Battling Anxiety

Every once in a while, I decide to talk about a more 'serious' topic and raise awareness of the issues which it creates. Today's topic is something that a lot of people I know have been battling with - Anxiety. When I first heard that word, I wasn't quite sure what it meant, other than the fact it was something affecting people negatively. So here is a small definition of it: "Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life."

Personally, I feel like people nowadays don't raise much attention to anxiety and simply dismiss it. I know it is slightly irrational for me to say something so conclusive, however, I didn't know about anxiety until it had gotten too late for anyone to do something about it. Anxiety comes in many shapes and sizes. As mentioned previously, anxiety can be vague and unsettling, for instance, thinking you have lost your wallet, to having serious impact on daily life such as not being able to get out of bed because you are scared of what the day brings.

When everything began in my case, I didn't realise that anxiety got worse over time, so I did nothing and continued on with my daily life as normal. I completed my GCSE's with no problem as I was (and I want to put emphasis on the word 'was') very prepared for my exams, having revised for 2 months prior. I believed in myself. After getting my results and progressing into Sixth Form, everything started going downhill. I was always scared that I was going to get in trouble, miss a class test or even worse, not go to the class itself because I had read my timetable wrongly. The amount of times that I had to ask my friends to have a look at my timetable and tell me that I really don't have a lesson is probably more than I would ever like to admit. I felt crazy, having to check over, however I dismissed it and went on with my day without even giving it a thought.

Then, A-Level Exams started and this is where everything went steeply downhill. (I am not going to tell the whole story, simply because I would like to keep some details confidential and because this is not all about my experience, but letting you know how I battled with anxiety.) Before each exam, I would sit in a room with some friends and do some last minute revision (Tip: Don't sit with anyone before exams, the best idea is to sit in a quiet room on your own or go to talk to a teacher)  which I thought would be a good idea, however it didn't seem to be. I only ended up panicking and that resulted in a severe panic attack, where I nearly fainted and was late by 15 minutes to the exam. Not fun. I couldn't breathe and I remember the feeling of 'I am not going to get through this'.

This was not a nice experience and none of the experiences which those who suffer with anxiety have had are nice and I would like to raise awareness of the dangers which anxiety holds. Therefore, here are some of the ways, if you ever need them, in which you should deal with anxiety.

Remember, it is important for you to take some time out. 

Time out and away from the happenings of today is always a good idea. When I had my little period of anxiety and panic, it also helped me to go and speak to someone whom I trusted. It really helps to know that people are willing to help you and stand outside in the cold with you to calm you down.

It feels impossible to think clearly when you're flooded with fear or anxiety. A racing heart, sweating palms and feeling panicky and confused are the result of adrenalin. The first thing to do when you're feeling like this is to take some time out and physically calm yourself down.

What the person whom I spoke to said to me was that if anything like this ever happens again, I should distract myself for about 15 minutes and walk around school on my own and think about the good things that have happened or that are about to.

This is what helped me the most. Walking around the woodland part of my school was so refreshing and having talked to my teacher who calmed me down really did help.

So, just remember... YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

If, at any time you find yourselves alone and want to speak to someone or just want someone to listen, please contact me on littlerayofsunshineblog@hotmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.