NoPanic

Category: Articles by Patrons

  • Movement: Moving More for our Mental Health

    By Ruth Cooper-Dickson, Patron.

    There is always a focus on mental health in May, Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. This year the theme for the UK has been set by the Mental Health Foundation as Movement: Moving More for our Mental Health.  It is a relatable topic for all, and we must look beyond simply thinking of movement as exercise such as the gym, running or sports. Adults now sit on average for 9 hours a day, which is not healthy and can create a whole host of physical health risks. The pandemic saw anincrease in hybrid and remote working, this could mean the usual commute to the office for many disappeared, so we need to remember to factor in the breaks to step away from our desks. For people that do commute to their workplace, the busyness of the working day may not allow them to step away from the desk to stretch their legs. 

    Movement can be about how we take the stairs more, dance around our kitchen (a favourite of mine!), spend time in the garden or chase our children in the park, it does not have to be about the idea of sports or fitness. Finding something you love is key to engaging with movement. That has always been for me one of the biggest factors. Not many people know but I am a trained fitness instructor and during 2008-2009 I took a sabbatical from financial services and retrained. I used to teach lots of different styles of gym classes. My favourites were the aqua aerobics with the more elderly class members and my community hall aerobics classes. Why? Because I saw how those classes connected people on a deeper level. It was their social time, their ‘me-time’ each week. They didn’t have to show up in the most expensive outfits and they were not there to be the top of their fitness game. They came to move their body, laugh, and have some fun. I believe it was also down to the music. We know the positive impact that music can have on our mental health, I used to spend hours curating the perfect playlists for my classes, ensuring people felt engaged, motivated, and inspired, with songs they could joyously sing along to with their friends. I saw a stat this week in Runner’s World magazine from a recent academic study, that 78% who say they exercise even when it’s done alone helps to combat feelings of loneliness, I used to witness that each week with my class members, the boost of movement to their mental health.

    Science shows that we feel better when we are physically active. The level of chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, stress hormones and endorphins, change when you exercise. It helps the brain to process information more quickly and increase focus, memory, and brain functioning.

    Physical activity can teach the body not to overact to stress by engaging in safe exercise that raises our heart rate. Our brain begins to learn how to deal with the stress, helping our resilience. It can help to calm our stress response too, think about if you’re feeling intense emotions and you take yourself out for a walk, a jog, whatever it is to “clear your head”. Movement can also help to alleviate some of the symptoms of depression or anxiety. 

    I want to say there is a caveat here when we are unwell whether this is physically or mentally, living with a chronic health condition, or a disability it can make movement hard at times or not as accessible. At these times it can be frustrating to be told to move when we cannot. We can also give our body a hard time when it doesn’t want to move or feelsimpossible to motivate ourselves to get out of the front door. On those days it is important to extend the grace and compassion to meet ourselves where we are at, then next time we try again. Trying another approach, finding accessible support, people who can keep us accountable may be some of the ways to help us move forward with our physical activity goals. 

    My small challenge to you is what is the one way you will decide to move a little more in May to support your mental health?

  • Helping Employees Manage Stress

    By Natasha Devon, Patron

    In my experience, people will broadly have one of three responses when asked about stress. There are the people who claim never to experience it (usually for reasons of associating it with ‘weakness’). There’s the other extreme – people who believe it is their default state and somehow a badge of honour. And then you have the rest of us. Those who try to avoid stress whenever possible but find it difficult because the world is an increasingly stressful place. 

    My view on stress changed when I undertook Mental Health First Aid England instructor training, back in 2017. We were shown a graphic of a ‘stress bucket’ and taught that every time we encounter something frustrating, anger-making or panic-inducing, a little stress will flow into it. The aim is not to prevent this (because that would be impossible) but to regulate the total amount of stress sloshing about in the bucket by regularly draining it, via a metaphorical tap. 

    Turning on your stress bucket tap isn’t something to do in response to feeling stressed. It’s a daily, preventative measure – kind of like brushing your teeth. Generally speaking, there are three really good ways to do it. The first is physical activity, the second creativity and the third relaxation. Today, I take time to do something that fits into one of these three categories as often as I can – I aim for a total of one hour every day. 

    Of course, there are still times when I feel overwhelmed. If there’s one, giant thing taking up lots of space in my bucket then the smaller things seem less surmountable. That’s why during the pandemic, when we all had this enormous source of worry, many of us lost the ability to deal with the smaller trials and tribulations of life. I have a friend who copedremarkably well with the life-threatening pandemic sweeping the world’s population, but during one lockdown cried for three hours because she put a red sock in her white wash. That’s classic stress bucket overflow. 

