are other challenges too. There is also the fear of losing jobs. The psychiatrist gave tips for coping with stress at work and to mitigate stress-induced symptoms. He suggested practising Yoga which contributes to overall well-being. Relaxing activities such as meditation can help keep the mind calm.
Sharing his experience of the time post COVID-19, Dr. Chandrashekar said that people have gone under depression due to many reasons such as personal loss which often triggered depression, loss of job and death of a family member.
“Using alcohol or other drugs to improve your mood is especially risky because addictive substances often intensify pre-existing mood or personality problems,” he said. He asked people to engage themselves in interesting activities which may contribute to mental health and happiness.
Criticising the present education system, the psychiatrist said that the present curriculum lacks topics on mental health and health education.
