"I'm confident again and I feel like I'm no longer scared of doing things"

For over a year I have been battling with panic attacks. I went to the doctors and he put me on anti-anxiety pills which worked great by suppressing all of the symptoms of panic, but where only a temporary fix. After 6 months, I decided to stop taking my pills and asked my doctor for therapy.

He referred me to Inclusion Matters where i began receiving treatment using 'exposure therapy'. This treatment involved me completing tasks that would normally avoid because that made me panic. I completed these task starting off small and working my way up to challenges that would make me most anxious.

My therapist Gemma was really great, she made me feel comfortable straight away and I felt I could really put my trust in her. Gemma taught me techniques to deal with my anxiety and also explained the symptoms of panic and anxiety and showed me that they are not dangerous like i thought they where. I complete all of the tasks that me and Gemma planned and I felt so much better for it.

After completing the smaller challenges, I worked on the bigger ones that would usually make me panic and although I felt high anxiety when completing them, I remembered all of the things Gemma had taught me and I just allowed myself to experience the symptoms of anxiety and let them pass in their own time.

I finished my last session today and I feel so much better now and I finally feel like I am back to how I was before my 1st panic attack last year.

I'm confident again, out going and I feel like I'm no longer scared of doing things so I can now continue to live my life to the full again.

I really recommend therapy and counseling for panic attacks and anxiety because it genuinely works on making you overcome the condition, rather than just suppressing it with pills.

If you are reading this and you are suffering with panic attacks or anxiety, I would just like to tell you that you really can overcome it just like I have and you will be so happy and proud of yourself when you do.

Good-luck on your journey and i hope you overcome it soon: )