Kinjal Kanani | CPTSDfoundation.org

Seek Help and You Are Half Way There!

Kinjal Kanani — Thu, 27 May 2021 10:00:27 +0000

My husband found me sobbing in a corner with a medication strip in my hand.

It was a normal day until…

There was some minor setback at the workplace, and my anxiety started controlling me.

I created thousands of negative consequences and cried inconsolably.

My doctor had advised taking SOS medicine during such scenarios.

(SOS means taking the medication as and when needed)

But I hate taking them as they make me drowsy.

So, there I was, sobbing in a corner, with an SOS medication strip in my hand, wondering if I should take it.

My husband realized I needed help and convinced me to take medicine.

And the result?

I was back to normal within 30 minutes!

What’s the point of telling you this?

Well, it’s to convey the importance of medicine in managing anxiety.

Does Everyone Need medications to Control Anxiety?

A big NO!

Not everyone needs drugs to control their jitters.

But only your doctor can decide this for you.

Also…

Don’t make the same mistake as I did!

I waited too long to seek help for managing anxiety.

It took me a panic attack to realize I needed support.

And at this stage, medicines were my only hope.

Are These Medicines safe?

I consulted a psychiatrist who put me on a few drugs to help manage my condition.

But this decision wasn’t received well by my loved ones.

“You don’t need medicines.”

“You just need fresh air or a break.”

“Be strong, Kinjal; all this is in your head.”

“Being a doctor, how can you take medicines for this long.”

“Aren’t you aware of the side effects of these medicines?”

I used to get all these from many relatives and loved ones.

While I can’t blame them, only I knew what I was going through.

Frankly, given an option, I, too, wouldn’t want to take medicines to manage anxiety.

However, medicines are not as nocuous as one may think.

I am not saying they don’t have side effects. Or it’s easy to accept the fact that you may have to take them for a long period.

Practically, it’s selecting between “anxiety” or “short-term side effects of these medicines.”

And medicine is LESSER of the two evils.

How do These Medicines Help?

Multiple drugs can help you manage anxiety.

Some of them ease symptoms such as a racing heartbeat or nausea. While others act on the brain chemicals.

For instance, the neurotransmitter serotonin supplies cells related to mood. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and depression.

Anxiety medicines can improve its level in the brain, enhancing your mood. Some medications can also calm you down.

But they have their own side effects.

Coping with Their Side Effects

Anxiety medicines can cause unpleasant effects.

I used to get weird sensations in my body.

Goosebumps, nausea, sexual disorders, and crying spells were some of the common ones.

Initially, I couldn’t understand if these sensations were part of my condition or the medicines.

Talking to my physician confirmed they were medicine-related.

So, how can one cope with it?

Accept it. Knowing that you will face adverse effects will keep you prepared.

For physical problems such as constipation or dryness of the mouth, you can consult your doctor. (I won’t bore you with all this here)

Fortunately, most side effects are short-lived.

NEVER, I repeat, never stop medicines on your own.

For females, changes in the hormone around menses also affect the mood.

It’s like you are faced with so many emotions all at once.

But experiment with things that help you.

Music, cooking, coloring, or even comfort foods can help you. (My comfort food is ice-cream 😉)

Seek Support

Let me tell you my thoughts on it.

I am an independent female and prefer doing things by myself.

So, the first thing that came to my mind…

“I don’t need help.”

“It’s just a phase. Things will be fine.”

“I am a strong female; I can do this on my own.”

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

And I learned this the HARD way!

But I was fortunate.

I have a lovely, supportive family, a sister, and a husband.

They have seen me through the lowest times and showered all their love and patience.

Impact of lifestyle

While I had a pretty decent lifestyle, it still had flaws. Here is how I took charge of it:

Started becoming active: Being physically active and exercise aids in the release of endorphins, the happy hormone. I started with regular morning walks and some cardio workouts. (Here is the link to the schedule). Besides, I started taking walks whenever I felt restless, and it worked wonders.
Changes in diet: I started strictly adhering to a healthy diet with fewer carbs and fats (more on this in my next blog).
Mindfulness: It is one of the approaches that brought a significant change in my condition.

Seek support if you are unwell. It doesn’t mean you are weak. It means you are responsible. So, take care of your mental health. And once again, if I could soar, so can you. See you on the healthy side!

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Kinjal Kanani

I am a Medical Copywriter. With a Master’s degree in Medical Science, I enjoy writing about health and fitness. It excites me to provide the audience with simple answers to create a healthier lifestyle. I believe in research, make sense out of it, and put in simple language (Yes, I try to be a Ninja Writer :D).

kinjalkanani.com/

This is What Triggered My Panic Attack!

