Imphal, October 29 2008: The prolonged law and order uncertainty plaguing the State is starting to have aa severe impact upon the common people of Manipur with experts confirming rise in the number of anxiety related cases.

As per comments of the subject experts, anxiety is a common ailment of restlessness of the mental state, sleep related problems, unstable mindset and unexplained panic attacks.

In the past the main cause of anxiety is said to be mostly related to unhealthy familial ties such as strain between members and haggling between kiths and kins while the mental problem at the current juncture is directly related to the relentless incidences of violence and intimidations such as extortion demands, pressure tactics and attacks from armed groups.

Psycho-analysts of RIMS shared information that anxiety could be classified under generalised anxiety disorder, acute stress reaction, post traumatic stress disorder and panic attack with all four form of ailment very familiar here in the violence-prone State.

They further explained that acute stress disorder form of anxiety is endured by individuals exposed to threat and intimidation with the victims suffering from sudden burst of pulse rate and symptoms similar to suffocation.

Confirming high rate of prevalence of anxiety in the Manipuri society, Head of Department of Psychiatry of RIMS Dr N Heramani Singh confided that in about the last two years cases of acute stress reaction anxiety had been on the upward scale.

Substantiating his point, Dr Heramani said Out patients Department (OPD) in RIMS Department of Psychiatry records about 50 patients on a single day with about 4-5 of the patients complaining of acute stress reaction form of anxiety.

Pointing out that this type of mental instability is closely linked or caused by the prevailing law and order situation in the State, he also informed that for the time being most doctors prescribe Zolam to calm the patients contrary to some other medical practitioners who are hesitant in suggesting use of the said medicine due to its addictive effect.

He, nevertheless opined that most general physicians usually prescribe Zolam.

On the other hand, pharmaceutical stores located in the vicinity of RIMS Hospital and main commercial areas such as Khwairamband Keithel (market) reported increased demand/sale of Zolam and tablets with similar composition as Zolam in the last few years.

Taking into account the high rate of sale of such medicines the pharmacists observed that manipur is today a land populated by people having myriad problem of mental disorder.

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