    Whilst daily turning on the tap isn’t a perfect solution for every scenario, it’s a good baseline rule. The challenge for many, though, is finding the requisite time and energy. 

    Recently, I’ve been visiting more work places with my campaign Where’s Your Head At. I’ve been challenging employers to ask themselves whether a working parent in their organisation would realistically have the time and money to practice this vital form of self-care. If not, what could they do to facilitate? 

    Work circumstances can, of course, hugely increase amount of stress flowing into the bucket. In his (brilliant) book the Wellbeing Toolkit, Andrew Cowley cautions that wellbeing should not be conflated with self-care. You can’t offset a hugely unmanageable work load with a few cut-price yoga sessions, for example. 

    Yet often, when employers ask staff to anonymously submit suggestions for reducing workplace stress the requested changes are relatively simple. It could be introducing a rule that no one sends work emails after a certain time of day. It could be providing free gym memberships for employees. It could be making it common practice for everyone to leave their desks and take a decent lunch break. It could be introducing quiet areas or ‘chill out zones’ where staff can go when they need half an hour to think, or restore. 

    And evidence shows the return on that investment will likely be huge. Stress not only increases the chances of developing both physical and mental illnesses, it can also reduce an individual’s ability to problem solve, make decisions and think creatively. 

    A thriving business requires productive and present staff and stress is the enemy of that aim. 

    Find out more about Natasha’s work at www.natashadevon.com

  • Five Tips to Overcome Feelings of Anxiety During the Festive Season

    By Ruth Cooper-Dickson, No Panic patron

    In some of my past articles for No Panic, I have shared how you can navigate feelings of anxiety when attending work socials or networking events. 

    With the festive season upon us, filled with after work drinks, family gatherings, and Christmas parties, these feelings may be at an all-time high. So, what better time to follow up with some tips that you might find useful to adopt when meeting up with family or friends.

    1. Practice with boundaries 

    Being around family that we may not see throughout the rest of the year can create anxiety. Isn’t it strange that we are expected to get on so well with these people, despite only meeting up once a year or so? You might have a very different lifestyle to your family or find that they share very different views about the world – with even the smallest things ignitingdisagreements and arguments or even just heated discussion. 

    There is also almost always that family member who has no filter and will openly ask you in front of everyone “when will you meet someone?”, “you have put on weight”, “when will you be having children?”, “how do you make any money in your job?” … I think we all know the relative or guest I am talking about. Before you meet up at family events, practice your responses and plan how you will handle the situation if it feels triggering for you. 

    Protecting your boundaries can sound like:

    ​•​My reasons are personal, and I don’t have to explain them to you.

    ​•​I have my reasons.

    ​•​I’m not obligated to explain myself to you.

    ​•​I prefer not to say.

    By doing this you can take the control of the situation. You will appear confident and hopefully shut the conversation down before it goes any further. 

    2. Take a break if you need one 

    We all need to take ten minutes away from everyone else sometimes – that’s natural. Whether it’s the relative starting to nit-pick on all your life decisions, or the idea of being around a lot of noisy people, these situations can quickly start to feel intense and overwhelming. Which is why tip two is to grab a bathroom break if you need five minutes. Run your wrists under the cold-water tap. Take some breaths and give yourself time. If you need longer, get out of the house; offer to pop to the shop to pick up something that is needed, take the dog for a walk, or simply go outside and stand in the garden. 

    3. Ask for support

    If you know you are likely to struggle with your anxietyduring the festive season, then try and speak to someone who understands. If it gets too much, they can be that wing person on the day looking out for you. You could even set a signal between the two of your, indicating that if you say or do something, they will know that you are struggling. There is no shame in this, and it can help you feel more secure knowing that you have someone in your corner who is looking out for you. 

    4. Mindful drinking 

    Alcohol and anxiety are never a good mix. If you do drink alcohol, be aware of how this affects you and how much you are drinking. Although alcohol feels at the time like it is helping you, by reducing your worries and taking your mind off your troubles, on the whole alcohol has a negative impact on your mind and body. It can also add fuel to the fire for family arguments and outbursts, which is not helpful when considering the increased anxiety the next day. If you know that alcohol will cause issues for you, come up with strategies to either drink mindfully or stay sober at the event. Swap out alcoholic drinks for low or no alcohol options, or offer to be the designated driver for the evening. Have an excuse ready if you need one for leaving the event and driving home. 

