Hello and welcome to Mummy Conquering Anxiety. Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to me.
Following my struggles with anxiety & depression, I felt compelled to set up a blog. Ultimately, a series of events which happened over the last five years would force me into changing my circumstances and myself.
The life-changing circumstances which inspired the birth of this blog
TW – mental illness, birth trauma & antenatal depression
Pregnancy, antenatal depression during pregnancy, started taking anti-depressants when pregnant, severe anxiety about the pregnancy process. A traumatic birth, and mental health problems for two years following pregnancy.
Returning to work following maternity leave, for the pandemic to hit less than one month later. Adjustment to working from home. The financial impact on our family. Change of routine (partner off work for 12 weeks as vulnerable and nursery closing).
Followed by a mental breakdown due to work pressure (literally being afraid to return to my own home and open my laptop). I returned to work, reluctantly. Redundancy a few months later. A further five months off work, which I had to use to recover and financially funded myself. Changing careers and slowly putting my life back together using self-improvement techniques.
I hope I can build genuine relationships with other people in similar situations, and by sharing the details of my bumpy journey, I can help someone in need.
As I am not defined solely by my sometimes out-of-control anxiety levels, I also intend to write about my adventures in life and other ramblings. Anything which pours out of my head.
Some blog posts related to the life-changing circumstances I experienced:
I hope you enjoy my posts.
I want to turn my worst experience in life, into a positive one, for both myself and other people.
Come and join me on my bumpy road to recovery.
More about My backstory
I’ve suffered from unhealthy anxiety levels for as long as I can remember.
I never found my place during my school days. I always felt different from other kids.
In later life, I realised I’m an introvert, and quite an intuitive, sensitive person. I need quiet time to recharge my batteries. Probably the reason I struggle in social situations.
My anxiety issues began around 18 years old. I became a bit of a party animal, drinking too much; probably to avoid the negative feelings I was experiencing, and of course to mask the anxiety talk in my head.
I’ve always struggled with stressful situations, like interviews and driving tests. Somehow, I muddled through; going to University and obtaining a degree, and having a somewhat successful career up to this point (I did however need beta-blockers to pass my driving test the third time – the only thing holding me back each time was anxiety and overthinking!).
This theme stuck with me throughout my life. I didn’t take opportunities or reach goals due to a lack of confidence.
For years, I’ve suppressed the anxious thoughts and got on with what life throws at me. I think I’ve done pretty well at hiding it. But I’m now not sure this was the best course of action.
It all came to a head when I became pregnant with my first child.
From this point on, I struggled to access the help I needed and was in a bad place mentally, pretty much throughout my whole pregnancy and the aftermath.
As pregnancy was the catalyst for my decline in mental health, the subjects of pregnancy and anxiety, are interlinked. Therefore, this blog will cover topics related to both my motherhood and mental health journey. With a little light relief thrown in, because nobody likes serious subjects all the time!
My life isn’t all doom & gloom, but I accept this is a lifelong condition I will have to manage. I am ready to put the tools in place to do this. Anyone who can help me with techniques, please contact me and share what worked for you.
If you need help with a mental health-related problem, please visit my if you need help page.
For anyone eager to get into the blogging world, please visit my blogging resources page.
