During the pandemic many people suffered from different mental things and it was the time after which people started to take mental illnesses seriously like depression, stress and anxiety. Soon after the Covid pandemic when things started getting normalize and our educational institutes switch to hybrid mode, after the lift of lockdown my semester exams started and during those times a friend of mine was suffering from a problem and according to her doctors it was some sort of heart problem while she was experiencing a high paced heart and difficulty in breathing so for this she was prescribed heart medications for instance beta blockers. Her problem or we can say the uneasiness started during the lockdown when all people were captivated in their houses and a terror was in the air because of the intensity and the ratio of death caused by covid 19. My friend was so mentally and physically disturbed from her condition that she wasn’t able to be alone because she needed someone by her side and even during her papers her mother used to come along with her as her condition can go worse at any time and they had to rush to the hospital.
She kept me in loop regarding her condition. But she wasn’t feeling any good in her condition despite the fact that she was taking her medications at the appropriate time. Later she went to some place with her family and her condition got worse there, her aunt tried to handle her and later they had to end up in the hospital. There while she was panicking about shortness of breath a senior doctor was observing her, he at once ordered her to stop panicking and to breath through her nose as she can, although his tone wasn’t right but he actually got the cause and concluded that she wasn’t suffering from any heart problem despite it was an episode of anxiety. She was having another episode of anxiety.
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
Anxiety is basically a feeling of getting restless, agitated, irritated, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. Anxiety is to fear and worry about things that have uncertain outcomes and this emotional burst can lead to stimulation of the flight or fight response. Normally one can feel anxious in a situation like a student who is asked to deliver a presentation in front of the whole class or playing some sort of sport in front of a crowd. It is normal to feel anxious. Problem is when a person is having episodes of anxiety and that these episodes start to affect his social and personal life making him unable to perform his daily activities.
COPING STRATEGIES FOR ANXIETY:
- The first and foremost thing that a person suffering from neurological problems can do is to talk to someone and ask for help from family or professionals. Speaking about your feelings helps in lessening the pressure and tension and also helps in resolving the concerns that one has in mind.
- Identify the triggers, avoid those things and opt for coping mechanisms. Normally feeling anxious is not something to worry about but having episodic anxiety or panic attacks in some sort of situation can be troublesome.
- Before moving to any medication, start with non pharmacological interventions like keeping your mind calm through meditation, yoga, exercise, and keeping it busy with some sort of creative activity.
- One of the most important non pharmacological interventions is the use of breathing techniques. Anxiety often causes breathing problems, and these techniques can be helpful in alleviating the symptoms and making oneself better.
Further, if we dive into non-pharmacological approaches then we can count on a healthy lifestyle or natural remedies for the relief of anxiety like keeping the stomach happy and a good metabolism, because an upset stomach also causes neurological problems. Taking a high-fiber and leafy vegetable-type diet helps in coping with anxiety. Also, opt for a vitamin and minerals-rich diet especially vitamin B12 as it helps in muscle health and strength as stress can cause stiffening of the muscles.
- Good quality sleep also helps in relaxing the stiff muscles as insomnia is a main contributor to the worsening of neurological problems so try to take good quality sleep. Quality sleep is more important than quantity of sleep. One can also try sleep-inducing methods like relieving the pressure from pressure points , using chamomile tea or lavender tea or induction of sleep by making the environment for sleep relaxed, cold,dark and comfortable. As darkness is an indication for the brain to release a hormone that regulates the sleep and wake cycle.
- Exercising daily can help keep your body fit and also stimulates the release of endorphins, which are the natural opioids that help keep your nerves calm.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy is one the effective methods in management of mental illnesses,it is thought to help in improving the quality of life of the patient. CBT helps in identifying the disturbing negative thoughts and behavioral patterns that can have a detrimental effect on mind hence worsening the mental illnesses and shaping them into more objective, realistic and desirable positive patterns.
- Pharmacological interventions can be used like SSRIs, NSRIs along with cognitive behavioral therapy. These medicinal agents help in maintaining the optimum concentration of the chemicals present in the brain called neurotransmitters that are predominantly responsible for the health of the brain.
- Avoid overthinking, things not in your control because it will only make your brain feel exhausted and worried. There is a saying: “Don’t cross the bridges, before they come to you”. This means that do not panic by thinking about the things that are not in your control like the future, and future problems that cannot be tackled before time so let it be, stay positive and if in case something happens you will surely get out of something and eventually learn your lesson.
IN THE END ………
Anxiety is something that can be managed by taking some measures and practicing certain yoga or exercise techniques. Identifying the triggers one can lead a normal life.
A general advice for every individual that each one of us should include some sort of mind relaxing exercise in our lives because today’s life has become a competition that can easily cause an individual to become a patient of mental illness. So if you think you are having troubles, identify it, talk about it and seek help. The sooner you take help the more you’ll be less troubled.
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