Kinjal Kanani — Wed, 05 May 2021 10:00:46 +0000

Me: I am going to have a heart attack! Let’s get the ECG done, or else it would be too late.

My rational mind: No, it can’t be a heart attack. RELAX!

Me: I’m unable to breathe, and my chest hurts. It’s definitely an attack.

My rational mind: If so, gather courage and seek help.

Me: No, I can’t do this right now. Granny is hospitalized, and people are already worried.

My rational mind: Everything will be fine.

Me: But it doesn’t seem to be fine. I can’t take this. I feel I am going to die.

This is a trailer of the conversation going in my head before I had a full-blown attack.

No, not a heart attack, but a PANIC ATTACK.

As you can see, a panic attack overpowers your rational thinking and injects terror into your mind.

You start imagining the worse without apparent reason.

Suffering from anxiety for long and choosing to ignore — not a great idea, trust me — I’d pushed myself to a state where I couldn’t take it more.

So, I am writing the story to help you understand how a panic attack may seem and why it’s essential to seek help early.

What Is A Panic Attack?

A panic attack is an episode of intense fear appearing suddenly, often without warning.

This attack typically lasts for 10 to 20 minutes or even for an hour in extreme cases.

Some common symptoms include:

Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Nausea
Lightheadedness
A feeling that you may die
Chest tightness or pain
Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
Palpitations or a racing heartbeat

Events That Triggered a Panic Attack

Generally, any stressful event, such as a family member’s death or witnessing a traumatic event, may cause a panic attack.

Some other causes include:

Phobias
Chronic pain
Thyroid problems
Other mental health conditions such as depression
Anxious personality
Family history of anxiety or panic disorder

Coming back to my condition…

Multiple causes may seem to have triggered the attack.

If you have read my previous blog, you will know that I have an anxious personality.

Besides, my father had a few anxiety episodes when my grandfather expired at a very young age.

Along with this, the following chain of events was responsible…

(Traumatic event 1)

In April 2019, my brother-in-law suffered a heart attack.

I got a call where he described his condition, and I knew he was having one.

Obviously, I advised him to get admitted immediately.

While on my way to the hospital, I could hardly breathe.

To make it worse…

His 6-year-old kid was sitting sadly in a corner, feeling lost seeing his father crying from pain.

This further triggered my anxiety.

My chest started hurting, and I felt I had a heart attack myself.

But, I had to handle the situation there and not complain about my problem.

Breathing exercises came to my rescue.

I thought things would settle soon.

Did they? NOT AT ALL.

The coming week was crazy.

I couldn’t focus on my work, was not interested in talking to anyone, and felt like shutting myself in a room and cry, which I was unable to do.

Just when I was trying to cope with this, something worse happened.

(Traumatic Event 2)

It was 8th May morning, 6 o’clock, when my phone rang.

My cousin was on the line, and he told me that my grandmother had a seizure and couldn’t talk.

(More about my grandmother: She is a 75-year lovely lady with a history of brain tuberculosis and seizure episodes for which she was hospitalized before as well).

Worried, I rushed to see her.

I still vividly remember that day.

My uncle gave her a nebulizer as the oxygen levels dropped below 90 (the ideal level is between 95-99).

Now, this was a bad decision as she could aspirate the froth and have aspiration pneumonia (a type of pneumonia when you aspirate vomitus or spit that inflames your lungs).

I immediately made her lie on my lap.

In the next 30 minutes, she got about six seizure attacks, the last attack being worse, where she turned blue and oxygen dropping below 90.

We rushed her to the hospital.

I couldn’t take this but couldn’t cry at the same time.

The next three days were the same where she was unconscious in the ICU.

I tried crying to vent out my emotions, but I was not able to.

On the fourth day, I guess I couldn’t take it.

Guessing serotonin levels were all messed up.

I cried and cried and just couldn’t stop.

I felt as if I was having a heart attack and that I too will need admission to the hospital (Crazy, right? But that’s how anxiety works)

Reality Check

Being a medical student, I thankfully realized that I might be having a panic attack.

The crying spells were horrible.

For the next 30-45 minutes, I just cried uncontrollably.

I had a doctor friend who helped during this time.

He put me on medicines, but they take some days to show their effect.

During those days, even simple tasks of taking a shower or talking to someone felt impossible.

The worst thing was visiting my grandmother in the hospital. I would get flashes of those events, making it difficult for me to cope.

Some more days passed the same way, with nausea, crying spells, chest pain, and a choking sensation.

Gradually, the effects of medicines kicked in and my condition started improving (more on this in my next blog, stay tuned!)

It’s A Wrap!

