CALM SUTRA

Your palms begin to sweat. You can feel your heart pounding through your chest. A million negative thoughts race through your mind. All because you find yourself in a situation that seems out of your control. Most of us deal with this feeling of anxiety by suffering in silence till the situation passes away. But a few days later we find ourselves grappling with another set of similar circumstances. And the entire cycle repeats itself. Endlessly. Read on as Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty offers a permanent solution to anxiety through the use of case studies.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a defence mechanism that serves the purpose of alerting us to danger. It is an emotion that each of us experiences in different intensities throughout our lives. In excess however it causes emotional and physical disturbances. When in an anxious state our autonomic nervous system gets aroused and certain chemicals are released which in turn lead to an increased heart rate, breathlessness, dizziness, fainting spells etc. As the anxiety increases we may experience a larger number of symptoms.

Exams and Interviews

As a young school-going boy, Manish experienced a pounding heart just as he would reach the examination hall and later he experienced the same problem at job interviews. Paralysing thoughts such as, ' I will fail, I am no good' went through his mind and as a result his performance fell and he experienced a full-fledged panic attack with breathlessness, wanting to run away and even fainting.

Solution

Manish needed counselling coupled with medication to calm his severe anxiety. The triggers and the irrational beliefs were discussed and he was made more aware of his capabilities. As a result, rational options were elicited from him, such as 'I am good, I am talented and I will pass the test'. He also opted for Vippassana to calm his nerves. Meditative practices and breathing exercises help calm the state of hyper arousal. All this together helped him overcome his fear.

Accident and Injury

Mr Johar just froze when his auto overturned. He received a deep gash to his forehead and as he touched it, he felt his palms wet with blood. He took a long time to find his way out of the overturned auto although it was not a very difficult task. Within a short span of time he recovered automatically. Yet, such a situation of panic need not  have arrived, had he been trained in handling emergencies.

Solution

Fight, flight and fright are the three most common responses during such a situation. Rehearsing a disaster response in life is extremely important and can prevent extreme anxiety. Being prepared for a disaster involves internalising the immediate response through information and visualisation exercises. Emergency drills must be performed in schools and workplaces where we spent a large part of our day. This helps in reducing fear and also the time taken to reach an emergency facility.

Honeymoon

Shibu froze when his wife held his hand on the nuptial night. He began perspiring, breathing heavily and suffered palpitations. Shibu had studied in an all-boy's school and was shy by nature. He was also not allowed to interact with his fiance after the engagement as their families were conservative. Due to his inability to share physical relations with his wife, he felt  guilty and was contemplating separation.

Solution

Shibu went in to counselling where he expressed his fears and  it was learned that the biggest blocks were the irrational beliefs of the couple and the two families such as, 'The girl is too smart and not fit for our naive Shibu'. The family also learned about Shibu's problem with intimacy and held yet another irrational belief such as, 'It is a physical problem'. Such beliefs were discussed with the couple and clarified. During this period all physical intimacy was suspended and exercises aimed at knowing each other were advised. Slowly the act of intimacy was introduced in baby steps across an eight week period and the issue was resolved.

Pregnancy

Lekha worried daily during her pregnancy about having a normal baby. She did not sleep well and lost her appetite. She wanted a baby boy as that was the wish expressed by her family. She would feel breathless during visits to her gynaecologist.

Solution

Lekha was advised counselling where she expressed her fears to the therapist and later to her husband in the presence of the therapist. During therapy she revealed that when she was just a child, her aunt was reprimanded in her presence for giving birth to three girl children consecutively. The entire experience was forgotten and came to light only during counselling. Helping her visualize her positive experiences, providing peer support from her elder sisters who had children calmed her completely. Her husband's strong reassurance was the icing on the cake.

Riots

Life was not the same for Mr. Rathod after he was ruffed up in a recent riot. He experienced severe pain in the chest and lived in constant fear. His fear reached such extreme levels that he refused to leave home entirely.

Solution

Following such an event fear and anxiety is common but if it persists for longer than a month than it requires help and is referred to as 'Post traumatic Stress disorder'. Rathod was prescribed anti-anxiety medications for a short span of time and he also went into counselling. He was exposed to similar anxiety inducing situations in an imaginary state and taught deep breathing, calming techniques. His family was also counselled and educated about the symptoms and the treatment process. Slowly but surely life returned to normal for Mr. Rathod.