You're mid-scroll on Instagram. Reels flicker past—dogs talking, influencers dancing, a cake shaped like a car. Fifteen seconds later, you've forgotten what you just watched. The screen is still glowing, but your mind feels foggy, restless, and strangely drained. This growing sense of mental fatigue and loss of focus now has a name: brain rot.

Once a piece of internet slang, the term brain rot has entered mainstream mental health discussions. It captures the cognitive exhaustion and emotional numbness that stem from mindless consumption of endless online content.

Dr Samir Parikh, Director of Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, explained in a telephonic conversation with Business Standard, “Brain rot is not a recognised formal clinical diagnosis. It’s a metaphor gaining traction to describe the mental fatigue and cognitive decline linked to excessive digital consumption. It is a lack of using one’s own logic and common sense while consuming content online.”

From Meme to Mental Health Warning

According to media reports, the phrase has been around since at least 2007. Initially used online to joke about watching reality shows or playing video games for too long, the term gained momentum as short-form platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and (formerly in India) TikTok exploded—especially during and after the pandemic. “Brain rot” soon became shorthand for the zombie-like state one experiences after hours of compulsive scrolling.

Is Brain Rot Real?

Though not a clinical condition, its impact is real. “It is common knowledge that if you are consuming anything that is not going to serve you, it will affect your health,” Dr Parikh said. Experts link excessive screen time—especially content designed for speed and emotional extremes—to poor focus, decreased attention span, and impaired memory. “While your brain is not literally rotting, its ability to function at peak cognitive performance might be under siege,” he warned.

Why It Happens: Dopamine and Distraction

The brain’s reward system plays a role. Each like, swipe, or view gives a tiny dopamine hit, creating a loop of craving and instant gratification. Over time, content that requires low cognitive effort trains the brain to expect stimulation without any work. Constant tab switching and app-hopping fragment attention, while overexposure to emotional highs and lows dulls responsiveness.

The result? You’re mentally tired, easily distracted, and emotionally checked out. Struggles include reading long articles, needing background noise constantly, zoning out in conversations, and forgetting content minutes after viewing it.

Can You Reverse It?

Yes, says Dr Parikh. “Since brain rot is not a clinical diagnosis, there is no prescribed treatment, but behavioural and cognitive solutions like limiting screen time, trying attention exercises, and mindful content consumption can reverse its effects.”

Some strategies include:

Digital detoxes—start with 30 minutes offline, build up to entire weekends.

Re-training attention—read uninterrupted for 20 minutes, meditate, or journal without devices.

Mindful content—follow creators who offer depth; switch to long-form content.

Nature therapy—spend time outdoors to recharge and focus.

Good sleep—avoid screens 1–2 hours before bed.

Your brain wasn’t designed for endless scrolling. It thrives on stillness, deep focus, and real-world interactions. In a world that rewards distraction, the smartest thing you can do is pause. Step away. Let your mind breathe.

What if chasing the perfect physique nearly cost you your life? For many in the fitness world, steroids are a quick ticket to success—until they're not. Zak Wilkinson, a former passionate bodybuilder, found this out the hard way. His story isn't merely one of muscle or competition, it's one of how quickly obsession can devolve into addiction, and how rigid dieting and steroid use drove his body to the verge of death. As "clean eating" and "shredded bodies" are fitness trends celebrated, it's time to wonder, at what price?

Zak Wilkinson, a 32-year-old UK bodybuilder, discovered the hard way after falling into a medically-induced coma caused by his self-inflicted lifestyle of steroid abuse and five-food diet restriction. His tale—involving a medically-induced coma, seizures, and a miraculous comeback, illuminates the appalling physical and psychological effects of abusing steroids.

This isn't another health scare—this is a cautionary tale for the growing number of fitness buffs entranced by fast muscle and social media fame.

Wilkinson's fall into steroid use started innocently enough—a wish to create a improved physique after dropping out of school at age 16. What began as a pastime soon became an all-consuming way of life powered by self-control, warped body perception, and drugs designed to enhance performance.

He followed a stringent eating regimen involving only five foods: chicken, steak, egg whites, broccoli, and rice. Consuming six meals a day, weighing each gram of food, and even monitoring sugar-free syrup levels in his coffee, Wilkinson personified the dictionary definition of obsession.

Even though he looked "ripped" and he was physically fit, his body's internal health had a different story to tell.

