How to handle external disturbances?
Q: I am 1 33 yr old male and working in IT field. I get terribly distracted by loud noises like crackers and vehicular noise to the point that it starts to affect me physically. I get slightly dizzy and I get shots of pain in my left arm and some areas on chest (over the lungs) and there is uneasiness. Otherwise also sometimes I get ache in my left arm and chest at different areas and have severe tingling sensation (like when blood flow is constricted )in my left arm and leg). My left side is weaker because of a broken arm in my childhood. Two years back I had a breathing problem which was attributed to my nose blockage and got subsequently operated upon. At that time I got myself checked by cardiologists and chest spaecialists also and ECG and PFT were OK. But I still have to sometimes exert myself to pull in air (not shortness of breath). This is affecting my work as I am not able to concentrate and a feeling of being unwell always hangs upon me. What should I do?
A:I do understand from your description that you have multiple problems, and they seem to be somewhat linked to each other. I do not know from this description if you have consulted any mental health professional (psychiatrist, clinical psychologist or counselor) till now. It will be helpful to consult some one in the mental health profession soon.....to be able to obtain an understanding of the problem that you seem to have. It is possible that you are suffering from a diagnosable disorder and may benefit from medicines/psychotherapy. Alternatively, if it is found that you have do not have any diagnosable disorder but only some problem in adjustment, it can be helped with counseling/psychotherapy. It should be easily possible to provide help if you decide to help yourself and so do not lose heart, but make sure that you seek help from suitable professionals.