Mental Health
Anxiety is like a disease. It eats away at your insides, affecting your brain, your lungs, your stomach, etc. I can’t really remember when I started to get it. All I knew was that I was too young to be dealing with all those emotions. I was around 15 when I experienced a panic attack for the first time. I was in an exam, NAPLAN, the worse! The teachers stress children out about NAPLAN, but really it’s a review of the teacher’s teaching instead of the children’s intellect; it doesn’t really amount to anything. Anyway, the attack started with sweaty palms and a sick stomach. I thought nothing of it, so I pushed through it. Then BAM! I could not breathe… It felt like I was dying; my heart would not calm down; I couldn’t get any air in, and the world was spinning around me. I eventually had to leave the room.
After that, I stopped doing well in school. My attendance started to plumet; I would go to school a minimum of two days a week. I would avoid social situations like classrooms with other students and going to shopping centres. After awhile, my anxiety pushed me to a point where I had to drop out of school at Year 10. I was so ashamed of myself; it was kind of taboo to leave school at a young age. No one talked about how much anxiety can affect your life and take things away from you like that.
Eventually, after 6 months of nothing but anxious thoughts and racing hearts, I decided to turn my life around. I finished Years 11 and 12 going through TAFE, which was pretty alright. I found it easier going to than high school, and it made me feel maturer. I went to therapy, which I was a bit ashamed about at first, but it was the best thing I ever did. It was such a weight lifted off my shoulders talking to a professional who had experience in the area. They made me feel heard and seen. Even if some days they didn’t take much and she listened, it was what I needed to have someone truly understand and validate the emotions I’ve been feeling. My therapist and I came to the conclusion that medication was needed in order for me to return to a sense of normality. Now medication isn’t the best coping mechanism that therapists would normally recommend, but out of 10, my anxiety was reaching a 12, so they thought it was the best course of action.
Going into 2025, I’ve been dealing with anxiety and been taking antidepressants for around 4-5 years, and my life has almost reached a point of normality. It’s been a struggle, god only knows, but I am thankful for anxiety even though it affects my everyday life. It has taught me so many lessons about relationships, friendships, and life. This blog is to share my story and is to help people struggling with mental health, to prove that light can be found at the end of the dark tunnel. The best thing I took away from my previous anxious experiences was that it’s not a weakness to speak out to others. Also, another thing that has helped me get out of the slumps is to stay active. Walks, runs, the gym, even going to the shops and grabbing a coffee. Getting out of bed in the morning can be one of the hardest things to do, but once I’m out, I feel a sudden burst of energy and get a surge of motivation to do productive tasks. So if there’s one thing to take away from this blog, it’s that you are not alone. There are people out their willing to listen and help. There are people out there who are in the exact same boat as you. It’s okay to not be okay.
Helpful resource:
Mental Help Line: 1800 011 511
“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
