Dr Pubali Chaudhuri, Neuro- psychiatrist

06/02/2026

🩺Risks of Online Gaming: A Psychiatrist Perspective🧠
The Ghaziabad Tragedy is just a chilling reminder of the consequences of Online Gaming.

🩺From a practicing Psychiatrist in a Tier 1 city in India , Online Gaming cases are on the rise in our population and clinics.

👉The biggest practical challenges are that Online Gaming & Internet Addiction cases:

●present late, being undetected for months or years
●have severe symptomatology at presentation
●have a component of denial
●often have poor treatment response
●recurrent patterns of remission & relapse
●academic consequences, peer pressure, bullying, school drop outs as add ons during presentation.

🩺Such cases are often the most resistant and difficult to treat in clinical practice.
Online games often go from innocent to life threatening sneakily under the noses of parents and teachers.

✅️The ones that reach a Psychiatrist for treatment are often the lucky ones- just the tip of the iceberg.
👉If you are a parent or teacher reading this do consider early interventions and proper Psychiatric evaluation.

The 2 hours of Gaming after school turns into 12 hours very soon- eventually taking over the person's thoughts, emotions and reality.

🏥Often such cases require hospitalization, digital detox and combined efforts from the home + school environment to get such kids back to 'real life'.

It's not a mental health issue, it's a matter of life & death.

For Professional psychiatric consultation contact 089101 48593
Dr Pubali Chaudhuri Psychiatrist

04/02/2026

📖Delighted to share that my piece on "Reflections of an Early Career Psychiatrist (ECP) on completing 5 years of Clinical Practice" has been published in The ECP
newsletter Issue 1, 2026 of World Psychiatric Association (WPA) where I share my experiences on navigating the practice of Psychiatry as an early career professional.

My heartfelt thanks to World Psychiatric Association Ecps Section for this opportunity.

Please share with early career mental health professionals figuring out their unique career trajectory and do feel free to share your thoughts.

20/01/2026

🧠Stigma surrounding Mental Health still affects treatment seeking behaviour in India today- making mental health awareness and advocacy extremely relevant. 🩺

There is a pertinent need for mental health discussions to step out of hospitals, clinics and conferences into our homes, schools and offices.

Here's a podcast on Internet Addiction, Excessive Screen time and Loneliness in the modern Digital age - focusing on how it affects our brain longterm.

Video in Bengali, for public awareness.
Do share with someone who's been engrossed with their phone lately. Health Inside

https://youtu.be/pz2gE4pddrg?si=-MERJ8RNHugH29VL

For Professional psychiatric consultation contact 089101 48593
Dr Pubali Chaudhuri Neuro-Psychiatrist


https://youtu.be/pz2gE4pddrg?si=-MERJ8RNHugH29VL

একাকিত্ব কীভাবে মানসিকভাবে বিধ্বস্ত করছে? একাকিত্ব দূর করার উপায় কি? How to overcome Loneline...

14/01/2026

🧠"Psychiatry is an OPD subject" is one of the biggest myths.
Psychiatry is a core medical speciality with emergencies & the need for admission, inpatient treatment & 24 hour monitoring.

👉This is particularly relevant in Addiction Psychiatry- where we manage Acute crisis, relapse & detoxification in an inpatient setting.

Thank you to Alpha Rehab Centre for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this enlightening program .

🩺If you know anyone suffering from Addiction, do Consult a Psychiatrist at the earliest for evidence based treatment & real results.
Dr Pubali Chaudhuri Neuro-Psychiatrist
089101 48593

08/01/2026

🧠Burnout is not a motivation problem — it’s a medical one.🩺

As a psychiatrist, I often meet high-performing professionals who believe they’ve “lost their drive.”
They haven’t.

✔️Burnout reflects neurobiological exhaustion, not laziness or lack of ambition.

✔️Chronic stress disrupts the brain systems responsible for focus, emotional regulation, sleep, and reward processing. This is why motivation doesn’t return after time off, rest feels unrefreshing, and simple tasks feel overwhelming.

If motivation were the issue, incentives or encouragement would work.
They don’t.

Because burnout alters how the brain responds to effort and stress.

Telling someone to “push harder” in this state is like asking a person with pneumonia to run — it worsens the condition.

Burnout requires 👉early recognition, clinical evaluation, and psychological support, not pep talks.

✅️Until we treat burnout as a health condition rather than a performance flaw, individuals and organizations will continue to pay the cost.

✅️Mental health at work is not about resilience alone — it’s about timely, evidence-based care.
If your productivity has dropped or you feel overwhelmed maybe it's your Nervous System asking for help.

For Professional psychiatric consultation contact 089101 48593
Dr Pubali Chaudhuri Neuro-Psychiatrist Kolkata

25/12/2025

✨️Christmas- a celebration all over the world welcomed with so much mirth & fervour.

❄️And yet festivals like Christmas often bring back memories of trauma, abuse, insults and fights for a lot of our patients.

