#BaatTohKaro: Our Initiative To Inspire People To Speak Up

If we don’t do it, nobody else will - Satish Kannan, CEO & Co-founder, DocsApp

I have always believed that all of us have been given a chance to be and a chance to change things, no matter the situation we are given to start with. DocsApp has been dedicated to reforming healthcare since 2015. I believe that there is so much more we could do to further the progress of physical & mental healthcare in the country.

What is #BaatTohKaro?

#BaatTohKaro is my attempt at building a community, which welcomes free speech about matters of paramount importance. More often than not, we tend to ignore or avoid talking about things related to our job, family, relationships, and things which matter like mental & physical health. I believe that the first step to solving any issue, especially ones related to physical and mental health, is by talking about it.

Anyone living in our time and day has to deal with multiple issues daily. Some of them have an easy way out, but then there are some issues, the details of which cannot be easily shared even with near and dear ones. Confiding in our family, friends & peers is what most of us do when we are in doubt. However, most of us have been there, that one moment where we wished we had someone to talk to. The entire story would have turned out differently, had we spoken to that one important person before taking that step.

Let's take two examples, where timely advice can help

Women’s Health:
Issues related to Women’s health, especially gynaecological ones, often create a tense environment. Discussions about such issues are ignored until symptoms start to manifest. Some common issues which women can face are:

• Irregular/missed periods
• Hormonal imbalance
• Pregnancy scare

Irregular/missed periods can be quite worrying for women. Most women tend to ignore these problems thinking that their period will automatically return to normal. However, doctors suggest that missing a period can be a sign of an underlying problem. A missed period is generally considered as a sign of pregnancy but that may not be the case, timely diagnosis can help avoid any further complications.

Hormonal fluctuations in women can cause, mood swings, stress and even missed periods. It is a vicious circle which is interconnected and interdependent. I have observed that as a society we are still evolving, and we need to create awareness for women to discuss their health issues freely with a doctor. To start with, we have worked with the talented actress Aisha Ahmed for our #BaatTohKaro campaign, take a look below.

The video shows a woman who gets a pregnancy scare, after noticing an inconsistency in her monthly calendar. A pregnancy scare is not uncommon, but it can knock your socks off if it happens to you for the first time. A pregnancy scare can explode 100 questions in your head like:

• Why did I miss my period?
• Am I pregnant?
• Why am I not conceiving?

At the end of the video, we see that the woman’s pregnancy test turns out to be positive. This is a classic case of unwanted pregnancy, and it can be a nightmare for most couples. Good relationships can end if couples don't communicate properly. #BaatTohKaro is aimed at addressing such issues which can be difficult to share. In most cases, I have seen that timely advice taken from a specialist doctor can help avoid complications.

Mental Health:
Mental health revolves around our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

• Biological factors, (Hormonal fluctuations, genetics)
• Experiences in life (Abuse, Trauma, shock-inducing incidents)
• Family history of mental health problems.

The status of our mental health determines how we think, feel and act in any given situation. For instance, if your mental health status is good, you will be able to handle stress in a better way, when compared to a person who is depressed.

A healthy mind is always crucial to lead a healthy life. Recently, I noticed the changing patterns of mental health status in our country. Most of us have more money to spend, due to better jobs and a better lifestyle. However, mental health can take a back seat in this day and age. Work-related stress, depression due to external factors like relationships with peers, or low self-esteem due to peer pressure are commonly heard of, but not addressed to a satisfying degree. There has been an increase in the cases of depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders.

Take a look at our campaign, which talks about depression and its effects below.

depict a woman who has lost hope. The video shows her cling to her life with falling interest. She looks at things that can help end her pain. Painful as it is, to watch her battle her mind on screen, in real life depression can be even scarier. It is one of the most common killers of our age, and loved ones are lost due to negligence on our part and silence on theirs. Talking to a mental health expert can easily help prevent an unforeseen circumstance, in such issues.

Depression is just one of the major public health problems in India. It affects a large number of children, adults and seniors. Depression and suicide are closely interlinked. A person can readily lose the will to live and perform half-heartedly at school or work when stuck in a web of depression. People with depression are often known to be stigmatized and excluded by family and society.

Apart from depression, some other common psychological disorders which can cause great harm to our well-being are low confidence, physical & mental abuse which can cause a lifetime of trauma.

The list is endless, and both men and women are in the same boat. Talking about men, did you know? Almost 50% of men over 40 are impotent in India! Surprising as this may sound but not many men speak about it. These are just some of the issues in our society, which affect our mental & physical health.

With #BaatTohKaro, we aim to shatter the barriers of communication. DocsApp’s online consultation platform was built to bridge the gap between silence and support. With over 19 specialities and 5000+ specialist doctors available on chat and call, we have managed to build a community of more than 1 crore users, to talk about their physical and mental well-being, without concern for privacy, and trust. A doctor is therefore always a tap away on DocsApp. So go ahead, let’s talk #BaatTohkaro.