She made a battle plan
How Kristen learned to cope with her anxiety
Kristen is a college student who endured a lot of loss in the past few years. Her mom died after a long battle with cancer, her dog needed to be put down, and her boyfriend was laid off from work.
The sense of loss and abandonment led to severe anxiety issues. Constant fear made it hard for Kristen to eat, sleep and study. Her grades were dropping, she began isolating herself from loved ones, and panic attacks kept her from leaving the house.
She heard about free walk-in counselling clinics offered by Catholic Family Services of Simcoe County. Having worked up the courage to go, she found the session helpful. Kristen agreed to keep working with the clinician and attended several more sessions.
She started to feel more in control
The clinician worked with her to identify what triggered her panic attacks and together they came up with a plan to battle her anxiety. She started to feel more in control of her emotions. She could now calm herself down and cope, instead of completely shutting down to the world. She is doing better in school, eating healthier, and improving her sleeping habits.
Kristen is grateful to now have the tools, resources, and support around her to overcome her anxiety issues.
Photo: A young woman receives counselling at Rosalie Hall