ANXIETY IS REAL IN CHILDREN TOO - ANONYMOUS (9), MY STORY

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​Anxiety is real in children too.  Here is a short article written by one of our young clients at only 9 years of age, who wanted to share her experience with other young people to show them that they are not alone, and to help adults recognise how anxiety may be experienced by their children.

​“How does it feel to be anxious? Like the world is going to end and there is nothing to do about it.  You feel butterflies in your stomach, your body is rigid, and your brain is an overworked machine, not helping at all to see the reality as it is but another universe that no one can reach.  Your brain and your body don’t work together, not even your body parts work as usual.  Your eyes want to remain closed and shed tears, your mouth just wants to scream the confusion in your head and to comfort yourself by eating, while your stomach says no more food.  Your limbs and joints either want to punch or just limp.  You feel your brain and your body are going to explode like a volcano, not seeing the reality that you need help and all you wish is that you never existed and it will only go away by death.  But it stops, only if someone insists on offering help and support.  Together you turn the punches in to everlasting strong hugs. You turn the overworking brain machine into lists of things you can control and those you can’t control.  The overwhelming feeling, we split it into little things you can do.  Like this your body and your brain start working together as one.  And together they say goodbye to the anxious feeling, they bid farewell to the butterflies and you can start breathing normally again!”