DEV Community: Preetinder Kaur

A Review of 'Misunderstood': Insights into Mental Health Literature

Preetinder Kaur — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:20:52 +0000

‘Misunderstood’ delves into various aspects of mantal wellness, addressing topics such as stress, anxiety, depression and ADHD. The writer, Sree Krishna Seelam employes a blend of personal and real-life stories. Each chapter is structured to not only inform but also to engage readers in reflective exercises encouraging them to apply the concept to their own lives.

The author explains why having a good mental health is as important as physical health. Physical health can be seen by others and hence proper diagnosis can be done before it’s too late, but on the same hand mental health is unseen, people suffering from mental health issues fight with their own thoughts and develops a phobia of being judged, if they share their emotions.

One out of eight people in the world suffer from mental health issues. An experiment was done in United States by David Rosenhan, a renowned psychiatrist in 1973. The motive of doing the experiment was to analyse whether the patients were being diagnosed properly or not.

The outcomes were quite the opposite than expected, patients were misunderstood by the doctors and given wrong medications and therapies. Mental health is not static, it is dynamic just like an ECG machine, depending upon what level of problem an individual is facing and how to overcomes that situation.

People having weak mental health drown into their conflicting thoughts unable to find an escape and eventually harming themselves. Everybody has faced anxiety and stress over something, some overcome and some don’t.

Beyond theoretical knowledge, Misunderstood offers practical tools for readers to implement in their daily lives. Each chapter includes mental exercises, writing prompts, and daily actions designed to promote mental wellness. This hands-on approach empowers individuals to take proactive steps in managing their mental health, fostering a sense of agency and control.

The author shares the story of his two friends who gave upon life, they used to behave normally, nobody could even think what they we going through, though deep down inside both of them wanted to be heard, wanted someone who could help them, but when they weren’t able to fight with their demons, both of them ended up their own lives.

The grief of losing your loved ones stays till one’s grave.

It’s not just a book, it is a movement towards greater empathy, understanding and support for mental health.

‘Misunderstood’ is available for free download on Amazon.

Why Mental Health Education Should Be a School Requirement

Preetinder Kaur — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:14:29 +0000

For years, there have been warnings about a growing mental health crisis among India’s youth. Now, official data confirms the scale of the problem. According to experts, behind every percentage point is a young person overwhelmed by academic stress, toxic work environments, relationship issues, or financial instability.

How poor mental health leads to suicide in India?

Isolation- The main cause of suicide is isolation, many people who suffer from mental health have a phobia of being judged if they share their thoughts, and when the thoughts are not shared it leads to pessimistic thoughts.

Financial Stress- Unemployment, debt, and economic instability are major causes of despair. People overwhelmed by financial burdens may feel trapped, leading some to see suicide as their only option.

Academic Pressure- Students facing high parental expectations and fear of failure often experience intense anxiety and depression, which may lead to suicide attempts, especially during exam periods.

Lack of Awareness- In India, over 80% of people with mental disorders don’t receive treatment. Without proper therapy or medication, untreated depression and anxiety worsen and can lead to suicidal behavior.

Youth Suicides- Alarmingly, suicide is the leading cause of death in India among people aged 18–30. The combination of societal pressure, mental health issues, academic stress, and lack of support creates a dangerous situation for many young individuals.

Why Mental Health Education should be mandatory in India?

Breaking the Social Stigma around Mental Illness- Mental health is widely misunderstood in India, many of them believe that mental illness is a personal weakness. This leads to discrimination and isolation.

Mandatory education in schools, universities and workplaces will help normalize conversations and treat mental health like physical health.

Timely Intervention- A large number of mental disorders go unnoticed until they become severe because people do not recognize the early warnings due to lack of awareness.

Mental health education teaches students and adults to identify signs of distress.

Helps in Building Coping Mechanism and Resilience-

Indian students face immense pressure:
Academic performance
Parental expectations
Peer competition
Social media comparison

Mental health education provides practical strategies for emotional regulation, mindfulness, problem-solving, and positive thinking.

Reduced Suicide Rates in India- Suicide is currently the leading cause of death among Indian youth (ages 18–30).
In 2022 alone, over 1.7 lakh suicides were recorded in India.

Most young people facing depression or academic stress don’t realize they can get help or even talk about their feelings. Mental health education raises awareness about available help lines, counseling centers, and online resources. It creates a safety net by encouraging students to talk to teachers, counselors, or friends instead of suffering in silence.

