Q: I am a 28 years old male, often experiencing nervousness, giddiness, body pain and fear of dying. All this gets aggravated when I smoke. I feel as if my mind has gone blank and I am unable to concentrate on anything. I went to a doctor in Delhi and he told me that this is all due to anxiety and then I contacted a psychiatrist who gave me some anti-anxiety medicines including Cilentra, Clonotril and Paricen but I have no relief. Please tell me what should I do to feel at peace?

A:You seem to be suffering from Anxiety disorder. You have stated smoking and this has made your problem worse as nicotine and caffine worsen anxiety. Apart from medicines, one needs to look at life style. Having regular exercise, plenty of fluids, balanced diet, fruits, recreational and creative activity all help to deal with stress. Reduction in stress will help reducing anxiety. Seeing a counsellor will also help. Some of the medicines you have mentioned, can lead to dependency trait, so be careful about using increasing amount of medication.