disobedient child

My seven-year-old son has become very disobedient and throws tantrums at the slightest pretext. He is very boisterous and restless and his school teachers find it very difficult to manage him. He is quite intelligent but does not achieve results reflecting his abilities. He frequently gets into fights and most of his friends refuse to play with him. What can I do?

You can improve discipline by making a plan which encourages positive behaviour. At first, for one week, keep a diary of the inciden-ts where he has thrown tantrums. Record it in an A-B-C format; they are Antecedents (what led to the tantrum), Behaviour (describe the tantrum) and Consequences (how it ended; for example, did he get what he wanted, or did you manage to control or distract him?). This will give you a picture of the situations under which he is at his worst, and you will have to devise creative methods to deal with those situations. One of the many options to manage temper tantr-um is to make a weekly contract with your child. Tell him that if he is well-mannered, he will be rewarded. Rewards does not necessarily involve money. They can be extra play time or a bedtime story or anything which makes sure he is getting positive attention from you. Review progress every week and modify the contract periodically. This will make him learn that there are positive consequen-ces of behaving well, and lead to a reduction of tantrums. If these measures don’t work, see a paediatrician or a child psychiatrist.

alzheimer’s risk

My 78-year-old father has Alzhei-mer’s disease. I am 47, but worried that I may inherit the ailment. Is there any way I can prevent it?

The older you get, the more likely you are to get Alzheimer’s. Also, there’s a strong case that heredity plays a role in your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. But by no means it is inevitable that you too will be affected. Recent research has shown that just as exercise helps your heart stay healthy, your brain benefits from mental activities; reading and playing board games, playing musical instruments, and doing puzzles lower the risk of being affected by dementia. There is a possibility that high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and sedentary habits slowly wear down the brain, so preventing or tackling those conditions can help in prevention of the Alzheimer’s.

diet obsession

My 19-year-old daughter is excessively worried about her weight and obsessed with dieting. She is slim and attractive, but she has now become very morose and is suffering from from low self-esteem. Please suggest a remedy.

It seems your daughter has bulimia nervosa. It is a form of eating disorder and a type of psychiatric illness which affects more women than men. Like anorexics, people with bulimia suffer from an exaggerated fear of becoming fat. They usually manage to keep their weight within limits. Your daughter, too, succeeds in it, because although she tries to lose weight by making herself sick or heavy exercising, she must also be binge eating. Bulimia nervosa has effective treatment. Psychotherapy and drugs work well in controlling not only its symptoms but also addresses the underlying conflicts which cause the condition. Please get in touch with a psychiatrist who has experience in dealing with eating disorder.

jealous husband

My husband is extremely suspicious that I am having affairs with other men. I have tried hard to allay his fear, but nothing has worked. What should I do?

Your husband appears to have delusions of infidelity. He could be suffering from either schizophrenia or a condition known as delusional disorder. Both these conditions are psychiatric illnesses which disturb a person’s thinking, feeling and behaviour. Effective treatment of schizophrenia involves a number of approaches, but medication is essential, which is most effective if given early in the disease. You should consult a psychiatrist for your husband as effective treatment for these conditions are readily available.