    5.    Make time for you

    Once the day itself has passed and you are back home, it’s important to self-soothe and regulate your nervous systemaway from those feelings of anxiety. If it was a loud event, try to be quiet and relaxed. You could take a bath or a long shower, put on your comfy safe clothes, and sit on the couch – or get in bed with a book. 

    Feeling overstimulated can make you feel tired. Try to ensure you regulate yourself after an intense event to dissipate all the stress hormones. If it was a festive event that you weren’t particularly wanting to attend but felt you had to go, congratulate yourself on getting through it, and try not to overthink the event while recognising that next time it will feel a little easier. 

    I hope you find these tips useful to navigate the holiday season – and most of all, I hope that you have a restful Christmas.

    Remember, many people occasionally worry about social situations, but some of us can feel overly worried, before, during and after them. This can be social anxiety or social phobia, which is a long term and overwhelming fear of social situations. If you feel that your social anxiety is affecting your everyday activities, self-confidence, relationships, work, or school life, it is important you speak to someone to get help and support. 

    You can call the No Panic helpline on 0300 7729844 every day between 10am and 10pm, or speak to your GP. Social anxiety is a common problem that you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. Your GP will be able to put you at ease and share treatments that might help you deal with the symptoms you experience.

  • Six tips to overcome feelings of anxiety when attending social events.

    By Ruth Cooper-Dickson, No Panic Patron.

    In my last blog post, I shared tips employers could put into action to reduce people feeling anxious when attending work socials or networking events. I  thought I would follow this up with some tips that you might find useful to adopt if you find yourself feeling anxious before going to a social event with friends, family or with work. I have definitely found myself struggling at larger events after the pandemic, so these strategies have been useful for me.

    Many people occasionally worry about social situations, but some of us can feel overly worried, before, during and after them. This can be social anxiety or social phobia, which is a long term and overwhelming fear of social situations. If you feel that your social anxiety is affecting your everyday activities, self-confidence, relationships, work, or school life it is important you speak to someone to get help and support. You can call the No Panic helpline or speak to your GP. Social anxiety is a common problem you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. Your GP will be able to put you at ease and share treatments that might help you deal with the symptoms you experience.

    1. Take something familiar with you.

    I always take crystals, whether you believe they have healing properties or not I take them with me because they are small, comforting to hold and discreet. It’s rare I go anywhere without one on my person. I like how they feel in my pocket and with my ADHD they help to stop me from fidgeting. Find something that you can keep with you which will help you feel more grounded.

    • Wear clothing which makes you feel confident and comfortable.

    Choose what you’re going to wear to your event a day or two in advance. It should be something that makes you feel confident and is also comfortable. Enclothed cognition is a psychology term which refers to how clothing can have a systematic influence on the wearer’s psychological process. You might find wearing your favourite red jacket makes you bold and confident, even if you don’t necessarily feel it on the inside. Or your favourite band t-shirt is an expression of the music you listen to and your identity, attaching positive memories such as being at a gig with friends.

    • Have a back-up plan.

    If you do feel panic or overwhelm ensure you know how to get home safely or a phrase you might have as an excuse if you want to leave early. A good plan is to let a friend know or someone you trust that you are heading to an event alone. Ask them to be on standby so if you panic you can text them, and get them to send you three things that are great about yourself for that positive reinforcement.

    • Remind yourself of why you are attending the event.

    Why are you going to the event? Is it you are keen to hear the speakers, interested in learning something new, are you there supporting a friend…remind yourself of the importance of why you are choosing to show-up! For me this is the one thing that can actually get me to the event in the first place before I can talk myself out of it.

    • Plan 2 or 3 topics you can talk about if you panic.

    Talking to people is the best approach, which I know sounds weird if you feel anxious. I always have a couple of topics ready to make me feel comfortable, for example a film I watched recently, what I enjoy doing outside of work, or a story about my puppy Maverick. I don’t always use them but it is helpful to know they are there.

    My advice would be to approach a small group of two or three people and simply be honest: “I’m so sorry to interrupt, it’s just that I don’t know anyone here and I was wondering if I could join your conversation?” It sounds horrifying but try and remember that people generally are human and that kind people WILL make you feel welcome. If they don’t, they are definitely not worth bothering with and this is on them and not you. I’ve also left events early where people are rude or it has been difficult to connect with individuals, I have learnt not to force those connections and waste my own time and energy.

