Dr.Swathi is a Lecturer in Psychology, Nizam College & Osmania University. She is also a Practicing Counselling Psychologist, General Secretary, Hyderabad Psychological Association, Member in Board of Juvenile Welfare, A.P and Guest Faculty to Thakur Hariprasad Institute &Madras University, Hyderabad.
She is also a regular columnist for Eenadu’s ‘vayasu-manasu’.
She has conducted several counseling and awareness programmes across the state. A gentle, understanding and confident practitioner, Dr.Swathi gets well with any group/section of the society, be it student or parent.
The Career Guide talked to her to find out why there is an increased need for counseling and psychotherapy today. With pressure building on children about studies, they are sorting to various pills and tonics to improve concentration and memory. Dr.Swathi feels this is alarming as no medicine or mantra will increase your concentration, except your own will and focus. This informal yet solemn talk unearths various problems a normal teenager goes through. Since we have accepted stress as an indispensable part of life, go on and read how to cope with it with Dr.Swathi’s guidance.
TCG: How are education and stress related?
Dr.S: Stress is not today’s word or ailment; it has always been in the society when it could not cope with different problems and situations. Today, because of the communication boom people are widely using and ‘discovering’ the word! Education especially is becoming more stressful nowadays not because it has any negative element that we cannot handle but because of our own distorted perceptions. Also, it is unfair to blame education for the self created stress which may be due to various other factors like strained relations, family frictions, financial status, peer pressure etc.,
TCG: Today even a 5 year old is heard using the word ‘tension’ when he/she is uncomfortable or worked up.?
Dr.S: True, a little child sees his/her parents go through gamut of reactions and feels he/she must be doing the same. Imitation is a game for kids and they unknowingly pick up things, good or bad from their parents/elders. This is how they first start using the word and slowly experiencing it too. In fact all the psychosomatic problems like bed-wetting, nail biting, sweating in the palms all are first signs of suppressed tension. These minor problems grow when they are not identified and tackled at an early level.
TCG: What are the initial symptoms of stress and how can one deal with it?
Dr.S: For children it is usually the Monday morning blues which cannot be ignored before it turns them totally against the school. For adolescents it is understood they are stressed when they start throwing tantrums and avoid that particular subject/place etc when they feel it is the stressor. It is easier to talk a child out of it rather than tackling the same problem in an adult. In fact I can narrate an interesting case of a 7 year old who lost her grandmother and slipped into depression. When the anxious parents came to me the child came out with the pain of missing her grandmother. This slowly led to the symptoms like sweating of palms up to the extent of dripping continuously. We encouraged the parents to take the child to an old age home where she could interact with aged people who reminded her of her grandmother. This was like a mutual benefit scheme for both! Soon she was totally out of it. Thus children are not hard nuts to crack. For adults we have to do a lot of probing, it is comparatively longer with them as they do not come to the problem straight. This may be again due to lack of proper understanding, fear, low self esteem etc. Hence in such cases we give them enough time to build a rapport and then come to the actual problem.
TCG: When does stress really overtake you?
Dr.S: When stress spills it shows in form of restlessness, body language, irritability etc. This usually happens when people cannot simply handle the problem or themselves and start succumbing to it. Sometimes educated people realize this happening to them and seek advice/help. Generally in adults severe stress is seen in career related issues.
TCG: Is there any vulnerable age that is most susceptible to stress?
Dr.S: Adolescent age is very vulnerable when they have tumultuous time both at college and on the personal front. It is usually the first crush/infatuation that brings them to us, or their career. Most cases fall into either of these categories.
TCG: How and why does this affect the adolescents?
Dr.S: This could be mostly because of the hormonal changes as we all know but another factor that cannot be ignored today is the television that exposes them to various aspects of life. Earlier when there was no television or computer we used to spend evenings either learning type or pursuing sports, dance, music etc., but it is not so today. This a competitive era and children today are learning anything and everything, not for themselves but to be better than their friends. This always leaves them with a feeling of restlessness, by the end of the day. Hence this feverishness about career must decrease for mental health to settle down. This can be solved to some extent if parents have a good chat with their children and discuss their goals in a friendly way rather than imposing their views upon their children. This is perhaps one of the reasons why students immediately warm up to us as we accept them unconditionally without judging them.
TCG: Increase in crime and juvenile crime is attributed to pressure on kids at school/college level How far do you feel it is true?
Dr.S: This is not totally true; crime committed by a person, especially a gruesome one is because of a personality disorder. We cannot blame education for everything. What we need today is an open forum. We still have inhibitions about talking a few issues openly. Counseling should not be the final option but a mandatory subject in schools and colleges where students can boldly discus and debate upon issues bothering them.
TCG: Parents are often blamed for putting unreasonable pressure on their children, why is it so?
Dr.S: This is partly true hence and the need for adult counseling as well, where they can clearly see their role in the child’s deterioration as well as development.
TCG: Who are the ones who normally seek counseling and therapy with you?
Dr.S: More than 50% are adolescents; around 40% are adults with marital issues and very small percentage of kids come to us.
TCG: At which point of time do students turn into patients with psychological problems and come to you?
Dr.S: When they are not able to do handle the issue at the same time desperate to come out of it.
TCG: What are the most common ailments and complaints you come across daily? And what is the therapy you offer?
Dr.S: You will be surprised to know that a small thing like repeated cold and cough is also due to stress. Many people suffering from asthma are, at one point adverse victims of stress. We start with counseling. We normally encourage the patients to brainstorm for possible reasons and answers which is a confidence building technique.
This helps them to look deeper into themselves and understand what they are going through. They come out with such brilliant suggestions that I sometimes feel they are better counselors than me!
TCG: Don’t you think awareness on common psychological ailments and remedies should be now introduced at school level and the children should learn how to deal with them?
Dr.S: Absolutely. As I already told you we must make it mandatory to know the psychological problems and stress and ways to handle it, practically instead of merely talking about them.
TCG: Finally, could you give us a few tips for our students on how to improve concentration?
Dr.S: (I would like to share with you that there is no medicine or mantra to improve concentration.) The simple truth is interest. Do you like what you are doing or learning? Then concentration and memory automatically improves. Didn’t you hear a 10 year old’s mother complaining that her son remembers Dhoni’s score details but forgets maths? It is obvious that the child loves cricket; hence remembers everything related to that. A child or a students must be told every now and again in a gentle yet firm manner that education gives you a place and respect in the society and it is mandatory to study and work hard. Motivation builds memory. Don’t we see our grandparents quoting all dates from the annals of history without batting an eyelid? What do you think is the reason? Interest and alertness!
Apart from the above following tips help you stay mentally FIT!
* Play, exercise and eat good food
* Read self-help books
* Play memory, pictionary and other indoor
word games
* Listen to good music and SING ALONG!!