WEYBURN – A young woman shared the struggles and victories of her mental health journey with a sold-out crowd for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mayor’s Luncheon on Tuesday, held as a feature event for Mental Health Week in Weyburn.
A number of speakers shared about the importance of mental health awareness, and a student vocal ensemble performed for the crowd at McKenna Hall.
Lauren Kohl, 20, is a dancer, piano teacher and professional dog groomer from Montmartre, and she shared how dealing with anxiety was a big part of her journey to mental health.
She told of how her journey began with an incident when she was 12, when she tried to swallow an ice cube and it ended up choking her. Her parents were able to give her the Heimlich manoeuvre, but the sensation of blacking out and not being able to breathe left an indelible mark on her mind, as she was highly anxious afterward about not being able to breathe. She also developed a fear of dying from this experience.
These thoughts led to a round of other thoughts and feelings as her mind would not stop worrying and fretting over every little thing, as what she termed her “inner critic” put her down at every turn.
Kohl noted even just before coming up to the podium on stage, she worried, “What if I hiccup? What if I trip going up there? What if my speech bores everyone? What if my hair and makeup make me look ugly?”
She added that everyone battles an inner critic, but said, “We deserve to be kind to ourselves.”
Kohl started seeing a counsellor at age 12 due to her anxiety, and was put on medication. “I had anxiety and panic attacks almost every minute of the day that I wasn’t distracted. It was terrible,” she said, describing her anxiety as manifesting as hyperventilating and breaking out in a cold sweat.
“It was a very stressful and agonizing time for me,” she said. “All I wanted was to learn how to get rid of these awful thoughts and feelings.”
The medication wasn’t helping her, so by the time she was 13 she did research on the Internet about anxiety and how to deal with it, and found one way to distract herself was with guided videos on YouTube, or stories that her mother Kathy made up.
Kohl also discovered that listening to music was a useful tool for her, as she concentrated on one instrument at a time in a song, and this calmed her mind down.
She switched to a counsellor in Weyburn, and tried different medications until she found one that worked well for her. By the time she was 19, however, she was concerned over the effects of medication on her body, so she sought treatment from a naturopath in Moose Jaw, who put her on a specialized diet and weaned her off the medication.
“After six months of the diet, I’ve never ever felt better, I hardly felt any side effects,” said Kohl, adding that this is what worked for her, and recommended if someone listening to her talk is on medication, they should continue to follow what their doctor is prescribing for them.
“Everyone has their own preferences. Medications are important, so I don’t want you to think you shouldn’t be on medications. Think of them as your friend,” she said.
One of the tools that she developed was to bring a sensory box in her backpack to help her centre and calm her mind and anxieties. The box would have something for all five senses, she explained. She had headphones for music; a fidget device; a piece of chocolate or gum for taste; some essential oils for smell; and for sight she had photos of her puppy.
“These are all things that make me very happy and comfortable, and bring me back to reality,” said Kohl.