    • Post event chill-out.

    Once you have managed the event and are back home, I always try to self-soothe to regulate my nervous system from the feelings of anxiety. If it was a loud event, I like to be quiet and often will take a bath in the dark. I put on my comfy safe clothes (like my pjs) and I might sit on the couch with my puppy or get in bed with a book. I find if I’m overstimulated it can make me really tired. Try to ensure you regulate yourself post event to dissipate all the stress hormones. If it was an event you weren’t particularly wanting to attend but had to go, for example a work situation, then congratulate yourself on getting through it, try not to overthink the event and know next time it will feel a little easier.

    I hope you find these tips useful. Know it can and it will get better.

  • How can employers be more inclusive with social events?

    By Ruth Cooper-Dickson, No Panic Patron

    Over 4 years ago I stopped drinking alcohol when I started taking my SSRIs for panic disorder, as having a glass of wine made me physically unwell, let alone the mental side-effects.  My body had such a strong reaction to it.  When I finally stopped taking my medication, I realised for me alcohol did not help my anxiety at all, so I made the decision to stay sober and have been ever since as it works for me.  I use LinkedIn a lot for work and I have posted several times about mindful drinking in the workplace. That there are many reasons people do not want to drink alcohol, that the alcohol-free options are usually either water or sugary soft drinks (to which there is no excuse with the burgeoning low and no drinks market), and that work events are often still centred around a pub or bar.

    However, as someone who experiences anxiety and has been diagnosed with several anxiety disorders, I’ve noticed since the return to in-person events how overwhelming they can be.  Whether that is the noise and the intensity of stimulation, the amount of people in a room and at times going up to strangers and making small-talk conversation, with everyone hybrid working the faces are not always familiar.

    I consider myself an extrovert individual (yes you can be even with an anxiety disorder) but the conversations I’ve had in my day job as a wellbeing practitioner, suggest that work social events often don’t consider how colleagues might be feeling quite anxious before attending.

    ? In the UK, over 8 million people are experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time (Mental Health UK, 2022)

    ? An estimated 822,000 workers are affected by work-related stress, depression, or anxiety every year (Health and Safety Executive, 2022)

    Recently I held my own event at a local business venue and I made it clear beforehand that decent alcohol-free options would be offered (not just orange juice) and secondly, for people not to worry if they were coming alone as we would connect people beforehand.  I also asked people to reach out to me directly if they felt anxious about attending alone and I could be aware of who they were to say hello.

    On the back of this I wanted to share my eight tips for creating inclusive work social events which might help reduce anxiety of team members.  I hope you find these useful.

    1. Ensure there is someone from the team at the venue first to welcome everyone as they arrive. Don’t move on until everyone has arrived.
    2. If people are travelling alone offer opportunities for people to buddy up at travel points for before and after the event.
    3. Consider the timing of the events for people with caring, child-care, or other commitments.  Also, as a woman, travelling late at night alone is not something I feel comfortable with and it raises my anxiety levels through the roof.
    4. Find spaces which allow for people to step-away if it is noisy to speak and connect, without having to shout and be heard.  This is also inclusive for those who may be hearing impaired.
    5. If the consensus of venue is a bar or pub, then check for alcohol free and dietary options beforehand.  If you are running an activity or attending an event, check the accessibility options.
    6. Please don’t assume everyone loves playing games and icebreakers, so think these through first and know your audience.
    7. If individuals are expected to be paying for themselves, check the price range and that it is comfortable for people.  Do not assume everyone is happy splitting the bill, it annoys me as a non-drinker but with the cost-of-living crisis, anxiety around spending money on nights out is probably high for most people.
    8. Finally, this came tip on the back of someone messaging me the other week…that if people are left in the office to take calls and not joining until later, please do agree a rota for this so it doesn’t have to be the same person who is left until last and then has to come and track everyone down, or could you just not hold on and wait until everyone can join together!

  • How to Help Someone When They Have a Panic Attack

    By Natasha Devon, Patron

    I’ve had panic attacks since I was ten years old. I don’t get them often any more, since I learned how to manage my anxiety with a combination of the therapy, the right meds and lifestyle changes, but they still happen to me occasionally. When my mental health was at it’s worst, I could have two or three a day.  

    Panic attacks can manifest in very different ways. They don’t always look how you expect them to. Often, just before and attack, I’d become snappy and bad-tempered. This ‘aggression’ has been misinterpreted by people around me, because they didn’t know it could be a sign of vulnerability.

