According to the WHO –
38 million Indians suffer from anxiety disorders.
What does that mean? Well, when a person experiences heightened feelings like fear, worry, suppressed rage, etc., along with increased physical responses – palpitations, restlessness, sweating, etc.- it is called anxiety. When this anxiety is so pronounced that it becomes a handicap, it becomes an anxiety disorder.
Kunal, 43 has struggled with the most common of these disorders, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, or GAD.
GAD is characterized by long lasting anxiety about nothing in particular. People with GAD have trouble in identifying what exactly is causing them anxiety and how to deal with it. It eats into one’s ability to perform everyday activities like work and house chores, etc, as it is a constant, nagging anxiety that something will go wrong
A tuition teacher by profession, Kunal is intelligent, fluent and has an excellent memory. Unfortunately, his GAD is something he found difficult to cope with.
If you asked me to go out and get something, speak to someone, negotiate regarding tuition classes, or just try anything new, I would experience severe anxiety.
If suffering from GAD wasn’t enough, Kunal would also experience major mood swings which is never a nice experience.
I would get depressed, but then sometimes I would suddenly start feeling good, as if I was on a high
All this adversely affected Kunal’s professional life too. Finding work was never difficult for him but sustaining it was. Kunal consulted with a Psychiatrist and tried the medication he was prescribed, but it didn’t prove too helpful.
So he finally decided to give Psychotherapy a shot and approached YourDOST. He connected with a couple of Experts but jelled best with Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychologist, Ms. Komal Dalal.
She understood me. She took me through hypnotherapy and gave me so many new insights about myself.
Just talking about his problems had a significant cathartic effect and helped him feel feel lighter.
Slowly but surely, Kunal started digging further into all the challenges he had been grappling with, and worked on solutions, together with his chosen Expert. He worked on making positive changes in his lifestyle which gave his mental wellness a much needed boost.
I was advised to go for walks in nature parks. I started doing it and it made me feel really good. Before lockdown, I would go for a walk everyday with my wife or my father.
Komal also asked him to take small steps which would have an immense effect on his positivity.
She told me to put a smiley on my mirror, and asked me to practice gratitude exercises at night. Slowly, I started practising them too
Karan would struggle with occasional insomnia. Komal and he worked to tackle this issue head-on.
Sometimes, I used to get so anxious that I was unable to sleep. I was taught techniques like Progressive Muscle Relaxation which helped me so much with that.
All this while, they continued to work on his thought process, in order to slowly remove the worries that were inducing all this anxiety. The impact of therapy on Kunal’s life can best be gauged by the changes he has seen in himself.
My anxiety has come down. I don’t suddenly panic anymore. I’m able to handle all negotiations for tuition class fees on my own.
Something extreme and uncertain like a pandemic and nationwide lockdown that we have experienced in the recent times, can be very distressing for someone with GAD. Kunal however has sailed through these not so easy times.
I’ve been a tuition teacher for 10 years. The lockdown was a bit of a setback. But I’ve been keeping myself busy. I’m listening to a lot of audiobooks. I’ve also been reading a lot. I’ll start home tuitions once the lockdown is lifted. I’m preparing myself for that.
Having GAD is never easy. But with the right help, it can be overcome. As Kunal puts it –
Talk therapy is great. You can’t discuss everything with family. They may dismiss it. I would share often with my wife or parents. But they can’t help me the way a professional does
Kunal’s journey to personal success is well in progress now. Our Experts can help you kickstart or boost your own journey too. Connect with them today.
Kunal’s Warrior Tips:
1. Personal challenges may be difficult but not impossible to overcome
2. Never give up
3. Seek therapy if you need it. Talking with a professional really helps
