Hearts can heal - personal stories

First off, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped make this project what it is. Whether it was by spreading the facts about the issues discussed, showing support to those affected by wearing patched hearts or by sending in pictures/stories for today's post, I just want to say how grateful I am for your participation.

The video has now been uploaded to YouTube, which you can below:

You can read some of the stories from the video (as well as a few that I sadly couldn't squeeze in) below.

"I used to self-harm, my family tried to help me and with this blind hope in my heart I eventually believe in happiness again. We all have in ourselves the power." 

"I really hope I can help someone with my story, so here I go.

I was born and raised at my grandmother’s house. I used to see my mom everyday, but of course it wasn’t the same thing. I lived there until I was 9/10.

I was a pretty quiet and shy child, awful at making friends. My parents got divorced when I was 8, but to be honest, it wasn’t even a big shock. Me and my dad never spent much time together, we’re not even close now. He doesn’t care about me, but that’s okay I guess, at least my mom loves me.

All my problems started when I went to 7th grade. By the time, I was already living with my mom.

My cousin’s death was the worst.

At school, kids used to make fun of me for many reasons. Because I was shy, because I didn’t had lots of friends, I wasn’t invited lots of times to birthday parties like them and so on. I only had 2 or 3 friends. I was always sad.

Things went out of control when I went to 10th grade. New class, same hell. They used to make fun of me, call me names, ignore me. It was just too much pain, so I end up dropping out of school.

In last year’s January I was diagnosed with major depression. Everything was dark and appointments didn’t helped that much. I started to self-harm in june of the same year. It was the only way I found to cope with everything. In july, I attemped suicide for the 2nd time. My mom found me and took me to the hospital, where I stayed for a month.

For 2 months, everything was fine, I seemed to be getting better and I was getting a bit happy about that. But in October I relapsed again. I was cutting myself again pretty often, I just wanted to be alone, my grades were awful and I had anxiety attacks pretty much every single day. I spent the last 8 months felling horrible and suffering in silence, because I thought I wasn’t worth recovering.

Last Sunday, I tried to kill myself again. I was mentally done. But my mom found and saved me again. After that, I took a deep breath and decided that I want to recover. It will be a long journey, but I think I can do it. This time I feel a little bit more strong to go on.

I’m free of self-harm since Monday. And on Thursday, I threw all my blades away. I don’t wanna cut myself again, I want to recover and not relapse over and over again. So, I really hope me and everyone going through this kind of situation can get through this! Never give up!" 

"Hey everyone, my name is Gissel and I suffer from recurrent depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies. I'm prescripted on alot of medication and go to therapy with a psychiatrist. Let me tell you soemthing: I know how it feels like and I understand you. I know how it feels like to feel down all the time and not even being able to get out of bed sometimes, or feeling anxious about everything and how some people think you're just "nervous" or overreacting, yes, I understand you. There's a lot of people who does. You're not alone, even if it seems so, you are NOT alone. I used to think I was and tried to commit suicide several times but I'm still here and maybe there's a reason why: we all have a plan here; we have a purpose on Earth. You know, the first time I tried to kill myself, I took a lot of sleeping pills and wanted to take more, but "Turn It Off" by Paramore started playing (it was my ringtone) and it stoped me to take more. That's why I believe everything happens for a reason and if we're still here, it's because we're gonna do something amazing. We all have a purpose here, believe it or not. No matter what you're dealing with right now, it will get better and you will heal.

Life is hard and sometimes it seems like everything gets worse instead of better, but your time will come and everything will be alright. Just keep in mind that you are not alone. There will be always someone for you."

"Domestic abuse is an issue which used to be shrouded in mist, and a mystery to me. I thought it was something that only happened in third world countries, and didn't effect me. But as I've been gaining more respect and trust from my parents, I've been hearing more and more about just how issues like this can be on our doorstep without knowing. My Mum's a social worker for families effected by substance misuse and addiction, and so every now and then she'll come home and have to vent about her day, as it can wear on her an awful lot as she often feels very close to her clients. With this, it's opened my eyes to the fact that domestic abuse is everywhere, and it arises in many different ways."

