Affecting over 40 million Americans, anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, excessive uneasiness, apprehension and may lead to panic attacks, depression and other more serious behavioral disorders. The causes of anxiety are highly personal and varied ranging from fear of the future, fear of judgement, an inability to cope with reality, stress, unresolved emotional
I am a huge makeup addict and test out almost every new product that comes onto the market. As a college student, I had a part-time job in the “aisles of beauty” at Hudson’s department store (now Macy’s), where I was able to try out and dabble with cosmetics that ran from costly to affordable.One
A few years ago, I had several lengthy conversations with my Indian-American friends about growing up in the larger Indian-American community. All of our strolls down memory lane started innocuously, with the friendships we had formed because of the dances and performances we were in for cultural association events. At the time, these performances, and
By Sunita Dass Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it’s a great time to pull out those scarlet outfits, apply your favorite cherry lipstick and kick up your ruby sequined heels! I have always felt that the provenance of an item of clothing should not determine its worth nor its utility in your
At one of Troy-based Finesse Academy’s monthly alumni sessions in early December, college counselor Arun Ponnusamy, the chief academic officer of college consulting company Collegewise, extensively explained the changing role of college counselors in students’ lives and offered advice for college applicants. The Indian SCENE caught up with Ponnusamy to discuss the daunting college admissions
I remember when I got my first period. I was about 12-and-a-half-years-old in India. It was a random weekend afternoon, and we had extended family visiting. I went to the bathroom and let out a startled loud scream when I saw blood — a scream that had everyone come running to find out what was
Over the past few months, I have written several articles on the Indian American marriage conundrum, family dynamics, empowerment, and mental health on this platform. As we close out this decade and get ready to embark on a new one, I can’t help but reflect on this necessary space, and how such a platform was
It was right around this time of year, many, many years ago, that I took my first real steps into the world of mental health as a psychology student. Over time, I learned about psychopathology, abnormal behaviors, mental illnesses, societal pressures, cultural influences and more on mental health. One of the things that stuck with
As an Indian-American woman, who is also a two-time traumatic brain injury survivor, and was regularly chastised about her weight problems for decades, I have had a very interesting relationship with mirrors over the course of my life. Growing up, mirrors were for making funny faces and for combing my down-to-my-butt long hair. But that
Indian-American people are superheroes. Or more specifically, we have been raised to be superheroes in every aspect of our lives. Within our families and communities, we are expected to excel in all avenues. We are taught to be highly educated and have a greater sense of independence compared to previous generations here, or even, current