I am a final-year student and I smoke regularly. I feel relaxed when I do. But sometimes it gets addictive and I have mood swings. Please help.
The extraordinary power of nicotine is its ability to simulate concentration in those feeling tired or lethargic, and to relax those feeling stressed or tense. It is this double ability that makes it so addictive. Smoking, therefore, does relieve anxiety, for many people, and the widespread nature of the habit indicates how widespread are anxiety states of a milder form. It is also probably true that smoking, like drinking alcohol, lowers the threshold to developing minor anxiety symptoms, in a somewhat vicious circle of tension and dependence.
Coming off nicotine always enhances anxiety. Symptoms like muscle tension, irritability in difficulty in concentrating being especially prominent. It is better you come out of this at the earliest. The long term consequences of nicotine can be life threatening.
I am unable to learn effectively. My mind keeps wandering all the time. I find it difficult to concentrate. I keep forgetting my subjects too. Kindly advise on how to improve my concentration.
Concentration means devoting total attention to a subject. Fortunately, the ability to concentrate can be learned and developed. Those who have done so assert that it begins with the breathing process. Start by taking your mind off other things; think of your own breath. Good breathing habits create harmony within a person. Breathing well also depends upon one’s posture.
Sitting comfortably in a chair, concentrate on your breathing. Count to 10 as you inhale deeply. Hold and slowly release it. As you do this repeatedly, think of the benefit the deep breathing is doing to your body. As your breathing becomes deeper, you will feel a burst of energy from within. Visualising this energy will help the finer processes within your body and make you healthy and happy, and help you concentrate. When you get down to studies, think of the subject just as you did with your breathing. Visualise how the study will benefit you. Sometimes one tends to concentrate deeply on one subject and not on others. This is not right. It happens when we fail to detach ourselves when required. Therefore, learning detachment is as important as learning to concentrate. Make it a point not to study a subject for more than an hour. If you have to do so out of necessity, then break for a few minutes after completing an hour’s study.
— Dr Kannan Gireesh is a Chennai-based consultant psychiatrist, psychotherapist and counsellor. Students can SMS their queries to (0) 98414 16422 or send an email to queries.edex@newindianexpress.com