"I suffered from undiagnosed depression and anxiety for about a year and a half before I got help, and I used self-harm to deal with it (this is an ongoing battle I hope to win). Around this time two of my friends died within 3 months of eachother, which didn't help my situation. I struggled alone for a long time, until I became so scared of the shell of a person I'd turned into and told someone about what was going on.

It's not been easy, I've tried different medications, types of therapy etc. and in November of last year, I was hospitalised for a suicide attempt. I've been at my lowest and I'm fighting my way back. I go to various types of sessions, including art therapy, and I think I'm becoming 'myself' again, slowly but surely.

An important part of recovery is to not just give up when things are difficult, it's important to keep fighting and stay strong. The same goes for a person helping someone through recovery: you have to stay by their side when things are hard and guide them through.

I'm always here for anyone in need of someone to listen or a shoulder to cry on. I've been there, I'm still there, and I want to help.

Twitter: @asdfghjklydia

Tumblr URL: b-r-i-n-k-o-f-d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r

You are more than what you're going through. "

"My name is Shannon and I'm 16 years old. Basically, I haven't told many other people but it's a thing I've got where, when I get either really angry or really upset, I bite my arm or else drag my nails down my arm - a form of self harm. I haven't gone to the extremities of using a blade, but I've thought about it more times than not.

My family would fight with me a lot. I have a little cousin who is 3 years old and anything that she would do, it would be blamed on me, and I know that sounds completely childish, but it's been going on since she was born. She's a little bugger too who would scrab at you and give you little evil looks, then if I walked away, she'd scream the house down and people would scream at me and her mum would hit me really hard, depending on how bad the situation is. So it's usually when it comes to this that I would 'self harm'.

Although, that's not the main reason. I'm one of the many people who hates their body. I feel like I'm way too fat and that nobody would ever like me and every time I look at myself in the mirror, I'm always close to crying, it's that bad. My best friend has been the most supporting person in the entire world and I love her to pieces. She's always giving me pep talks and talking me through things, which I always do the same for her as well. We're always there for each other and it's just the best feeling in the world when I know I've got someone to talk to.

I also have a mild case of Chronic Insomnia. It's obviously not severe and should eventually go away in time, but it's never all too good because it melts my head so much.

Recently, when things have gotten extremely bad, I've briefly had suicidal thoughts but I've never dawned upon them, they've just skimmed along and then they've been ignored.

I guess that my little story isn't much of a big heart breaking or bad thing, but for the person that people think I am, they really don't understand how I really feel sometimes. It was just a little something I wanted to share with you.

In the end though, I always overcome the thoughts, and even though I still bite or scratch, it just helps me to calm down a little more, so I know when to take a breather."

"I’ve always been thankful for the life I lead. The experiences that I’ve had, the people that I’ve met… everything. Even so, I wouldn’t go ahead and say that my life is easy.

I’ve always had a depressive edge. Something that strayed me away from happiness and led me down the path of self-destruction. I’ve been self-harming in various ways since I was around nine years old.

A couple of years ago, one of my loved ones got diagnosed with a terminal illness. The self-harming intensified. My depressive periods, once lasting for only a few days at a time, now stayed for weeks on end. I felt hopeless and alone. The stress of school and keeping it ‘all together’ for my family’s sake got far too much, and I became increasingly suicidal. After a close-encounter with a bottle of bleach and a handful of pills, I decided that I wanted to live. I wanted to live long enough to make my life better for myself, and more importantly, to try helping other people make their lives better too.

Whatever darkness you find yourself in right now, know this: it will soon pass. That is as certain as the fact that day follows night. You will find some light in your life soon. It might not be tomorrow, or the next day, but it will happen and it will happen soon. Don't compare yourself to others, or feel inferior because you don't have this, or look like that. You are exactly as you were meant to be, and anyone that cannot appreciate that does not deserve to be in your life."

