Stress, burnout & anger management in Surat

Short bursts of stress can be useful — they sharpen focus before a deadline or exam. The problem is chronic stress: when demands never ease and the body’s alarm system stays switched on for months. It wears down sleep, mood, digestion, blood pressure and relationships.

Burnout is described by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It has three features: feeling drained and exhausted, feeling negative or distant about your work, and reduced effectiveness at work.

In a business city like Surat — with long hours in textiles, diamonds, trading, healthcare and IT — stress often appears as acidity, headaches, irritability and poor sleep long before anyone calls it a mental health issue.

Frequent anger is often stress, anxiety or depression in disguise — especially in men. Shouting, breaking things or regretting what you said, followed by guilt, is a sign to seek help, not a personality you have to live with.

• Anger management therapy teaches you to recognise early body signals, pause, and respond rather than react.
• Treating underlying sleep problems, anxiety, depression, alcohol use or ADHD often reduces anger dramatically.
• If anger has led to violence at home, help is needed urgently — for the safety of everyone involved.

Board exams, NEET, JEE and college entrance exams put enormous pressure on students and families. Some anxiety helps preparation; too much leads to blanking out, poor sleep, loss of appetite and hopelessness.

• Study in focused blocks of 45–50 minutes with short breaks
• Protect 7–8 hours of sleep, especially before exams
• Keep 30 minutes for physical activity every day
• Practise past papers under timed conditions to reduce fear
• Parents: praise effort, avoid comparisons with other children
• Watch for withdrawal, crying, not eating or talk of giving up

Dr. Ajmera works extensively with adolescents and young adults. See child & adolescent psychiatry.

• Stress symptoms have lasted more than a few weeks
• You can’t sleep, eat or concentrate properly
• You feel constantly low, anxious or hopeless
• You are drinking, smoking or using pills to cope
• Anger is damaging your relationships or work
• You have panic attacks or physical symptoms with normal tests

A psychiatrist will check whether stress has turned into an anxiety disorder, depression or a sleep problem, each of which has specific, effective treatment.

1. 1

   Understand your stress map

   Identify the main sources of pressure, your warning signs and what currently helps or makes things worse.

2. 2

   Psychotherapy and skills

   CBT and emotion-management techniques for worry, perfectionism and anger; problem-solving, boundary-setting and time-management skills.

3. 3

   Repair the basics

   Sleep, movement, regular meals and cutting down alcohol, nicotine and caffeine — small changes with large effects.

4. 4

   Medicines when needed

   If anxiety, depression or insomnia has developed, non-habit-forming medicines may be recommended for a period.

Dr. Ajmera also provides mental-health workshops and guidance for schools and companies. Learn about psychotherapy at the clinic.