Every adversity is an opportunity to learn and therefore giving up is not the answer. 

A new research from the University of Portsmouth in the UK has found that people can die simply because theyve given up, life has even beaten them, and they feel defeat is inescapable to them. The study is the first to describe the clinical markers for give-up-itis, a term used to describe what is known medically as psychogenic death. It usually follows a trauma from which a person thinks there is no escape, making death seem like the only rational outcome.

Although not akin to depression, the act of giving up on life and dying usually within days is a very real condition often linked to severe trauma. There are five stages leading to progressive psychological decline. Research indicates that give-up-itis could stem from a change in a frontal-subcortical circuit of the brain governing how a person maintains goal-directed behaviour.

The five stages of ‘give-up-itis’ are social withdrawal, apathy, aboulia (severe lack of motivation psychic akinesia (profound apathy) and psychogenic death.

Giving up is not the answer. Youngsters today are prone to get dejected by the smallest of sufferings. It is important to be self-motivated.

According to Hinduism, the very fact we are born means that in our last life, we did not get liberation or Moksha. It also means that some sufferings in our last birth remained. Therefore, the purpose of this birth is to face those sufferings. When the purpose of our life is to face sufferings, why suffer from them? They should be considered as ‘sukh’ and not ‘dukh’. As per Vedic literature, every adversity is an opportunity to learn or to do something different.”

The four notable principles of Buddhism also talk about the same. The first is that suffering exists, second that there is a reason for every suffering and third that it is possible to neutralize the suffering by understanding the 8 paths of cessation of suffering.

Remember that in every ‘dukh’ you think of ‘sukh’ and in every ‘sukh’ you think of a ‘dukh’. Positive thinking produces nearly a 30% drop in perception of pain. Next time you have a problem, think differently and learn to enjoy them. One should learn to disassociate from, both, external pain as well as pleasure, and only then can one acquire true internal happiness.”

Just as photon is the smallest unit of light and quantum is the smallest unit of energy, Qualia is the smallest unit of thought. Quantum teleportation is the transportation of quantum information via the phenomenon of entanglement. At the level of quantum, consciousness is the extreme parasympathetic state of mind or Samadhi. Those engaging in activities such as music and dance are able to achieve a parasympathetic state of mind.

The 25th Perfect Health Mela 2018 will explore some of these concepts during the cultural conclaves and programmes.

Celebrating its silver jubilee this year, the Mela will be held from 23rd to 27th October at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania   (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Immediate Past National President IMA