"My name's Paula and I want to be as brief as I can telling you my story. 

When I was a little girl, I used to be so fat. I was until two years ago, when my body started to change a little bit. All my life was spent hearing rude words about my body. When I was 15, the whole high school started bully me. Therewith, I had a boyfriend who made me psychological abuse. So, with all of this mixed, I started to cut myself. I remember that one day I woke up and I was in the shower. I remember that I caught a safety razor and I can't remember how, but the next thing I saw was my ankle bleeding with a 12 centimetres cut. I tried to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet and then I thought about the only thing I had in life: Paramore, and then I realized that I didn't want to die, that I could move on, because they always gave me the strength to keep going and never stop moving forward. They were my saviors. After all this, I started to be more stronger than I ever was and all the people who used to bully me, stopped. The guy I was dating and I ended the relationship and everything started to be alright.

Now I'm alright. I have friends that care about me and I love them. I saw Paramore three times live, and they put me on stage on Luxembourg. I've met amazing people thanks to Paramore and I'm not hurting myself anymore.

Just think that life puts you in your place and life is a roller coaster, sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down, but the most important thing is that someday you'll be up for a long time, because life always gives you second chances. It's worth staying strong even though you're buried down, someday all your expectations and dreams will come true. Just eliminate the negative of your life and keep the positive closer, Hayley knows this and you should too! I hope my story inspires some of you and gives you support."

"I have suffered with depression since I was 18 years old. I'm now almost *cough* 28. I turned to self harm as a form of coping and control at the age of 18, taking the form of cutting, biting and hitting. The control it gave me over my emotions was heady and gave me an outlet for the intense rage I felt and still feel to this day. It was as if all the anger I felt was in one arm, and if I cut, all the pain and rage I felt would be released and dissipate. That only helped in the short term. Long term, I'd end up feeling guilty and even more angry with myself for being so stupid. And so began a vicious cycle. Every time I ended up in A & E needing stitches, it made me feel even worse. I made a conscious decision to stop self harming. Around the same time, I decided I needed to lose weight and go on a diet. At the time I was kicking around a size 12/14. In no way was I obese (like I thought). However, I decided to restrict myself to no more than 500 calories a day. Ultimately, after less than a year after this decision, I ended up anorexic with size 4 clothes that hung from my bones. I waited so long for NHS treatment that I eventually developed Bulimia, which boosted my weight marginally (I'm now a size 6/8) but I've been left with broken/removed teeth, crap hair, no periods and potentially osteoporosis and decreased fertility. I get anxious if I cannot either binge or restrict. If I miss an opportunity to binge I get angry and irritable. If I cannot restrict...again, I get angry and irritable.. I get anxious if I'm surprised with a meal at a restaurant. I can't handle it and kick off. I can't look in the mirror and see what others see, i see a huge, ugly person looking back at me. Yet if i look at a photograph I think "oh well my arms are quite thin, and my thighs don't touch, but then i have fat rolls at my underarms". I cannot physically see a true version of myself. The number of times I've cancelled a night/day out cos I've managed to convince myself that something is going to go horribly wrong is unreal. Mental health in all forms, whether it be a personality disorder, an ED, self harm, anxiety or depression, is horrendous to live with for both the sufferer and their family, friends and partners. The crushing depression I've dealt with, I can't begin to describe. This is made worse by the intense guilt I feel about the hell I've put those closest to me through. The amount of times I've made plans to end my life, 1) to make it easier for myself, cos I can't handle my thoughts and feelings anymore, and 2) to make things easier for everyone else, is impossible to count.

The "hearts can heal" project is so important, to try and dispel ANY stigma and shame associated with mental health issues. I hate to think that I am a source of shame to anyone."

If you would like to share your experiences with some of the hearts can heal issues with us, then please, feel free to do so in the comments below.

