I am not a laid back person. I never have been. I worry and get stressed and can be quite negative sometimes. Last year, this started to get slowly worse.
It took a long time to notice it but I lost control of how stressed I was getting. I would randomly start crying in the taxi on the way to a party or struggle to answer the phone at work because I was terrified. I felt like I was losing my mind – thoughts were racing constantly and I kept seeing images in my head of death.
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Then one day at work I had my first SEVERE panic attack. Nothing happened, I was just at my desk replying to emails and then suddenly I felt myself losing it. It was like I just couldn’t cope anymore with anything. I didn’t know I was having a panic attack at the time – all I remember is feeling like I was going die.
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With encouragement from everyone I booked myself an appointment with the GP as well an appointment with the counselling service. I was taught different techniques and ways in which to cope with what was happening to me – I learnt about mindfulness, breathing techniques, visualization and the power of just ACCEPTING that you're experiencing anxiety and that's okay – it's going to go away eventually. It was really helpful.
Mark
My journey with anxiety has been a process filled with loneliness, shame, and growth.
When we share about these things not only does it help us not be alone, but it normalizes something that is a common experience and challenge for so many of it. It can remove the shame and start the healing!.
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My journey with anxiety has been going on my entire life but exploded five years ago in the form of an anxiety attack. I had just landed in Hawaii and started to feel sweaty and sick to my stomach. My breathing became rapid and short.
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We collected our bags and went to urgent care. I was having an anxiety attack, but I did not know it. I had no idea why or what was happening, and I was far from home.
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We tried to stay for a few days, but it was useless I was not having a good time nor was my husband. We came home, the roughest trip of my life.
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