Let's Talk Anxiety

This week I decided to go ahead and film a video all about my experience with anxiety and my personal anxiety disorder. More and more bloggers and YouTubers are talking about their own anxiety issues, writing posts and filming videos to help others know they're not alone. Anxiety is becoming more and more common, more information is being circulated and the topic is becoming less taboo in society, which is fantastic! 

In this video I talk about how anxiety effects me and my experience with the medical help that is apparently out there for us. I have to say I haven't had many positive encounters with doctors and nurses regarding my anxiety, for years I've been told that I'll grow out of it and the only person who can make me better is me.  It was definitely not what 13 year old me wanted to hear at the time.

I think it's important to realise that there are thousands of symptoms caused by anxiety, dizziness, feeling faint, heart palpitations, tight chest and shortness of breath, claustrophobia and many many more. In my experience I have had agoraphobia, claustrophobia, depression, random heart palpitations and most commonly tight chest and shortness of breath. Being outside away from the safety of my own home can make me extremely anxious, mostly it is the fear that I'll have a panic attack in a public place and how embarrassing it would be to pass out in the middle of Topshop. People think I'm anti-social and boring, I frequently get called old (I am a few years older than my friends at uni) but the truth is that it's not that I don't want to go out and mingle with people, it's that I don't feel like I can. 

But enough with the 'oh woe is me' talk, I've had it for long enough to have built up a strong resentment towards anxiety. This might sound like a bad thing, but it gives me the motivation and drive to do whatever I can to kick its ass! Because I get so frustrated at always feeling trapped and panicky, I have developed techniques and sourced out tools to help combat the attacks. 

Don't get me wrong I am by no means the Batman of the anxiety world, fighting off evil panic attacks with my super breathing technique powers. Sometimes I do get defeated, I feel hopeless that there may be nothing I can do to prevent an on coming panic attack.  One of the most helpful tools I use is a simple yoga breathing technique. Breath in through your nose for four counts, then out through the mouth for four counts. Focusing on your breathing will occupy your mind and get the oxygen circulating around your body, effectively calming you down. Another technique that I use is meditation. I had tried meditation many years ago and actually got fairly good at it, but I got a bit lazy and kept forgetting to do it. Now through the magic of smartphones and their handy apps, not to mention the wisdom of the YouTuber Tanya Burr, I have discovered Calm. Calm is a meditation website and app, it gives you a whole host of music and sounds to meditate from and allows you to set a time limit for your meditation. You can also choose to have a lovely lady guide you through if you need a little help focusing. 

The one thing to remember if you are suffering from anxiety is that it isn't your life; it's a part of your life. Don't let your anxiety define who you are as a person, no matter how hard it might be. I also need to remember this sometimes. When you feel anxious or depressed it does feel like there is nothing else to focus on. The key is to take one day at a time, deal with the bad as it comes, but remember that tomorrow is a brand new day and no day is ever the same. 

 (p.s. If you want to talk about your experiences you can leave a comment down below or you can tweet me @lilacghosts1990 or message me on tumblr)