Once again, thank you so much to everyone who has participated in this project. No matter how small your contribution to it has been, please believe me when I say that is has been much appreciated.

Suicide

Suicide is a topic that isn't talked about openly enough. 

There are times when we'll scream for help only for society to define our shouts as attention seeking behaviour and for them to muzzle us accordingly. There are jokes being made about suicide in the presence of those who have attempted or seriously considered attempting it, and those people say nothing out of fear. There are adverts on television and magazines about the issue, which families and friends awkwardly ignore. What are we supposed to do, after all? The topic is tabooed. Besides, it's not like ignoring the issue is going to kill anybody, is it?

The problem is, it is. Because with every passed opportunity to talk about suicide, the problem quietly rages on, in the hearts and minds of individuals too terrified to speak up in-case they fall victim to the terrible stigma that accompanies the issue.

  



The brutal truth is, every thirty seconds, someone in the world takes their own life. That's roughly two thousand, eight hundred and eighty people per day that are dying because of the stigma surrounding suicide. Those people may be strangers to you or I, but they are someone's child. They are someone's sibling. They are someone's best friend. They all had lives ahead of them filled with new experiences and opportunities, but for whatever heartbreaking reason, they felt as though they couldn't deal with the pain they were presently feeling, and decided that death was the better option for them.




So, what causes people to feel this way? There are countless different reasons that someone would feel suicidal, with mental health issues, bullying, mourning, alcohol dependency, substance abuse, problems at home, financial problems or significant changes in their day to day life being the most common. Scientists also note that those with low levels of the serotonin are between six to ten times more likely to commit suicide than those of who have normal levels of the brain transmitter.





The thing is, people could feel suicidal for any reason. And this reason might seem quite trivial to you, but to this individual, it clearly makes them feel desperately unhappy, and you should therefore take it very seriously. Passing judgement on someone's 'right' to feel suicidal happens terrifyingly often, but is never acceptable. Feeling judged might cause the person in question to stop discussing what they are going through with anyone, which significantly increases their likelihood of attempting suicide. 



A terrifying amount of people are feeling suicidal right now, and some don't verbally express these feelings of hopelessness. Know the signs:


Any major disappointments or setbacks (i.e. failing exams, getting fired)
Difficulties sleeping, particularly staying asleep
Feeling isolated and useless
Sudden changes in mood (this can be a negative change, such as social withdrawal, or so called 'positive' changes, such as a sense of calmness)
Talking about death, particularly suicide
Giving away personal belongings, or tying up loose-ends
Taking less care of themselves than they usually do (i.e. eating poorly, lack of concern over personal appearance)

If you are dealing with someone who is feeling suicidal, then my advice to you is simply to listen to them and offer your support. Don't pass judgement, or act as though you know everything they are telling you. Understand that what they are telling you is most likely incredibly difficult for them to say. Encourage them to get professional help. Ensure them that there is absolutely no shame in doing so, and that you will be right by their side if they need you.




Sometimes life can feel like a challenge, sometimes it can appear before us as a mountain we must climb alone, whose peak is among the clouds, out of mind and out of reach. On our bad days, the very thought of the climb seems exhausting and every fibre of our being will scream for us to just give up. And it is on these days that we must remind ourselves why we began to make the ascent in the first place: our view of the world will be incomplete until we find ourselves on top of that mountain, until we can take a deep breath and look down upon the world below in a manner in which only Gods could. Because that view is your proof that the best perceptions of the world come from the eyes and minds of those who have experienced the most pain. I'm not telling you that the climb will be easy. It will involve a lot of clawing and struggling time and time again to find your feet. It's not easy, but then again, neither is life. And sure, it may not be easy, but I guarantee you, it is certainly worth it. 


As bad as you feel right now, know this: it gets better. You will move past this and look upon this time in your life as a changing point, a time where you could have chosen destruction, but instead chose to soldier on. 

