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You have a funny feeling in your stomach, you feel hot, you can’t sit still, your mind is racing

Emily’s
Story


I have suffered mainly with anxiety but also some depression off the back of it. Although anxiety and depression have very different symptoms, they are sometimes closely linked. If I was to label myself I would say I had GAD (generalised anxiety disorder), that means you have a general feeling of anxiety all the time. I would describe it to someone who has never suffered from it as that feeling you get before you go on stage, or you have a big meeting or presentation. You have a funny feeling in your stomach, you feel hot, you can't sit still, your mind is racing. Well imagine all those feelings all the time, every second of every minute of every day......and there you have anxiety!

My mental health difficulties have changed my life dramatically but mainly for the good to be honest. I have totally changed the way I live my life. I take much more time for 'me', I relax more and I have cut out anyone in my life that made me feel bad. Going through a breakdown will inevitably change you as a person but what it does is it makes you a much stronger person because if you can get through that you can get through anything.

Exercise has been a huge game changer for me. I mainly do boxing and yoga and I have found them to be so helpful because for that one hour you don't have your phone, you are disconnected from the outside world and you can only concentrate on that one thing.