If you’ve ever had the misfortune of suffering from a panic attack, you know it is a terrifying experience. You can’t breathe, your mind is racing a million miles an hour, and you literally feel like you might die.
On the surface, an Instagram model named Kharina K. looks like she leads the perfect life. But we all know looks can be incredibly deceiving.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwzNTxuBkR1/
Kharina recently shared a video of herself experiencing a frightening panic attack. She said, “No, this is NOT an act, this is REAL LIFE. This was me earlier having one of THE WORST panic attacks I’d ever had that happened to be caught on camera.”
Kharina posted the video for a specific reason. She is trying to bring awareness to mental health issues and erase some of the stigma around mental illness, especially in her home country of Malaysia.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv8wMO_hKmG/
Here is the rest of Kharina’s very important post. Be sure to read the entire thing.
“Why I had this attack isn’t important so I’ll leave that bit out. I’m posting this not for attention or sympathy, but because I have been given this platform on instagram and would like to do some good with it. You guys see most of my life as rainbows and sunshine (cuz no one likes to post the bad parts anyways) , however this is my reality.
Constantly having anxiety and being fine one minute, and like this the next. I try to post as much as I can about mental health to bring AWARENESS to it because it is REAL, and is not taught very well in Malaysia, however I have never been able to show you guys until now. I didn’t choose this, I do not want it, and it’s a horrible thing to be constantly fighting a battle no one knows about or sees that’s in your head 24/7 and constantly feeling like a crazy person.
It burdens not only you, but the people around you & yet all you can do is apologize when you yourself don’t even want it which is one of the worst feelings ever. I’m very lucky to have a great support system around me that loves & takes good care of me in times like these, however not everyone is as lucky as I am… and so this post is to remind those who suffer from it that you ARE NOT ALONE, & to hopefully bring awareness to the people who don’t know/understand mental illnesses.
If I can enlighten even 1 person by posting this, I’ll be happy and will feel like I have used this platform to do something useful & good instead of just for selfish nonsensical reasons. I may or may not delete this, but I just thought that after everything today, & the fact that someone had actually gotten this on camera, that it felt almost like it was my duty to do some good with it.
I hope if someone you know has any form of mental health illness that you try your best to be patient with them time & time again which I know can be hard, but is sometimes the best or only thing you can do for that person… to just try your best to understand, and just BE THERE.”
Here is the video that Kharina posted on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxIKA4-hfqH/
The post went viral in a big way and has been viewed over 350,000 times on Instagram as of this writing. A video of Kharina’s panic attack on Twitter has been viewed nearly 10 million times, highlighting the fact that so many people suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental issues. That is why Kharina’s post is so relatable, pure and simple.
Thanks for sharing Kharina, and may you, and everyone else who struggles with mental illness, continue to improve each and every day.