Every breath is a second chance, each heartbeat the start to a new story. We are only human. We make mistakes and hurt in ways that no other known beings can. We are flawed creatures, but regardless, we are loved. We have parents and friends and lovers and relatives... And each one loves us in a way completely unique to them. You might not think that anyone would miss you, but you wouldn't be right. There are people in your life to whom you are their entire world. Seven billions souls, and yours is the only one that they feel connected to in this way. And do you know why that is? Because you are a beautiful and intelligent person and because, above all else, you are unique.


I know that the world can seem unbelievably dark somedays, and that the thought of even a pinprick of light penetrating that darkness sounds like an impossibility. If I could wish for a single thing, it would be for this message to be someone's pinprick. But I'm not that great with words, so perhaps this post will illuminate your world only in the form of pixels... And in that case, I apologise for wasting your time. 


I just wanted to remind you that I care about you. I care about your well-being. I care about your life. And I know that somedays, it begins to feel as there's no other option better than death... But there are people out there who would do anything to see you smile again, and they'll help you, if you will only allow them to do so.



I'll sign off by saying this...



When all you can see is a thick veil of darkness, remind yourself that the universe is not devoid of all light. The stars and the moon and the sun are still out there, just waiting for the right time to emerge. Have faith that they will appear once more, and remember that all you need to do is stay alive long enough to bathe in their light.

Mental disorders

One in four people will experience some sort of mental health problem this year. Whether it is a type of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or something else entirely... a quarter of us will have some form of experience with the symptoms of mental disorders.

The thing that mystifies me is not how many people are affected by the symptoms of mental health issues, but rather, why society still struggles to treat sufferers with the respect that they both need and deserve. It's all too common to hear "cheer up!" being shouted at someone dealing with depression, or for an anxiety sufferer to be told to "snap out of it". 

Shouting cheer up to someone suffering from depression is like telling someone with a broken leg to walk it off.
Telling someone with anxiety to snap out of it is like telling someone who is bound by ropes to cut themselves loose.
It isn't as easy as telling yourself that your pain does not exist. For it does exist. And it is incapacitating. The sooner we realise that this is not something that we can simply ignore, the better. 

The truth is, the majority of society are painfully uneducated when it comes to mental health issues, resulting in misconceptions that have become all too common a sight.

For example, I find it terrifying that so many people believe that you can snap out of a depressive state with positive thought alone, that you can deny that you are in a great deal of emotional pain and that it will go away if you don't give it the attention that it craves. Stephen Fry described it best when he likened depression to the weather. If it rains when you are outside, do you deny that you are wet? If the sun disappears behind a cloud, do you insist that it is still a beautiful day? If the temperature plummets and you find goosebumps lining your arms, do you still convince yourself that it is warm? No. Because it's not under your control. 

And that's precisely what mental disorders are like. They are not under your control. 

Positive thoughts and denial will not cure you of your issues, so we should stop pretending that it can.

I think that the thing we need to remember is that no matter how terrible we may feel right now, no matter how hopeless, or useless, or just plain hurt we are at the present moment... this feeling shall soon pass. The clouds will have mercy on our tiny bodies. The sun will come out once more. The temperature will rise and allow us to bask in the light. And we shall live to see this day, with weathered minds, and we will be stronger for going through these experiences.

To the lucky three quarters of society who won't have to personally deal with mental disorders this year...

You will know someone who is going through this pain, and the likelihood is that they are going to need you at some point. Educate yourself on their issue, regardless of whether that is depression, bipolarity, anxiety, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder... whatever it is, just have a quick google and try to familiarise yourself with their disorder. It makes it seem a lot less daunting if you get the facts, instead of the insane lies that are often spread from person to person about them. Other than that, just be there for them, remind them often that you are there for them (it's so easy to forget that) and above all else, don't pass judgement on them. 

The more we talk about various mental disorders, the more the stigma surrounding them shrinks, and the sooner we can get help to those who truly need it.
  