"I thought I was the fittest, strongest, healthiest person," he remembered. "But inside, I wasn't."

Are Steroids and Supplements The Silent Culprits?

In the space of more than two years, Wilkinson spent close to $46,500 on steroids and supplements such as Anavar, Masteron, Equipoise, Clenbuterol, T3, T4 fat strippers, and testosterone-based drugs like Proviron. He injected himself between three times a day, used nearly $1,000 a month on performance enhancers, and lived for bodybuilding alone.

On March 23, 2025, Wilkinson's body was no longer able to cope with the stress. He was starting to seize, vomiting excessively, and sweating to excess. His sister, Chelsea, quickly called for an ambulance.

In the ICU, doctors initially suspected meningitis. But the truth soon emerged: Wilkinson’s condition was the direct result of his steroid intake and fat-loss supplements. He was placed in a medically-induced coma for seven days. His family was told to prepare for the worst.

“I thought I’d never be able to play with my son again,” he later said.

Post-Coma Recovery

Miraculously, Wilkinson survived without significant neurological impairment. But the path to recovery was excruciating. He lost muscle control, couldn't lift his three-year-old son, and had to relearn simple movements. He now lives with epilepsy, PTSD, an eating disorder, and body dysmorphia, and is receiving treatment for trauma and anxiety.

He has two sessions a week with a home care team, has regular brain scans and blood tests, and is on several medications a day.

But he's optimistic.

"I've dropped the steroids," he said. "But I've trained all my life. Now, I need to do it in a healthy manner, mentally as well as physically."

When Body Image Becomes a Disorder?

At the center of Wilkinson's journey is a struggle that many young men quietly endure—body dysmorphia. Driven by comparison, perfectionism, and social media expectations, many hopeful bodybuilders lose focus of their mental health at the expense of an unrealistic look.

Wilkinson said he couldn't even gaze in the mirror, kept away from social gatherings, and dressed in baggy attire to conceal his physique. Tattoos served as a means to camouflage his insecurities.

"It began as a hobby and escalated into body dysmorphia. I was constantly comparing myself to others on the internet. It's a vicious circle," he told me.

Compared to alcoholism or gambling addiction, support groups for steroid abuse are few and far between. Wilkinson underscored the absence of awareness and recovery for men caught in such circles.

"There's AA for alcoholics, GA for gamblers, but nothing commonly known for steroid abuse and gym addiction," he said.

He now focuses on teaching young athletes and bodybuilders about the long-term risks of steroids. His intention is to change the narrative, encourage healthier fitness methods, and offer support to impacted families.

Wilkinson's experience is not unique. The glorification of hyper-muscular bodies, fueled by influencer culture, has made steroid use more prevalent and riskily normalized—even among adolescents.

Experts have warned that long-term steroid use will result in irreversible damage to organs, hormonal imbalance, sterility, and psychiatric problems such as aggression, depression, and suicidal tendencies. Nevertheless, the temptation of immediate results and superficial benefits still lure many into the abyss.

Zak Wilkinson's survival is nothing short of miraculous but his experience has a sobering lesson: when appearance takes priority over health, the price can be deadly. For anyone tempted by shortcuts to fitness, his tale is a grim reminder that true strength doesn't come on steroids—it comes on self-knowledge, balance, and health.

As the fitness community wrestles with increased steroid abuse, it's time for world health leaders, gym cultures, and influencers to move from an aesthetic focus to a focus on well-being.

Ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or glancing at TikTok the second you wake up? Be honest—does your phone really feel like a part of your hand? But what if that good-natured habit isn't so good after all? New psychological research suggests that your screen time—particularly your obsessive need to be online—may tell you more about yourself than you realize. Indeed, researchers say this same behavior could be an unsuspecting tip for detecting narcissism. Intrigued yet? Let's explore the intriguing link between phone behavior, narcissistic tendencies, and what it all implies for your mental health.

In a world where selfies, status posts, and short videos are ruling digital activity, your phone behavior might speak more about your mental well-being than you realize. Psychologists say compulsive use of social media, particularly on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, might be a subtle but compelling warning sign for narcissistic personality.

A recent University of Gdańsk study in Poland has revealed a new suspect phone behavior that can potentially identify narcissism in an instant: runaway, uncontrollable social media use. The research, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, correlates excessive use of the web with almost all categories of narcissistic personality traits. These results are not only relevant but critical, considering mental health emergencies caused by excessive use of technology.

