Sunday, March 1, 2009

நம்பிக்கை ‘மாத்திரை' வடிவில்.

The countdown for the board exams has begun, and students are in the thick of their preparations. This is also boom time for the sales of memory-enhancing drugs as students believe these wonder drugs help sharpen their concentration and boost their memorising power.
While doctors are unsure whether these drugs actually help academic performance, they do affirm that the pills offer students psychological support. Dr Deepak Gupta, child and adolescent psychiatrist, says memory pills and syrups have a placebo effect, wherein the user feels better after taking these pills. “There has been a lot of discussion about these pills, but we cannot say for sure how they work. These pills have a placebo effect on the person who consumes them. He gets a sense of confidence that he will be able to remember everything. But there has been no scientific research done on these pills.”
Most chemists in the city affirm that demand for these pills shoot up during pre-exam days. Vaibhav Gupta, chemist in south Delhi, feels there isn’t enough awareness about these products. “Most students go in for Brahmi, Ashwagandha and Shankhpushpi. People don’t have any knowledge of exactly how these pills work and prove beneficial. They go in for them simply because they hear of others using them. It’s just word of mouth without any medical knowledge.”
Another chemist affirms that he’s had a lot of young customers coming to his shop asking for ayurvedic medicines which have a strong content of Brahmi.
Most students put in long hours of studying everyday, but fear that they might not be able to retain all that they have learnt.
Akshit Khanna, 17, puts in over 12 hours of studying daily for his board exams, but he is anxious, “I am putting in so much effort, but what if I forget all that I have studied?” This anxiety makes them turn to memory pills which promise to build a stronger power of retention.
Nutritionist Dr Shikha Sharma disagrees with the effectiveness of these pills.
She says, “Only pranayam helps in improving concentration quickly. During exam season, students should stick to a healthy diet and avoid stimulating foods like excess tea, coffee, colas and sugary items.”
Sneha Sharma found it impossible to get through her exams without taking memory-enhancing pills. “My father was worried as I refused to study if I hadn’t first taken a memory pill. It was only during exam-time that I took these pills. In hindsight, I now know that it must have solely been a psychological dependence, but at that time these pills gave me the much-needed confidence.”

How to stay focused
* Self-belief is very important. Remember, practise and hard work always give positive results.
* Indulge in positive self talk everyday.
* Take regular breaks while studying. Don’t study at a stretch for long hours.
* Whenever you feel tense, do breathing exercises, go for walks etc.
* Practise writing and solve sample papers.
* Good sleep and healthy diet is important. Drink tea/coffee in moderation.
* Revise difficult portions in the morning, as your mind is fresh.
* If you can’t remember something, try to visualise and associate it with a word.

... இத Deccan chronicle ல் படிக்க நேர்ந்தது 01Mar09 நம்பிக்கைய கூட இப்ப மாத்திரை வடிவுல விற்க அரம்பிச்சுட்டாங்க.. இதனால் என்ன பக்க விளைவுகள் வரும் என்பதை மருத்துவ உலகம் ஆராய்ந்து வெளியிட வேண்டும்.

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