If you want to find out more about the many different types of depression, click here. 
If you want to find out more about the many different types of anxiety disorders, click here.
If you want to find out more about schizophrenia, click here.

Depression

Depression is...

Common

One in five people are expected to go through depression at some point in their lives. 

Difficult to spot

Sometimes, those suffering from depression hide their true feelings from their friends and family. Some others do not even know that they are suffering from depression, because they think that they don't have anything worth feeling depressed about.  

Know the signs:

• Periods of sadness or continuous low moods
• Finding difficulty in enjoying things once pleasurable (i.e. sports, art)
• Changes in eating habits
• Difficulty sleeping, or staying asleep
• Lack of energy
• Loss of interest in sex
• Socialising less than usual
• Feeling restless
• Feeling hopeless, or worthless
• Thoughts of suicide, or self-harm

Non-judgemental

Depression can affect anyone, at any time. It doesn't matter if they 'have it all'. Someone who is well-liked, with a great paying job and a family can be just as depressed as someone who is in a less fortunate state.

Complex

Contrary to common belief, there are many different types of depression:

• Major depressive disorder - Someone is diagnosed with this type of depression when they experience persistent depressed moods that lasts for at least 2 weeks at a time, and suffer from at least five of the symptoms described above on a daily basis. If something positive happens to them, they are not likely to see their mood improve.
• Atypical depression - Those with atypical depression experience the same type of symptoms as those with major depressive disorder, but will see their mood improve if something positive happens to them. They also suffer from less depressive symptoms than those with major depressive disorder do.
• Psychotic depression - This is a subtype of major depressive disorder, and is diagnosed when the sufferer experiences psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations in addition to their depressive symptoms.
• Bipolar disorder - People who suffer from bipolar disorder see their moods swinging from one extreme (depression) to the other (mania).
• Cyclothymia - Cyclothymia is a mild form of bipolar disorder.
• Dysthymia - A mild form of major depressive disorder
• Postnatal depression - A type of depression that affects women after giving birth
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - This form of depression affects sufferers during a particular season. Winter, most commonly. People are not sure of what exactly causes SAD, but it is linked with a lack of sunlight.

Depression is not...

Curable

Sadly, there is no cure for depression. There are however, ways to combat it:

• Therapy (there are many different types, so do your research to find the one that works best for you)
• Medication (the same goes for medication. It usually takes a bit of trial and error to find the drug that works best for you
• SAD lamps
• Healthy eating
• Excercise
• Reduce stress
• Get sufficient sleep
• Acupuncture
• Find some relaxation techniques (yoga, deep breathing etc)
• Have a good support system around you (friends, family, therapists etc)

Finding something that works well for you takes time and patience. Don't lose heart if one form of medication or therapy doesn't work out for you. It often takes a few attempts to find the one that is right for you.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is...

1. A psychotic disorder

Schizophrenia makes it very difficult for the sufferer to differentiate imagination from reality. Dreams, thoughts and perceptions become mixed up with actual events. 

2. Split into two different types of symptoms

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder, and the way it is diagnosed reflects this. The symptoms are split into two different categories:

• Positive symptoms - these are symptoms that result in a change of behaviour, or thoughts. Hallucinations, thought disorder and delusions are examples of 'positive' symptoms.
• Negative symptoms - these are the emotional responses that schizophrenic sufferers lack. This can leave them feeling apathetic and uninterested. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia can cause people to feel uncomfortable in social settings, uninterested in activities they once found enjoyable and it can also cause their sleeping patterns to change, and their concentration levels to dwindle. 

3. More likely to affect some people than others

Although schizophrenia is not caused by something specific, there are a number of things that increase the likelihood of developing the disorder. Genetics, stress, imbalanced neurotransmitter levels, brain development, drug use and pregnancy/birth complications can all increase the likilhood of you suffering from the mental disorder.

Schizophrenia is not...