What Is Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

Narcissism is not simply vanity or enjoying the spotlight. As explained by the Cleveland Clinic, narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a severe mental illness that is marked by a grand sense of self-esteem, reduced empathy, desire for admiration, and emotional manipulation. These characteristics can hamper relationships, ruin careers, and contribute to substance abuse disorders and severe mental illnesses.

Although just a percentage as low as an estimated 1 in 20 people in the UK has a formal diagnosis of NPD, numerous more display narcissistic tendencies without ever being clinically tested. Such tendencies—like an intense need for affirmation or competition with others—are often latent until activated by new technology like smartphones.

How Scroll Addiction Add To Narcissism?

Researchers at the University of Gdańsk carried out two comprehensive surveys of 665 social media users over a period of eight months. Participants were tested on six different forms of narcissism: admiration, rivalry, enmity, isolation, heroism, and sanctity.

The results were instructive. Narcissistic features—most notably admiration (needing praise), rivalry (competition with others), heroism (need for admiration), and enmity (hostility towards others)—were strongly linked with maladaptive use of social media. Surprisingly, sanctity, or the promotion of one's virtue, was not as strongly related to addiction.

Isolation and enmity also seemed to grow greater over time with use, suggesting that some of the more aggressive or socially isolated tendencies may not be inherent but instead arise as side effects of too much online activity.

Why Social Media Is the Perfect Playground for Narcissism?

Social media sites serve as online mirrors, frequently magnifying self-presentation and performance at the expense of real connection. For individuals with narcissistic traits, the ability to present an idealized self, get likes, and garner admiration can become a dopamine-reinforced feedback loop.

Neuroimaging research indicates that the reward systems of the brain activate with social media activity in a similar manner to how they do in drug addictions. This renders platforms both irresistibly attractive and psychologically dangerous—particularly to those with tendencies towards attention-seeking.".

The research cautions that addiction to social networking websites is not a benign behavior. It may start with compulsive checking and gradually escalate to other, more serious repercussions like sleep interference, decreased face-to-face social interaction, anxiety when away from the phone, and poor work or school performance.

Such behavioral alterations make it challenging to maintain healthy relationships and remain emotionally resilient. Low self-esteem, loneliness, or excessive fear of missing out (FOMO) individuals are particularly susceptible.

Statistics from Addiction Center indicate that close to 10% of Americans can be struggling with some level of social media addiction—characterized by such signs as restlessness when separated from the phone, avoidance of real-life relationships, and declining enthusiasm for activities that were once rewarding.

Behavioral Signs to Look Out For

So how do you identify a narcissist through their phone behavior? Psychologists advise paying attention to the following behaviors:

• A repetitive urge to post or check notifications
• An overemphasis on likes, followers, and others' opinions
• Evident distress when not participating online
• Using social media to compete or criticise
• Putting digital image ahead of actual-life responsibilities

These aren't just frustrating tendencies—they can be indicators of an underlying psychological pattern.

Importance of Digital Hygiene for Mental Health

Even though not every individual who has a high screen time score is a narcissist, the results re-emphasize the relevance of digital hygiene. Putting boundaries on screens, having face-to-face contact, and being mindful of social media use can be preventive measures against addiction as well as against nurturing narcissistic traits.

For practicing clinicians, the research provides windows of opportunity for detection of early warning signs for narcissistic features and social media dependency, conditions that, if left untreated, can erode emotional health and quality of life.

The next time you catch yourself—or someone you know—glued to a screen, it may be worth taking a step back and wondering why. The University of Gdańsk study presents something more than insight into online behavior; it presents a prism by which we can look more clearly into the psychological foundations of narcissism in our digital world.

Do you get that gnawing knot in your gut when Sunday evening approaches? You're not alone. The shift from weekend freedom to Monday responsibility tends to trigger what has been colloquially referred to as the Sunday Scaries. The fear of unread messages, early wake-up calls, and a full calendar can steal joy from your weekend and leave you exhausted before the week has even started.

But what if Sundays were another way? A day not of anxiety, but of easy preparation—a day to restore, plan, and step into the week with alacrity instead of mayhem. Integrative Lifestyle Expert Luke Coutinho says, "The way we approach Sunday can change the entire trajectory of our week. With the right rituals and mindset, we can transform anxiety into action."

