About a year and a half ago I was in the worst state I had ever been in. I was having near daily panic attacks, felt on edge 24/7, was barely managing to hold down my job. I had always suffered from some level of anxiety, predominantly in social situations but I didn’t know where this sudden extreme anxiety had come from. I pushed on for about 3 months before seeking help in the form of medication. I started 5mg of Citalopram before upping to 10mg after about a month. This seemed to dampen the feeling of anxiety in my stomach and definitely reduced my panic attacks. I also spent 6 months talking to a therapist about where this anxiety had come from and how I could slowly start to alter my thinking. And that was the game changer for me.

For the last 4 months or so I have been in the best headspace that I can remember. I still take 10mg of Citalopram but I haven’t had an attack for months, and when I feel that familiar knot in my stomach I assess it instead of letting it control me. I would advise medication, therapy and also exercise, even if it’s just 10-15 mins a day. Small steps lead to huge changes. It may not feel like it but it can get better.