❄️Christmas for them often represented their most vulnerable moments- when family gatherings meant slights, insults and backhanded compliments or being forced to see the 'abuser' because they are 'family'.

Life happens.
People grow and evolve.
And yet often the trauma remains - somewhere deep within ,masked by the busy-ness of 'normal' days.

If you feel festivals are tough for you, know you are not alone.

You can work through trauma.
You can work through triggers, avoidance and escapism.
You can make Christmas 'Merry'🎄

Merry Christmas everyone.🎅🎄❄️

For Professional psychiatric consultation contact 089101 48593
Dr Pubali Chaudhuri
Psychiatrist
Kolkata

11/12/2025

🧠Although we as clinicians focus a lot on internet addiction in adolescents and young adults, it is being increasingly observed and often neglected in older adults & geriatric population. For psychiatrists, this population presents unique vulnerabilities, clinical presentations, and treatment challenges.

📲A few of my patients over age 60 have routinely been complaining of insomnia. While delving into the causes, I've found late night phone scrolling till 1-2am as often being the main culprit.

🧓👵 Why Elderly Individuals May Be Vulnerable
a. Loneliness and Social Isolation- Many older adults experience reduced social networks due to retirement, bereavement, or limited mobility. The internet—especially social media, messaging apps, and online gaming—can become a readily available substitute for social contact.

b. Cognitive Changes-Mild cognitive impairment or early dementia can impair impulse control and decision-making, making some individuals more prone to compulsive online behaviors.

c. Chronic Medical Conditions-Elderly adults often spend more time at home due to health limitations. The internet becomes a primary source of entertainment and engagement.

d. Lack of Digital Literacy-Paradoxically, limited understanding of technology can lead to:
* overuse of specific platforms
* susceptibility to scams
* difficulty self-regulating online time

🩺 Clinical Presentation
Internet addiction in older adults may not resemble classic “gaming disorder.” Instead, psychiatrists more often see:
🚩Behavioral patterns:
* Excessive time spent on social media, shopping apps, news sites or YouTube
* Compulsive online gambling or stock trading
* Repeated checking of messages or notifications
* Preoccupation with online interactions

🚩Functional impairments
* Neglect of physical health (missed meals, poor sleep, reduced activity)
* Withdrawal from real-world social activities
* Financial strain due to online purchases or scams
* Increased anxiety when unable to access the internet

🚩Associated psychiatric symptoms:
* Depression
* Anxiety disorders
* Adjustment disorder, often after a life change (retirement, loss of spouse)
* Insomnia

✅️Prevention
* Encouraging healthy daily routines post-retirement
* Promoting social connection and community involvement
* Educating about safe and balanced internet use
* Routine screening for mood disorders, grief, and cognitive impairment.

🩺It's time to seek professional psychiatric treatment for excessive screentime in older adults.
Dr Pubali Chaudhuri Neuro-Psychiatrist Kolkata 089101 089101 48593

06/12/2025

🩺How to boost Serotonin levels naturally?🧠
A question often asked by my patients explained in Bengali.

Do share with someone who wants to know more about mental health & wellness.
Health Inside
https://youtu.be/CnGWL9SZLkQ?si=M8RhzDqZQuma6GcK

সেরোটিনিন বাড়ানোর ঘরোয়া উপায় | ডিপ্রেশন প্রতিরোধের উপায় | How to increase serotonin levels naturall...

23/10/2025

A video on Dementia Prevention in Bengali Health Inside
Share with the elders around you.
Let's work together to keep our 🧠 young.

For Professional psychiatric consultation WhatsApp message on 89101 48593

https://youtu.be/vgfuK5LUDG0?si=mf2Xi692xiZ2kGQN

ডিমেনশিয়া প্রতিরোধের উপায় কি? ভুলে যাওয়ার রোগ হলে কি করণীয়? How to Prevent DementiaDr. Pubali...

20/10/2025

🪔Lighting the Way to Mental Wellness this Diwali✨️
As we celebrate the triumph of light over darkness this Diwali, let's shine a light on an important issue that affects so many people - mental illness. Mental illness is still shrouded in stigma, preventing many from seeking help.

🧠Let's change this narrative. Let's talk about mental health, just like we talk about physical health. Let's encourage each other to seek help when needed, without fear of judgment.

🫥As a psychiatrist, I've seen firsthand the impact of stigma on individuals and families with untreated symptoms spanning decades and generations.

✅️But I've also seen the power of medication, therapy, family support , compassion, understanding, and timely intervention.

✨️This Diwali, let's pledge to:
- Break the silence around mental health
- Foster empathy and understanding
- Support those struggling with mental illness

Together, lets create a society where mental health is prioritized and supported.

12/10/2025

🎤Honoured to be Invited as Speaker on "Vortioxetine- A Game-changer" by IPS West Bengal in association with East Zone IPS and CEZIPS 2025 as part of a CME to celebrate World Mental Health Day 2025.

🩺As a Clinician an opportunity to go back to the books feels like a welcome change indeed. And the best part is learning from the stalwarts in the field.🧠