Call to Action

The Indian Government should-

Integrate mental health education into the national curriculum at school and college levels.

Train teachers, parents, and community leaders to be mental health first responders.

Launch nationwide awareness campaigns promoting mental well-being as a fundamental right.

Ensure accessible, affordable mental health services in every district.

Make a change just by signing a petition, it will save lives of millions of people and lead to a better future.

Petition · India: The Suicide Capital of the World - Mandate Mental Health Education in Schools - India · Change.org

India: The Suicide Capital of the World - Mandate Mental Health Education in Schools

change.org

How WeDidIt Empowers Individuals and Strengthens Communities

Preetinder Kaur — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:06:40 +0000

A non-profit organization started during pandemic back in March 2020 with a mission to leave this planet a better place than it was before we arrived.

Since 2020, Sree Krishna Seelam, the founder of this organization and a well-known writer for self-help books has been consistently working on most of the major issues on the earth. Volunteering everyone despite of their ages to unite and make a change in this society.

Goals
The goals are inspired by the UN framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

No Poverty
Zero Hunger
Good Health and Well-being
Quality Education
Gender Equality
Clean Water and Sanitation
Affordable and Clean Energy
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Reducing Inequality
Responsible Consumption and Production
Climate Action

Today, WeDidIt is actively participating to encourage people to start sharing their love towards humanity and inculcating a habit of service in young minds and grooming further leaders of the world. Providing every individual to volunteer in serving the society, saving environment and lessen poverty.

If you want to give back to your community, check out their website-

wedidit.in

Middle Men Asia: Leading Nonprofit Efforts for Justice

Preetinder Kaur — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:00:24 +0000

Since its inception in December 2024, Middlemen Asia plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between individuals and the judiciary. Their mission is to eliminate exploitation by middlemen who act as unnecessary intermediaries in process related to government services, legal aids, welfare schemes.

The Founder, Sree Krishna Seelam is driven by deep passion of social equity with strong commitment to empowering communities. He established the organisation to fight against exploitation and corruption occurs during legal works.

Organisation works on-

Expose Corruption and Exploitation
Identifying corrupt activities where people charge illegal fees or manipulate processes to exploit the underprivileged. The organisation helps filling an FIR within an hour without taking any charges.

Raising Awareness- Focusing on educating societies about their rights and how to approach the justice system independently and safely.

Provide Direct Support- Helping individuals bypass exploitative by offering direct assistance in accessing government services, legal helps and social schemes.

Offer Legal Aid and Counseling- Providing free legal guidance, representation and support to those affected by injustice.

Hassle Free Communication- Facilitate direct, transparent interaction between clients and lawyers.

Client Protection and Advocacy- Assist clients and lawyers in negotiating terms and get the legal contracts in place.

Public Advocacy- Sree Krishna Seelam initiated a nationwide petition urging the Supreme Court of India to mandate health education in schools, aiming to address the mental health crisis among youth and promote early intervention and awareness.

For more information, visit

Middle Men Asia

Making justice accessible, affordable, and transparent for every citizen of India, like never before.

middlemen.asia

5 Killer Habits- Be A Rebel; Book Review

Preetinder Kaur — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:53:00 +0000

Introduction

We all have been taught about good and bad things from our childhoods by our parents and teachers. The book contains very basic day-to-day life experiences that talks about how five habits can change our lives and change the way of pursuing things. A self-help, motivational and non- fictional "5 Killer Habits- Be A Rebel” by Sree Krishna Seelam was published in 2021 with a motive for a change in society.

Significance of the Book

Promotes Self- Development- The book teaches habits that encourage personal growth, self- discipline, and ways to achieve success.
Optimistic Mindset- Each habit focuses on empowering thoughts, stay self- motivated, confident and optimistic in challenging situation.
Boosts Productivity- Having a positive mindset leads to increase in productivity, by applying habits mentioned in the book like staying curious, being a rebel, pursuing multiple goals, use time judiciously and avoid procrastination.
Encourages Creativity- One of the habit, “Dromomaniac” encourage readers to be an explorer and welcome opportunities and ideas than to stay confined in a routine life.
Enhancing Critical and Analytical Thought Process- The book helps you develop the habit of questioning the status quo, approaching problems from new angles and thinking from various perspectives.

