About me
Hi there. My name’s Gary.
I’ve suffered from anxiety for many years. This anxiety has led to anxiety attacks, and any of you reading this who have also suffered from such attacks will know how brutal and horrible they really are.
This blog is an account of my journey and my findings. I hope that as you read and follow me, you will be able to find something that will help you make a big difference in your own life.
I’m not a trained medical specialist in any sense of the term (please read my disclaimer at the end of my personal intro). Please bear that in mind when following me.
I’m not the doctor administering drugs or who has read about mental illness. I’m the one who has suffered from it, and I’m on the journey, looking for natural treatments that work and don’t lead to side effects in other parts of my life.
So, what happened to me? My first anxiety attack happened in 2000 when I allowed the stress of my work to get the better of me, even though, physically, I was in reasonably good health. I was a teacher in China, far away in many respects from my life in Northern Ireland.
My symptoms at that time: I was short of breath for about one week and couldn’t work. Even after a full night’s sleep, I still couldn’t function properly. I was hospitalized, but even after many tests were run on me, the doctors couldn’t find any problem.
They concluded that it was all in my head, but they were medical doctors who were untrained in mental health. This was the beginning of the end of my career in China.
It would be a few years until my next serious attack, brought on by a failing marriage and plunging me again into an experience that I had no understanding of.
Again, the breathlessness was back and lasted for one week until I was able to leave her and live alone. Then the symptoms cleared up very quickly, thankfully. Knowing what had led to this dire experience, I knew that a divorce was inevitable, and so, I got divorced.
It’s only really been in the last few years that anxiety attacks have intensified in my life. Stressful situations in life, that were not properly dealt with but rather allowed to build, caused them to worsen tremendously.
It was only within the last few years when I took a full-on, brutal attack that symptoms appeared that shook me terribly. Hyperventilation, ongoing nausea, incredible fatigue within a very short time, weakness, hypersensitivity, inability to speak, curling hands, the feeling of being utterly lost mentally, and wanting help so badly, but finding that no one could help in any way – these were the symptoms I began experiencing regularly.
After each attack, I reflected on what I did that worked, what didn’t work, and so on, just so I could find a solution to this whole, agonising experience.
Maybe getting older, my lack of knowledge, and having the wrong lifestyle contributed to them, but it got to a point where I had to take action to stop them from dominating my life and crushing me. So, I started taking action in September 2024.
As you choose to follow me here on my blog or on social media, I hope you will find answers to your mental health issues. Feel free to share your own experiences, what has worked, and even what hasn’t. The more help we can give each other, the better. Thank you.
Disclaimer
Please note: The content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
While I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of all content. The information presented on this website is based on my personal experiences and research and may not reflect the views of all healthcare professionals.
Any reliance you place on the information provided is strictly at your own risk. I am not liable for any direct or indirect harm resulting from the use or reliance on this information.