1. Caused by drug use

Although it is true that schizophrenia is not caused by drug use, it can increase your likelihood of developing the disorder. Studies show that  teenagers under 15 who regularly use cannabis are up to four times more likely to develop schizophrenia by the time they reach 26.

2. The same as multiple personality disorder

Multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative personality disorder) results in the sufferer experiencing multiple personalities/identities. People often mistake this with schizophrenia, but the truth is, they are very different.


3. Dangerous

Some people believe that schizophrenics are more dangerous than others, but it's believed that they are no more dangerous than the rest of the population, and that they are actually more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators.

Anxiety

Anxiety is...

Common

In fact, more than 1 in 10 people are expected to suffer from a disabling anxiety disorder at one point in their lives or another.

Affected by a number of risk factors

Anxiety is not caused by a certain thing, however; genetics, brain chemistry, environment, drug use, personality and life events can all make you more likely to develop anxiety issues

Easy to spot (if you know the signs)

There are two different types of symptoms when it comes to anxiety: physical and psychological. 

The physical symptoms of anxiety are:

• A racing heartbeat
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Headaches 
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Dry mouth
• Tightness in chest
• Tremors (body shaking) 
• Pins and needles

The psychological symptoms of anxiety are:

• Concentration problems
• Feeling of impending doom
• Constantly on the lookout for danger
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Fear of losing control
• Feelings of detachment

Anxiety is not...

Simple

Anxiety is usually treated as one thing, but in reality, there are seven different types of anxiety disorders:

• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) - This is the main type of anxiety disorder, and it is the one that most people are referring to when they say anxiety. If you feel as though you are constantly on edge without a specific reason (or without the ability to take a break from these feelings), then it is likely that you are suffering from GAD.
• Social anxiety - It is normal to experience some sort of anxiety when in public, or interacting with people you don't know very well, but when this anxiety becomes overwhelming, then you might be suffering from social anxiety. Those with social anxiety may view social interactions as being painful and distressing, or live with the constant fear of being judged, remarked upon, or avoided.
• Panic disorder - Possibly one of the most severe types of anxiety disorders. Panic disorder causes sufferers to feel a sense of doom or fear so intense, that they can end up hospitalised. Those who suffer from panic disorder have what are known as panic attacks. Panic attacks are what happens when your body receives a rush of intense mental and physical symptoms, usually occurring at anxious times, or in response to stressful situations.
• Agoraphobia - Agoraphobia is the fear of certain environments, such as public spaces. Some agoraphobes are afraid of public transport and try to avoid that, whereas others try to avoid leaving their house at all. 
• Phobias - A fear develops into a phobia when someone begins to alter their life in an attempt to avoid coming into contact with whatever they are afraid of. 
• Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - People who experience a traumatic experience (e.g. serving in war) are likely to suffer from this particular type of anxiety disorder. Sufferers often relive the event that caused their PTSD, which causes them a lot of distress. They also experience symptoms such as insomnia, or difficulty concentrating, as well as feelings of guilt, isolation or irritability.
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) - OCD is the term used to describe unwanted thoughts that compel you to carry out certain repetitive and ritualised behaviours that can affect your day to day life. You are probably aware that these behaviours are irrational, but feel the need to do them anyway. Things such as repetitive hand washing or checking that you locked the front door multiple times are classic examples of obsessive compulsive behaviour. Thoughts can either be obsessive (thoughts, images or impulses that recur time after time in your mind, regardless of whether or not you want them to) or compulsive (rituals that you find yourself carrying out again and again).

Easy to overcome

Despite what some people think, anxiety is not as simple as "getting over it". It can become debilitating, which is something that people tend not to realise.

Curable 

Like other mental disorders, anxiety has no cure. That isn't to say that sufferers are helpless however. There are a number of ways that those suffering from anxiety can combat it:

• Relaxation techniques
• Self-help groups
• Psychotherapy
• Medication 

It might take a while to find out what works best for you, and may take a bit of trial and error before you can get it right.

