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Bharat Savur

Rather than getting at the root cause of anxiety, tranquilisers merely blanket the mind. What's worse, they deprive one of those adrenaline surges of well-being.

Years ago, Parab's doctor prescribed tranquillisers to help him cope with anxiety through a trying period. The bad phase over, today, Parab exercises regularly, eats discerningly, but continues to tranquillise himself. He says it helps him meet each day composedly, blunts his `inferiority' at not being from Harvard like his colleagues and lulls his suspicion that he is invited for out-of-town weekends only because he has a vehicle.

Exercise elevates noradrenaline, the brain's `kick-chemical' that boosts confidence. Feeling fit, looking smarter makes the world appear friendlier and more acceptable. But, Parab's pill stops him from experiencing these peaks of marvellous well-being. As it numbs his feelings of inadequacy, it also undermines his happy highs.

"Tranquillisers decrease the brain's electrical activity and you tire more easily," explains Dr Gabe Mirkin, author of Fitness Clinic. "They diminish your endurance, interfere with your coordination, cause irregular heartbeats, dizziness, weakness and dehydration while exercising." It's an uneasy existence — like walking a tightrope — feeling unreal and dully disoriented. Without exercise, it would be worse. Sure, but how does Parab break through his anxiety? Let's listen to the masters.

"Train the mind," advises the Dalai Lama in Howard C. Cutler's book The Art Of Living. "Understand that the mind is nothing but thought-flow," says Swami Chinmayananda in Nancy Patchen's Journey of a Master. "If thoughts stop, no mind." Ergo, like we watch the food we nurture our bodies with, watch the thoughts we place in our mind.

To explain: If my boss criticises me, what makes anxious thoughts scramble though my mind? My worrisome way of thinking. Somewhere, sometime, I picked up this habit and structured my mind with negative thought-waves. Tranquillisers do nothing for my way of thinking. As written in In Pursuit of Tranquillity, Prevention magazine, "Tranquillisers are ineffective for getting at the cause of anxiety. They merely blanket the mind." That is, they blanket my negative thought-waves, but they do not help me dismantle them. Physical exercise starts the dismantling process.

Bending exercises increase blood circulation to the head and calms it. Try this: Stand with feet wide apart, knees bent, a five-pound dumbbell in each hand. Then smoothly bend your head low towards the floor and carry your weights backwards between your legs as far as possible. Stretch-bend to 20 counts. Feel your spine stretch, your thighs tense. Breathe normally. Return to standing position. (If you've had cervical spondylosis, consult your physiotherapist before doing any bending exercise.) Follow this routine every week and feel the positive results. Neutralise negative thought-waves with Undoing — author Rudite J. Emir's mind-training exercise — "Before sleeping each night, review your day event by event, activity by activity. Review every thought you had, everything you heard. You will be tempted to stop often to criticise, correct, imagine an alternate scenario. Resist all these temptations. Remain neutral."

Being deliberately non-committal disciplines opinionated, judgemental thoughts. At first, you may feel dissatisfied at not having your say. But, gradually, you feel relieved at not having to comment — an easing sense of freeing yourself from the responsibility of some irksome duty. As the mind learns to rest, you feel peaceful, unchallenged and you can sleep fitfully; you'll wake up refreshed with a sense of glad optimism-healing sensations that tranquillisers cannot evoke. Rudite calls it "pressing the `undo' mental key" and restoring the mind to its simpler, more serene way of thinking.

Next, consciously resolve to carry this neutral feeling into the everyday world. If there's talk of Harvard, remain determinedly detached. With practice, the initial inner discomfiting twitches still without your opinions to exacerbate them. When an out-of-town invitation floats your way, don't look for motives. Just refuse politely. At this tender stage, solitude is ideal to preserve your new-found neutral restfulness. In time, you will naturally follow psychiatrist and founder, Center for Attitudinal Healing, California, Dr Gerald Jampolsky's prompting, "Scan other's faces for signs of goodness, generosity ... Seek only their innocence." When you can do this spontaneously, it means you've succeeded in restructuring your way of thinking on positive lines.

Dr Jampolsky is convinced that, "There is no disease known to humankind that doesn't have the potential to be cured through mental peace." With reason. While treating a blind young woman, he found that she was still smarting at the doctors and her parents for letting her go blind in infancy. By letting go of her resentment she felt stronger and happier. Mental peace means restful quietude at will. When our emotions are disciplined, our entire system finds its healthy balance-point.

Here's another tip: Read inspirational passages. Words laced with humour tone up thoughts. The mask of anxiety slips and emerges the real face of strength-a return to our natural best self. A breakthrough achieved without tranquillisers to hold us back.

The writer is co-author of the book, Fitness for Life.

Response can be sent to: life@thehindu.co.in

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