Help: my anxiety

I’m not a doctor, I’m simply prepared to speak of my experiences as an ordinary person. To remind you that more of us suffer with mental illness than you may realise. If we can all talk more openly then we may pick up coping tips from each other. We can start being kinder to ourselves…

Many years ago, my late father, the one who was found as an abandoned baby, spoke frequently about “taking care of number one”. I’ve only recently followed his advice and understood the depth of what he meant. I used to think of it as being self-indulgent. But I think differently now. For instance, if a mother has a cold and so does her baby, without taking care of herself, how can she nurse her child back to health? We have to look after ourselves before we can truly help others.

Sometimes we swell our anxieties because we allow unfair guilt to fester like weeds in the mind. We could be worrying about an important interview or phone call and we say unhelpful criticisms in the self-narrative we use on ourselves. The things that we think throughout the day and night. The words we keep in our thoughts. But it gets so overcrowded that our heads and our issues gnaw at our insides.

I know when mine’s particularly bad when it feels like I’ve guzzled a pint of lemon juice. I wake up in the morning with burning pains in my tummy.

It is so important to notice the small things that you can do to make yourself feel better – and these will be individual to you. Whether it’s reading your favourite book, or going for a walk, we all have our own ways of cheering ourselves up, even if only slightly. One of the most important lessons I’ve learnt is to surround myself around people who make me feel good about myself. Whether it’s family, friends, or a pet, spend time around those who uplift you and help to take your mind off your worries. And, if you feel you’re able to, try talking about your feelings – it is so important to share your worries and you’d be surprised at the wisdom and support that you may gain.