    The main symptom I experience during an attack is feeling as though my throat is closing and this leads to difficulty breathing. I find it really unhelpful when people around me tell me to ‘just breathe’ or try to get me to do breathing exercises when I’m mid-attack. It draws more attention to the fact I’m struggling to breathe normally and makes me panic even more.

    Instead, I prefer whoever is with me to ask me to name five things I can see around me. This also takes me out of the myopia I experience with panic attacks – I often become relentlessly focussed on one particular spot, so being encouraged to look around helps me to ‘zoom out’.

    I also found it unhelpful when I was asked what caused the panic attack the second it was over. I’d usually be a bit discombobulated immediately afterwards so it felt like a demand for answers I didn’t necessarily have. Panic attacks don’t always happen for an obvious reason. Sometimes it’s a billion little things. Sometimes you need a bit of space to reflect before you can articulate what you’re feeling.

    One of the best responses I had was from my brother. He rubbed my back whilst the attack was happening and then afterwards he said ‘did you see a owl?’. That’s a line from a comedy show we’d watched a couple of weeks earlier and we both burst out laughing. If you’re able to, it can be a really effective tool to laugh in the face of panic attacks, in my experience. It dispels the remaining tension in your body.

    Generally, I think the right response to a panic attack is to not catastrophize but also not to minimise. I’ve had people literally just look, unmoving, at me whilst I’m having one, then afterwards tell me they thought I was ‘being dramatic’. Then there are those who get into a panic themselves and talk about how much you’re worrying them, or that they thought you were going to die, which makes you feel guilty. Ideally, you should give the person having a panic attack your full attention, but remain calm yourself.

    Other things to do if you’re witnessing a panic attack:

    • Get the person to sit down or at the very least to stand by a wall, so if they faint they don’t hurt themselves;
    • Remind them that you are there and you’re not going to leave them alone;
    • Check in with them later in the day, or the next day;
    • Don’t force them to talk about it, but let them know that you are there if they do want to;
    • Ask them what they need afterwards – Do they want to get some fresh air? Go somewhere quiet? Have a drink of water?;
    • If the person gets attacks regularly, you can work out a signal they can give you if they think one is approaching. You can also ask them in advance what they would like you to do upon them giving the signal.
  • When is it appropriate to go into hospital with an anxiety disorder?

    When is it appropriate to go into hospital with an anxiety disorder?

    By No Panic’s President Professor Kevin Gournay

    If it is an anxiety disorder on its own, the only reason for hospitalisation is for intensive treatment that can’t be carried out as an out-patient. This is only necessary in the severest cases of OCD and related disorders. Such cases are very rare and treatments are conducted in highly specialised units, of which there is only a handful across the country.

    People with anxiety disorders commonly fear going mad – such fears are irrational; even the severest panic attacks can be treated effectively in the community.

    In-patient care is reserved for the severest cases of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and severe depression. In addition, admission is reserved for those at the highest levels of risk, for example, those who not only have suicidal ideas (not fears of losing control and committing suicide) and in addition evidence of intent to commit suicide and plans to do so.

    Just to complete the picture, anxiety disorders cannot be a reason for sectioning under the Mental Health Act.

    Watch Professor Gournay’s short video Am I going Mad? Here…………

    Professor Kevin Gournayis an Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry. He has more than 35 years of experience and is the author of more than 130 articles and books. He is based in Cheshunt Hertfordshire.

    How can No Panic help?
    No Panic specialises in self-help recovery and our services include:
    Providing people with the skills they need to manage their condition and work towards recovery.
    Our aim is to give you all of the necessary advice, tools and support that you will need to recover and carry out this journey. No Panic Recovery Programs

    Become a member of No Panic and join one of our Recovery Groups or One to One Mentoring services with a trained leader and work on Anxiety Management and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to overcome your phobia.

  • Help us continue our work

    Help us continue our work

    Rita Simons & Kevin Gournay explain how you can help us continue our work supporting people who suffer from Panic Attacks, Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorders and other related anxiety disorders.



    Donate today


    There are a number of ways you can donate to support our work. Please visit our donate page to find out more.


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  • Coronavirus (COVID-19)

    Coronavirus (COVID-19)

    Of course the coronavirus is a worry for us all. Indeed, I think it uncontentious to state that many anxiety sufferers will probably worry more than most and maybe even catastrophise the situation.

