I went back to Indonesia to attend ‘Trade Expo Indonesia 2019’, which was held from the 16th to the 20th of October, 2019. On 13 October, I flew from Dar es Salaam to Jakarta to arrange the arrival of delegations from East Africa. We stayed in a hotel for one night and got ready for the next day to accompany some delegations from Tanzania, Burundi, and Comoros Union, to attend the opening of the TEI. For almost a full day, I was dealing with people and their requests.

Finally, it was time to go back to the hotel. I tried to take a rest for 15 minutes. I laid on the bed and felt something different with my heartbeat. It was not normal, I could feel it. This thing had been happening for about 12 years off and on but I never told anyone about it. Usually, it would go away but that night it was different, I could feel my heart beating irregularly and I felt scared and jittery. I could not breathe properly.

Fortunately, my parents were with me and we decided to go to the cardiac center directly. I anxiously entered the emergency room.  They fastidiously assisted me and took my health history. I told them that I have GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and anxiety. The doctor gave me an injection to reduce gastric acid. My heart was still not beating regularly, but I felt much better. They said many factors can trigger an irregular heartbeat. The doctor allowed me to go home and suggested I get some other tests.

I went back home and we did all of the tests and procedures. Then the doctor asked me to meet him in his office. He explained all the test results one by one. He did not find anything wrong with my heart. Based on those results and my health history, he referred me to a Psychiatrist from a different hospital.

I had a weird feeling as this was my first experience visiting a Psychiatrist. A big problem in Indonesia is the public lack of awareness of mental health. Many people have a tendency to mock or even bully people who ask for help from Psychiatrists or Psychologists. Many will label them a weak person or say they are simply overreacting. As a consequence, it can exacerbate the situation.

In the waiting room, I saw every patient waiting for a consultation with the same Psychiatrist as me. From the physical and facial expressions, they all looked fine. From that, I concluded to not judge people by how they may look. I was patiently waiting until my name was called.

The Psychiatrist welcomed me warmly and we talked about various things, starting from my childhood until adulthood. He asked about my biggest fear, things that make me feel stressed, my worries, and bullying. We also discussed the history of my health and the results of tests that I did at the cardiac center. The length of the conversation was about an hour and it all seemed open and peaceful. At the end of our conversation, he elaborated on my circumstances and connected the dots. He told me that there are chemicals and autonomic nerves in our brain and body. The chemical is related to the hormones that are produced in our body. There are nerves that connect to the heart, the digestive system, and the skin. So if there is a chemical imbalance, it will affect the autonomic nerves and lead to a disruption of the heart rate and digestion, and can cause psoriasis on the skin.

What was the trigger? In my case, it was the prolonged stress that I had not handled properly. That was causing stress hormones or cortisol in the brain to be produced in a large quantity, leading to an imbalance in the brain. Other hormones such as melatonin, endorphins, and serotonin that are normally produced were being inhibited because of the dominating stress hormones.

All of my questions were answered after I listened to his explanation. Especially the question regarding irregular heartbeat, heartburn, and sleep patterns. The doctor gave me a prescription for treatment. He told me the best ways and methods to cope with and reduce stress and asked me to rest whenever my body needed it. I am in treatment and I feel much better.

Mental health awareness is a major factor for creating an open, positive and healthy environment that can save many lives. Love one another and have empathy for others. The Secret and the law of attraction are obvious, everything in your thoughts manifests in the physical realm.