Overview of the 5 Killer Habits

Habit 1: Arise, Awake and Kickass

“Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” We have been hearing this line since our childhoods. Ever thought that how deep these lines are? A person should atleast take seven hours of sleep daily, going to bed early and waking up early. A study shows that people who wake up early, before sunrise tend to perform better in life, and achieve success because mind is fresh and works optimistically in the dawn time.

The author wants to shake off laziness in today’s generation and wants to make them understand to use their young and creative minds in something fruitful. Be an educated person, work for the welfare of the society and most importantly eat healthy and sleep well.

Most of the Indians suffer from diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. We are the only ones who are responsible for ruining our health. Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly will reduce the chances of getting caught by these chronic diseases.

Habit 2: Be a Hero

Who is a hero? Someone who prioritizes others before himself. We all can be heroes, helping others is not difficult at all, all we need is enthusiasm for that. Joining an NGO is the first step towards being a hero.

Lots of patients die just because there is no donor of blood and organs. Be a donor, be a hero. Blood and organs can save lots of lives daily. We all are heroes, nature has gifted us the ability to help others we just need to learn how to use it.

Habit 3: Dromomaniac

Someone who is driven by an urge to move, explore and break away from the comfort zones. He tells us about his experiences in life and how solo trips have changed his way of thinking, analyses, and interpretation of different situations in life. He starts the chapter with a very beautiful example and then later on linking it with his personal experiences.

We come across different situations in our lives, daily. With growing demands of human needs, we all are forgetting our priorities. Every person is running after money as if it’s the only way to survive, but that’s not true at all. Taking a break from this vicious cycle is necessary for increasing productivity in professional life.

We all our living in the time where people don’t live for their own self, they live for others in order to seek external validations and hence, run after materialistic things, which does not bring any good. We all need to change the purpose of our lives, the purpose of living life should be to stay optimistic, spending time with family and friends, be a good human being and helping others. Experiencing this helps us realise that life is much greater than the narrow limits we often place on it.

Habit 4: Live a 100 Lives

Be passionate about reading as it gives us a privilege of living 100 lives in one life because he interprets a situation from all the possible angles, which helps in brainstorming and helps to maintain a strong mindset which cannot be influenced by external means.

People who read eventually become more intelligent and have high IQ because they take their own decisions in any minor to major problems. A reader can dive into many characters in life- a student, a teacher, a traveler, a writer and what not, understanding everyone’s perspective.
Hence, reading is essential part of life, because it leads to greater success than just being financially strong.

Habit 5: Stay Curious

Being curious about any matter, having ‘How’, ‘Why’ and ‘What if’ questions in mind and digging deep to the conclusion is only possible if the individual has curiosity build within themselves.

Curious people read, observe and analyse constantly because they do not believe the words said by others until and unless they come to the conclusion themselves after exploring.

Curious people achieve success early in life because they have the ability and energy to try new opportunities and have enthusiasm to ace it.

Powerful Approach of 5 Killer Habits

Stands out for its practical and actionable advice, making it easy for readers to implement the habits in their daily lives without getting lost in complicated theories. One of its biggest strengths is its strong focus on mindset transformation, encouraging readers to shift from limiting beliefs to empowering ones. Rather than merely providing productivity hacks, the book emphasizes developing a positive, proactive attitude that leads to lasting change.

It also promotes creativity and exploration, motivating readers to stay curious and pursue their dreams instead of settling into routine life.
The use of real-life examples and relatable stories makes the concepts more tangible, helping readers understand how these habits work in practice. Another key strength is its balanced approach, focusing not only on professional success but also on personal development, emotional strength, and self-awareness.

The book’s tone is highly motivational, empowering readers to take responsibility for their growth and challenge societal norms. Importantly, it emphasizes consistency over perfection, teaching that small, consistent actions compound into meaningful results over time. Overall, "5 Killer Habits" succeeds in offering an inspiring and realistic roadmap to self-improvement by combining practical steps with a mindset shift that drives action.

Conclusion

The book “5 Killer Habits- Be A Rebel”, teaches us five good habits essential for humans. Adopting healthy habits such as eating balanced diet, exercising regularly and taking adequate amount of sleep are some basics to achieve success. Being someone who help others, they help themselves. Staying curious leads to young mind forever.
Ultimately, encouraging and spreading awareness about blood and organ donations and how it contributes to welfare of society.