Eating disorders

Not thin enough.
Not pretty enough.
Not good enough. 

It's terrible, but these three thoughts affect a lot of people (both male and female) on a daily basis, individuals who, over the years, have been led to believe that their worth in this world is solely dependent on their physical appearance. 

The truth is, what you look like, how much you weigh... the only person that it truly matters to is you. And those external people who act as though your looks make a shred of a difference to who you are inside, or how much they will like you... well, believe me when I say that those are not the kind of people that you want in your life in the first place, let alone want to change yourself for.

The term eating disorder is quite a general term which covers a lot of different bases, however, the three most common types of eating disorders out there are:

• Anorexia nervosa - sufferers end up starving themselves, exercising excessively and forcing sickness in the attempt to lose as much weight as possible
• Bulimia nervosa - sufferers will eat vast quantities of food before purging it. It will often start as a way to deal with emotional problems, but it can become habitual, and quickly turns into a bitter cycle of self-hatred and guilt 
• Binge eating - much like those suffering from bulimia, binge-eaters will eat vast quantities of food, however, they do not partake in the purging that follows bulimic binges.

These issues are often joked about on TV shows or in movies, but in reality, they are no laughing matter. 70 million people worldwide cope with some sort of eating disorder, and it is estimated that 50,000 of them will die as a direct result of their troubled relationship with food. 

It's startling, but sadly, it's true.

Eating disorders often start during periods of depression, anger, anxiety or feelings of inadequacy, but can also stem from poor relationships with family members, sexual abuse, substance use or the desire to conform with society's 'expectations' of them. Each case is individual to the sufferer and should be treated as such. What caused one person's illness might not have had any affect on another's, and a treatment that one person responds to might not work for someone else suffering from the same thing.

I also feel as though it's important to point out that you probably know of someone who is currently going through some type of eating disorder, and that you might be simply unaware of their suffering. Those experiencing the problem often hide it from their loved ones, seen as it causes them to feel so much pain and guilt. They don't want others to know of their shame. They don't want to share their pain with others. They don't want to cause their loved ones to worry.

Eating disorders can quickly turn meal-times into nightmares, and the mirror into your worst enemy. It's an intense condition that can put individuals lives in danger and rip families apart, yet it is never given the attention that it deserves. Those less educated on the matter believe that the problem can be solved simply by eating more (or, in the case of binge eating, eating less) and "getting a hold of yourself". The thing is, eating disorders stem from a complex relationship with food and this results in eating regular meals at regular times becoming a very difficult task for some people.

How do we tackle eating disorders?

I wish I had a straight-forward answer, a definitive, mathematical solution to this complex issue, but I can only offer you my opinion. And my opinion is this: if we are to help the millions of sufferers out there, then we need to tame society's obsession with physical appearance, we need to educate people on the facts of eating disorders and most of all, we need to show sufferers that we are here for them and that we are willing to give them our support. 

No judgement.
No fear.

Because we can say "This is what you need to do" until we are blue in the face, we can lecture and beg until our words lose all meaning, but really, what good is it going to do? We need to hear their story if we truly want to help them recover. Loudly preaching will only drown out the importance of their words. Honestly... just listen. Let them talk, let them cry, let them do whatever feels natural, because it feels good to open up to someone and finally let the weight of the world fall off of your shoulders for a while.

Sometimes, it feels as though your eating habits is one of the few things that you are in control of, but just remember: you are in control of your own recovery too. I'm not going to lie to you and say that it will be easy. In fact, it will be a long and difficult road to recovery. That being said (and this I can assure you) it will be so worth it.

If you want to go on this journey, then all you've got to do is have the courage to take the first step. Sometimes the road to recovery can seem like a lonely path, but when that seems to be the case, just remember that you will never be alone on this journey, no matter how dark the skies overhead become, or how much your muscles begin to ache, there will always be someone walking alongside you, spurring you on.