A panic attack is an acute state of fear that may paralyze you. During this state, you may not understand what’s happening. The best thing to do is to consult your doctor and SEEK HELP immediately!

Also, don’t leave your anxiety unattended.

If I could soar, so can YOU!

Kinjal Kanani

kinjalkanani.com/

Three Things I Learned From My Anxiety the Hard Way!

Kinjal Kanani — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:00:51 +0000

I have a secret!

But before I reveal it, I want to tell you something about myself.

My loved ones come to me when they are in a jam. I am their official go-to person for all kinds of problems.

They praise me for my poise under challenging situations.

Some people even feel that just talking to me eases them.

Besides, being a doctor, comforting patients is my primary goal. And for doing this, I need to be relaxed.

With the information, you would picture me as someone calm and composed, right?

Well, you are both right and wrong.

Yes, I am calm on the exterior but NOT on the interior.

And that’s my secret.

I have anxiety that stirs me and keeps me awake.

Don’t Be Too Hard Yourself. Anxiety Can affect Anyone, Even A Doctor Like me!

That’s right. Anxiety is more common than you may think.

Did you know every one in five individuals will have anxiety once in their lifetime? And about 8% of the children will have anxiety disorder before they turn 21.

I know it might not be easy for you to accept.

My loved ones couldn’t believe that I could have anxiety. Rather, I, too, was shocked. I always had this in my mind, “Why me?”.

But you know what, I have learned this from my journey…

Instead of fighting with it, it’s best to ACCEPT that anxiety can affect anyone.

“You don’t drown by falling into water. You only drown if you stay there.”—Zig Ziglar

So, the first thing I would like to share about anxiety is…

It can affect anyone!

Fortunately, early detection and treatment aids in the effective management of the symptoms and preventing complications.

But how do you know if you have anxiety?

What Anxiety Feels Like

Imagine going to an important interview. How does it feel? Palpitations, sweating of palms and soles, nervousness, and even nausea, correct?

Now, increase the intensity of all your emotions.

This is what a person suffering from anxiety may go through daily.

If we talk about me…

I don’t know how a normal heartbeat feels.

From what I recall, I always had a racing heartbeat, like a throbbing one.

I thought this was normal until I took science after school.

The sensation would be worse before a stressful situation, such as giving an exam or going for an interview.

So, I realized my pulse rate and heartbeat are abnormal, but…

Didn’t know why.

Frankly, it didn’t bother me much as I was kind of used to it.

Only when I entered medical college, I realized I have anxiety.

But it never affected me much.

(Obviously, apart from anticipatory diarrhea, and feeling like having stomach flu before a stressful condition.)

All this changed when the intensity of symptoms increased, and I could hear my heartbeat while sleeping.

It started bothering me.

Sometimes I used to get butterflies in my stomach, and my hands started trembling for no reason.

I also used to feel as if everything is out of control.

Other times I used to cry, shutting myself in the bathroom.

So, the second thing I want you to know is symptoms of anxiety vary and are out of proportion to the problem or stress.

Anxiety Can Hamper the Quality of Your Life

There is one more aspect of my life that I would like to share.

I am a people person. I love being around people, knowing them and their journey. All this excites me.

I also love to explore unknown places, especially those close to nature.

But many times, anxiety holds me back.

“What if the opposite person wouldn’t like me?”, “What if I fail?” or “What if the person notices my hand tremors?”

My mind would create thousands of negative scenarios that would stop me from being myself.

With all these thoughts, it would be difficult to concentrate. Frequent headaches, nausea, diarrhea, sleepless nights, and feeling irritable were my constant companions.

So, the last thing that I would like you to know about anxiety is that it affects the quality of your life and may handicap you.

Fortunately, as discussed before, it is TREATABLE.

You may think, why didn’t I do anything about it?

I thought it might go away, or I was strong enough to handle it. You can even say it was my pride. I was also worried about the stigma and that they might put me on medication. I didn’t want this to be my medical history.

But this was not a good idea at all. (More about this in my next blog)

A Word About Anxiety

I am not sure many of you would know how anxiety works.

So, before I end this blog, I would love to talk a bit about the condition.

Anxiety is a response to stress. While this is protective, full-blown anxiety can affect the quality of your life.

If you are stressed for a long time or have extreme emotions, you may get an anxiety attack.

Experts believe that abnormal levels of chemicals in your brain, such as serotonin and dopamine, may be responsible for anxiety symptoms.

It’s a Wrap!

The three important things anxiety taught me are: Never judge a book by its cover, symptoms of anxiety may vary, and it can affect the quality of your life.

And before you go…

Please remember, anxiety is treatable. So don’t refrain from asking for help!

Kinjal Kanani

kinjalkanani.com/