What Are the Causes of Sunday Anxiety?

Sunday stress isn't so much about the weekend ending—it's about how we think about what's to come. If we characterize Mondays as stressful or think of them in negative terms, our brain will start to react the same way.

"The mind accepts what we continually tell it," says Coutinho. "If Monday is a mental sign for tension, your body and feelings will adhere."

Three psychological and behavioral triggers most often responsible for Sunday night anxiety are:

The sudden shift from relaxation to order: Two days of free time can be a nice way to unwind, but the reality of jam-packed schedules and deadlines can come as a shock.

Anticipatory stress: Anticipating pending emails, meetings, or unfinished work triggers our sympathetic nervous system to kick in—our fight-or-flight system gets activated too early.

Poor rest and recovery: Few individuals take their weekends off to effectively reboot. Social commitments, TV, or undone tasks can leave the mind clogged, so Monday feels even more daunting.

Simple but Powerful Attitude Adjustments

Rather than accepting dread, Coutinho suggests reprogramming the way we think about Sunday. "It's a day to calm your mind, fuel your body, and plan with intention—not simply rush to get ready for Monday," he says.

Here are organized strategies to make Sunday a launchpad not a landmine for your week:

1. Plan With Intention, Not Panic

Planning does not equal wasting Sunday reading emails. It equals setting a straightforward, simple map for your week to come—without overwhelming yourself.

Begin with a list of intentions, rather than a to-do list. "This changes your energy from stress to clarity," she says. Plan out what must get accomplished, and schedule time for immersion work, calls, and even breaks.

This cuts down on decision fatigue—the mental garbage that makes Mondays more difficult than they have to be.

2. Build a Restorative Sunday Routine

A good routine provides reassurance and consistency. Envision Sunday as a soft runway on which to lift smoothly into the new week. Include simple rituals such as:

• A relaxing morning without an alarm.
• Light meal preparation or grocery planning.
• A nature walk or some yoga to release the mind-body anxiety.
• Journaling or reading to create emotional closure to the weekend.

Coutinho says, "Predictability breeds calm. When the body knows what to expect, anxiety diminishes."

3. Protect Your Digital and Mental Boundaries

Sunday doesn’t need to be an extension of your work week. Constant email checks or Slack updates keep your nervous system on edge.

“Set boundaries that respect your need to recharge,” advises Coutinho. “Work will still be there on Monday. You’ll be better prepared to handle it when you’ve taken time to rest.”

Replace doomscrolling with mindfulness exercises—guided meditation, breathwork, or even 15 minutes of quiet. The aim is not perfection, but presence.

4. Utilize Sundays for Light, Intentional Reflection

Instead of diving headfirst into Monday with a list of goals, take Sunday to reflect on what already went well last week. Ask yourself:

• What small victories did I win?
• What can I do again or better?
• How can I make my next week more value-aligned?

Create mini-goals in the areas of nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Deciding ahead of time whether to work out or what you're going to cook can limit weekday decision fatigue and keep you on track.

"Small wins matter," says Coutinho. "They build confidence, and confidence reduces anxiety."

5. Get Moving—Gently

Exercise is perhaps the most natural mood stabilizer. But Sunday doesn't require a hard-hitting exercise session. A stroll, some light stretching, or a brief yoga routine can quiet your nervous system and enhance sleep quality.

"Movement calms the body and resynchronizes your internal clock," Coutinho explains. "It also releases endorphins, the happy hormones that push back against anxiety."

Even 20 minutes of relaxed activity on Sunday evening can change your physiology from stress to relaxation.

6. Create a Relaxing Sunday Evening

Consider Sunday evening as a winding-down ceremony, rather than prep for battle. Steer clear of stimulating activities and instead engage in activities that calm your senses. Try:

• Spending time with loved ones over a peaceful dinner.
• Watching a light-hearted movie.
• Laying out Monday attire or preparing your workspace.
• Diffusing relaxing essential oils such as lavender or chamomile.

The goal is to alert your body that the week is starting, but not with tension with readiness and tranquility.

How we live Monday is greatly influenced by how we spend Sunday. Rather than yielding to worry, use Sunday to replenish your vitality, think about your progress, and prepare on purpose.

As Luke Coutinho explains, "The Sunday anxiety is a message. It's your body crying out for support, clarity, and improved boundaries. Listen to it, and allow that realization to guide the way."