On 5 March 2011, I wrote a post here about living with my anxiety. The response to this post was extraordinary. I was overwhelmed with emails and DMs on Twitter. It truly highlighted to me just how many people are living with anxiety and how many people are too embarrassed to speak about it. It reminded me of how alone I felt when I was in the thick of it all.
Today, as a result of that post, I am Richard Fidler's guest on "Conversations" on ABC radio. We will be talking about living with anxiety.
Ironically I am experiencing heightened anxiety this morning!! Trying to remind myself this is normal "anxiety" I am feeling. Breathe.
My anti anxiety chant: "things are never as bad as they seem". You will be great. A-M xx
ReplyDeleteTotally listening to you right now. And yes, I hear you on the anxiety.
ReplyDeleteGreat radio
ReplyDeleteand you are being very honest
Geoff xxx
Fabulous interview Annie. Thankyou!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your help and advice "Just accept it" - that is what I needed to hear today.
ReplyDeleteLove Richard Fidler's program and feel I won the lucky dip today when I switched on and found this "freeing" advice.
Listened to you on conversations this morning.
ReplyDeleteI was driving and when I got to my house, I sat outside in the car for the next 30 minutes engrossed.
Thank you for your honesty. Your comments about mental illness are insightful. If only people saw mental illness in the same light as 'other' illnesses which need a proper diagnosis, treatment and acceptance and understanding from the community at large and also the individual.
I fully concur with the other comments. As a youth counsellor I am all too aware of the hidden sexual abuse epidemic. Thanks for being brave and talking openly; my prayer is that this will encourage others to come forward and get help.
ReplyDeleteI used to suffer from debilitating anxiety attacks from the age of 18 or so. The overwelming feeling of impending disaster along with the physical symptons (sweaty palms, racing heart,trembling,churning stomach) would cause me to want to flee wherever I happened to be. If I was inside I would feel as though the room was closing in on me. I am now 50 and have not had a severe attack for many years. I was always too embarrassed to seek help and therefore never took any medication. My saviour was some books written by Dr Claire Weekes- from them I learnt how to live with the attacks without fearing them. Eventually they ( the attacks)lessened in frequency and severity.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed listening to your touching story today- I cannot begin to imagine what it was like to experience sexual abuse as a child.
All the best
Leanne
Congratulations Annie...after listening to you I jumped on line...yours is the first blog I have ever read...I loved the interview with Richard and your blogs.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with your insights into being 'plugged in'and the consequences of this ... lost 'thinking time' and imagination!
What a fabulous interview, so good that it propelled me to read the first blog of my life!!. Thank you for being so brave and open. Congratulations Annie you are an inspiration. All the best to you.
ReplyDeleteYour post comes hot on the heels on a highly emotionally charged conversation between Captain V and I on the weekend surrounding the debilitating effect that anxiety has had on my life and gradually how it's impacting on the rest of my family.
ReplyDeleteIt really is a silent scourge and I'm so glad that you've opened up this forum to talk about it - thank brave, wise you!
I send this with the warmest of hugs and the hope that you can put on some great music to lift your spirits, bring a spring to your step and get you moving forward.
xxx Felicity
Listened to the interview and just finished checking out your blog. Thankyou!!! I suffer from anxiety and have forever, however since the birth of my first child, followed shortly after by the suicide death of my husband six years ago the anxiety has been debilitating. I take anti depressants but wish I didn't! drink too much! feel sick most of the time!! Life is a constant battle and nobody knows!!! I've never told anyone about it and live in fear that people will find out! I find that yoga and meditation helps but constantly beat myself up because I never seem to be able to do it regularly!!! Anyway, it was so good to listen to you and read the blog, I'm not alone!!!!
ReplyDeleteLoved the bit about anxiety being a little bit weird and also when u talked about childhood being difficult but you still having these positive memories predominately. I loved how understanding you are Annie of others despite experiences that would dehibilitate many. A very brave account of the trials and tribulations of life.
ReplyDeleteI bet you were brilliant! I hope you can put a link to the podcast for us as I would love to hear this, Annie. x
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ReplyDeleteBack to tell you that yes, I did notice that you had already posted a link and I've listened and WOW. It was fantastic how you used humour to convey how debilitating anxiety is. Panic attacks must be terrifying, Annie. I also enjoyed learning more about your upbringing. Hearing you talk about it just enhanced what I know from your blog. It must have been the most shattering moment when you had that conversation with your sister. I can't even imagine what that must have felt like to learn that you were not alone.
ReplyDeleteI love you even more. x
I too heard part of yesterday's interview
ReplyDeleteI sat outside where I was supposed to be, fascinated too.
I love how brave
And the story of where your birth mother had to stay while pregnant was fascinating too
Thankyou
Sweetie, heard the interview and thought you did awesomely. I think it went beyond anxiety to your whole life story, which was pretty of the interviewer and very open of you. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI was stopped in my tracks by the interview. Thank you so much for your honesty and your courage. Truly inspiring. It rang a few bells with me too. It's the first time I have ever heard anyone speak of melting insides which necessitated emergency trips to toilets. For a long time, this made my life hell. And kind of dirty too. It was so good to learn that I am not the only one in the entire universe with this reaction! Thank you so very much.
ReplyDeletegoogle knows it :-D
ReplyDeleteThe first step in treating a mental disorder is recognizing that something is not right. The second step is getting help. These two steps may in fact be the hardest part of the entire healing process. Once you seek help from a qualified health care provider, a correct diagnosis can be made and proper treatment can be given to help you get back on track. Heparin here
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