“Evaluate your mental status”- 26 February 2017.

D.S

Q. I cannot forget my friend, she had big eyes and I can see them in my night dreams. She was a very sweet girl and my friend for long time. She left me when she went to another city for college. She is bright and I am normal. She is a good girl and when my friends tell me she has left me, I do not believe them. I am feeling depressed and don’t feel like living. Please help me.

Ans. If your heart tells you that she has left you, then you are in trouble as you have an emotional trauma on hand and will have to deal with it. You will have to, not only believe it, but also accept it whole heartedly. There is no running away from the truth and that’s the reality. You seem to still love her and she may have fallen out of love with you and hence this situation. If you want to take an optimistic view, then I would suggest that you bear with her for some more time. I say this for she must be facing many different and difficult types of situations in a new city, new college, new atmosphere and new friends. All this needs a lot of emotional and social adjustment and she may be facing hardships. Also she may be forced to take help of people there locally which means new bonds of friendships get created. This is certainly not her fault. So, take one suggestion from me, continue to be her good friend without complaining, and continue to listen to her and her new experiences and she will love you for that understanding and you may win her back soon. It is a workable solution and please try it before you get otherwise thoughts and intentions.

T.M

Q. I’m a science student of std 11, and I am a bit confused about what to do after 12th. I had been firm about pursuing B.Sc in genetics, but now I am gathering that I was always interested in languages. I want to pursue etymology. Please guide me about the same (etymology) as a career.

Ans.  Etymology concerns the study of the origin of words and their meanings. It is part of linguistic studies and you would need to do your undergraduate programme in English or whatever language you are interested in, such as, Sanskrit, Hindi, Marathi etc, and then go for the post graduate course in linguistics /phonetics. Such courses are there at colleges and Universities in Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kerala and other states. JNU and AMU have good departments in linguistics and culture studies. It is a good discipline and very interesting but may not be as lucrative. If you happy being a lecturer and professor it can be a good career option.

P.M

Q. I am doing diploma in Spanish and I am 12th pass. I have taken a gap for medical exam but couldn’t crack it. Now I want to do my career in language so can you please guide me?

Ans. Language is always a good option but be clear as to what sort of a career you desire in languages. Would you be happy teaching Spanish and being a teacher all your life? Would you like to get into translations from Spanish to English or any other language? Languages also lead to careers in journalism and mass media, creative writing, content writing, corporate communications and more such jobs. You must be clear about your finer goals and passions before you make a choice. A half hearted approach will again lead to disappointment. A session of career guidance will help you.

P.K

Q. I am doing engineering and I am in second year of study. But now I am depressed and I am going to fail it seems. My parents expect me to do well but I know the facts. I think of running away and also of suicide. I know it is wrong but what to do? I sit down for studies but I am not able to do so after half hour of concentration. Please help.

Ans. Firstly, we need to identify the cause of loss of interest in your subjects. Is it that the subjects are too boring or too difficult to understand which means that your aptitude for engineering needs to be assessed. This would perhaps then mean making a switch in your course of study. If this is not the case then, secondly, we would need to identify the factors that are distracting you from studies and adding to your stress. Thirdly, we need to assess whether you are suffering from some level of depression /anxiety or any other symptoms that need to be addressed properly. Whatever it may be a thorough check-up will help us know the exact causes and then help you with remedies. If there is a problem there is a solution too. An evaluation is important.