I remember a time when I was 19 years old, on study abroad in Canada, all on my lonesome. I was in a large lecture hall sitting down in front of my mid-term paper for Biochemistry.
This was the first time it happened.
The words danced across the page making it impossible to read. Every time I tried to read the question, it was like the words were in Martian. I started to feel like I was going crazy, my breathing increased to the point I started to feel faint and my heart beat so fast, I thought I was going to vomit all over the girl sitting in front of me. Dark spots appeared in my vision and I got up so fast, I tripped over three pairs of feet before I could exit the room not even an hour into the three hour midterm.
I sat out in the hallway collapsing on the ground huffing and puffing like I had just completed a marathon. I honestly thought I was dying...my heart hurt like it was being stabbed or squeezed from within somehow...
That...was my first ever Panic Attack.
Ever since I was a teenager, I have been diagnosed with Clinical Anxiety. It was unpredictable and terrible and it wasn't until I got older that I learnt how to handle it without the need for medication.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big believer in medication if you have a chemical imbalance in the brain, but for me, I have found that altering my thinking and changing my frame of mind makes all the difference in my behaviour and mood.
I'm by no means an expert in the field of Psychology but I have a deep passion for it. I've completed my undergraduate four year degree in this field and teach it at the secondary school level.
I'm surrounded by information to do with my mind everyday! And the question I always ask myself is knowing as much as I do about how my mind works, why do I still let myself feel helpless or anxious? So nowadays, I spend my free time researching real life hacks that can help with my own state of mind, the most recent of which was a TedTalk by Kelly McGonigal on "How to make Stress your friend". It wasn't until I heard about the research done in this field that I realised, this was how I had been coping with stress and my anxiety over the last decade or so, so that I could be a functioning adult.
Instead of seeing my increased heart rate or the nausea as a negative, I decided to view it as a means for my body to prepare for the situation at hand. It turns out that by turning my stress into a positive or a "Friend" rather than the enemy, I have actually not only managed to function, but it has also lowered my risk of stress related illnesses and even delayed death.
Just goes to show that the human mind is amazing, and if we control it well, we can fight everything.
Comment below if you had had a similar experience, or if you have any other strategies to offer. I want this space to help others with Anxiety or major stress in their lives, let's help each other be better!
