Dr Sarthak Dave

What is Misattribution of Arousal?

Misattribution of arousal is a very interesting psychological phenomenon in which the mind wrongly assigns the source of an emotional or physical reaction. The problem arises when the mind interprets arousal caused by a negative situation as being caused by a positive or neutral person or event, often leading to poor emotional decisions.

Whenever we experience something emotionally intense positive or negative, the body enters a state of autonomic arousal: increased heart rate, sweating, restlessness, butterflies in the stomach, heightened alertness, and so on. The body produces similar sensations in both fear(negative event) and attraction(positive event), and the mind can sometimes confuse their source.

For example, imagine you are dealing with stress, toxicity, or emotional abuse at work. Your body remains anxious and hyper-aroused because of that environment. At the same time, a new colleague enters your life. Since the mind struggles to accurately identify the true cause of these intense sensations, it may mistakenly associate them with the new person instead of the stressful situation. As a result, you may begin feeling emotionally attached, attracted, or even believe you are “falling in love.”

This is called misattribution of arousal - incorrectly linking physical and emotional arousal to the wrong source, which then makes misunderstand and mislabel our emotions and thus take faulty decisions.

This is also a reason why some of the best first dates ideas include - going for a horror movie or some adventure activity. Because the physical arousal caused by either of them may be misinterpreted as being caused by the person and may lead to increased chances of the date getting converted into something long term.

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5 days ago | [YT] | 16

Dr Sarthak Dave

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 5

Dr Sarthak Dave

What are the levels of insight and how are they significant in the management of an illness?

Insight refers to a patient’s awareness and understanding of their illness. It plays a crucial role in how a person accepts treatment, follows advice, and copes with their condition.

Following are the levels of Insight -

Grade I: Complete denial of illness
The patient does not accept that they are ill.
Eg : I don't have diabetes. It's an error in the report

Grade II: Slight awareness of being sick
The patient has a vague feeling that something is wrong but lacks clear understanding.
Eg : the deranged blood sugar might be because of of the sweets I had yesterday. I don't think it is because of diabetes.

Grade III: Awareness attributed to external factors
The patient accepts illness but blames outside causes such as stress, people, or physical reasons.
Eg : I think it's the stress that these people are giving me that's causing my blood sugar to fluctuate. If these people will stop giving me stress, I will be fine.

Grade IV: Awareness without clear explanation
The patient knows something is wrong within themselves but cannot fully explain it.
Eg : Yes it appears to be deranged. But I don't understand why it is happening.

Grade V: Intellectual Insight
The patient understands they are ill and recognizes symptoms as part of the illness, but cannot apply this knowledge effectively in behavior or coping.
Eg : Goes to the doctor and says, "My blood sugar is raised, give me medicines and make me fine. I cannot change my diet and cannot exercise or change my lifestyle. And also give me just one medicine. I don't want to take more."

Grade VI: True Emotional Insight
The patient has deep understanding and can relate symptoms to changes in behavior and personality, leading to better coping and adaptation.
Eg : Goes to the doctor and says, "The reports look bad. You tell me whatever I need to do. Will take medicines as you prescribe and follow all the instructions you give me - exercise, diet, everything."

Needless to say, best results are seen in patients with True Emotional Insight.

#diseasemanagement #insight #treatment #patient #patientcooperation

1 month ago | [YT] | 12

Dr Sarthak Dave

Myths about Bipolar Mood disorder -

Myth 1:

Bipolar disorder follows a fixed cycle of depression, then mania.

Not really. For most people, it doesn’t feel that orderly. Episodes can come in any sequence, someone might go through several depressive phases in a row, or have repeated periods of high energy without a depressive episode in between. It’s unpredictable and looks different for each person.

Myth 2:

People with bipolar disorder are always symptomatic

That’s not true. Many individuals have long stretches where they feel completely like themselves, calm, stable, and fully functional. These symptom-free periods can last months or even years, which is why others may not even realize what they’re going through.

Myth 3:

Mania and depression can’t happen together.

They can. Some people experience mixed episodes, where emotions overlap in confusing ways , feeling low, empty, or hopeless while also being restless, irritable, or mentally overactive. It can feel like your mind and body are pulling in opposite directions at the same time, which can be especially distressing.

1 month ago | [YT] | 18

Dr Sarthak Dave

What is Dereflection?

Dereflection is a therapeutic concept from the logotherapy of Viktor Frankl. It proposes that when individuals shift their attention away from their symptoms, anxiety, or performance concerns and redirect it toward something meaningful, the intensity of the problem reduces. As the perceived importance of the symptom decreases, the distress associated with it also diminishes.

It is based on the idea that many psychological difficulties worsen due to hyper-reflection, or excessive self-focus. Constantly monitoring oneself with thoughts like “Am I anxious?”, “Why can’t I sleep?”, “Will I perform well?”, or “What if I fail?” often increases anxiety and creates a self-perpetuating cycle.

Dereflection interrupts this cycle by encouraging a person to:

• Turn attention outward
• Reduce self-preoccupation
• Reconnect with meaning and purpose

For example, in insomnia, instead of trying forcefully to sleep, a person may focus on reading or calmly accepting wakefulness. In sexual performance anxiety, attention shifts from self-monitoring to emotional connection and shared intimacy. In social anxiety, instead of worrying about appearance or awkwardness, the individual focuses on genuine curiosity and engagement in conversation.

Dereflection is not mere distraction. It is a deliberate and meaningful redirection of attention away from self-absorption and toward life, values, and connection.

Common Examples

1. Insomnia

Instead of trying hard to sleep (“I must sleep now”), the person is encouraged to:

• Focus on reading something meaningful
• Or simply accept wakefulness without struggle

Sleep often returns naturally when pressure reduces.

2. Sexual Performance Anxiety

Instead of focusing on performance (“Will I be able to perform?”), the person shifts attention toward:

• Emotional connection
• Partner’s experience
• Shared intimacy

Anxiety decreases when self-monitoring decreases.

3. Social Anxiety

Instead of monitoring:
• “How do I look?”
• “Am I awkward?”

The person focuses on:
• Genuine curiosity about the other person
• The conversation topic

Core Principle

“The more we focus on ourselves, the more we suffer.
The more we move toward meaning, the more we heal.”
— Viktor Frankl

2 months ago | [YT] | 19

Dr Sarthak Dave

And that's how I take lectures to bring awareness about depression and mental health issues.

#DepressionAndAnxietyAwareness #mentalhealthawareness #psychiatrist #suicideprevention #psychology #psychiatristindia

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2 months ago | [YT] | 31

Dr Sarthak Dave

Reality💔 People evolve. Emotions fade. Versions expire.

9 months ago | [YT] | 55

Dr Sarthak Dave

Aa Gaye waapas apnaa sadaa Hua muh le ke!?
Abb kya chaahiye tumko?

#past #love #moveon #movingon #expartner #exboyfriend #exgirlfriend

10 months ago | [YT] | 32

Dr Sarthak Dave

Air India plane crash on BJ medical college student mess and hostel in Ahmedabad.

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11 months ago | [YT] | 20

Dr Sarthak Dave

What did I lose?
There was nothing to lose—nothing tangible, at least.
I had no one to call my own, no anchor to ground me in the storm, no soul whose absence would leave a hollow ache.
Yet, in that emptiness, I felt an indescribable weight, as if the void itself was a loss—a quiet, unspoken grief for something I never truly had. It wasn’t the fear of losing someone that haunted me, but the haunting realization that there was no one to lose.

#melancholia #pensive #yearning

1 year ago | [YT] | 27