    To reduce worry, it is worth bearing in mind several things:

    • The vast majority of sufferers will recover and many will only experience mild symptoms.
    • There are thousands of experts all over the world working behind the scenes.
    • Worrying rarely leads to a solution. On the other hand you can use practical steps to stay as safe as possible: Washing hands regularly with soap and water, cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough/sneeze, stay alert and practice social distancing.
    • Focusing on the worst-case scenario only stops you enjoying the present moment.
    • Headlines can be misleading. There continues to be a huge amount of fake news around.

    By Professor Kevin Gournay 

    CBE FMedSci
    Emeritus Professor:
    Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience: Kings College: London
    Honorary Professor: Faculty of Medicine and Health: University of Sydney

    Tips on how to cope with anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak

    • Be supportive of those who have diagnosable mental health conditions such as health anxiety or OCD who could be experiencing heightened triggers at this time.
    • Ensure you are receiving your information from factual sources such as the World Health Organisations, NHS etc.
    • Limit your social media intake, follow accounts which make you feel positive and mute those hashtags or accounts which create further anxiety or worry.
    • Find distractions such as exercising in the home or garden, new hobbies and checking in with others. 
    • Take care of both your mind and body.
    • Create a new routine.
    • Create boundaries around your communication – don’t feel you have to check-in with people continually or if you want to speak to someone outside of your support network use charities such as No Panic. 
    • Have a ‘worry time’ where you allow yourself to worry for a small amount of time. Empty all your fears and concerns out onto paper this may help with relieving the pressure cooker feeling in the head.
    • Be honest. No-one is expecting you to be positive every day. It is better to acknowledge all your emotions whether sad, upset, guilty, anxious, angry…
    • Create some calm into your day. There are lots of apps, YouTube videos and Instagram accounts to access mindfulness and meditation exercises. No Panic also have a whole range of resources.
    • Take mindful moments throughout the day, such as when you are brushing your teeth or washing the dishes.
    • Change your mindset; Things are improving day by day.

    REMEMBER: You are not alone, we are all in this together and if you need extra support then contact No Panic for a whole range of resources, support and advice.

  • My Life and Times as an Agoraphobic

    In 1979, at the age of 34, I joined the N.H.S. at Napsbury hospital, near St. Albans in Hertfordshire. Napsbury was, at that time, a large psycho-geriatric hospital of some 1500 beds. My role was that of Domestic Services Manager, i.e. providing a cleaning service. I had approximately 200 staff under my management and I controlled an annual budget in excess of 1 million pounds. The position was one of much responsibility and the accompanying stress. I can only assume that the next few years put a lot of pressure on me and the stress of the proposed contracting out of domestic services from the N.H.S. created an exceptionally arduous period.

    One Saturday, in May 1982, I had planned to visit a recently wed friend in Birmingham. The same day was also my daughter’s wedding – my first wife and I were not in touch, I only heard about the wedding from my father – I had not been invited to the wedding so I was rather upset. Early that same morning an incident occurred between a patient and a member of my staff at the hospital. Consequently I had to go into work and resolve the matter. I thus embarked on my journey, from St. Albans to Birmingham, in a state of much stress and anxiety.

    The day went off very well until the return journey. On reaching the outskirts of Coventry I was suddenly overwhelmed with fear. I felt I could neither go backwards or forwards. My wife managed to drive me to a nearby police station where a policeman thought I was having a heart attack, so did I, I thought I was dying. He called an ambulance and I was whisked off, with blue lights flashing, to the local hospital. At the hospital I was given a multitude of physical tests which all proved OK I was not dying because physically there was nothing wrong with me. The hospital said I was probably having a ‘panic attack’ which explained my racing heart and high blood pressure. They called in a psychiatrist who, after talking to me for a considerable period, confirmed that I had suffered a full blown panic attack. He slowly got me to relax and all my bodily functions slowly returned to normal. This took several hours so he gave me some tranquillisers and, very slowly, my wife managed to drive us back to St. Albans, with my panic subsiding and then peaking all the way. It was a horrific journey for both of us. Without my wife, Marion, I don’t think I would have made it.

    On the following Monday I visited my G.P. who put me off work for 2 weeks because he said I was suffering from nervous exhaustion. Following this period I returned to work which, because we lived in the hospital grounds, was close at hand and thus manageable. However, I soon discovered that any longer distances, like walking along the long hospital corridors or travelling to other sites within the grounds caused me to panic and feel very frightened and sick.

    I went back to my G.P. who arranged for me to have an appointment to see a psychiatrist. However, this was at another hospital some 4 miles away. Come the day I tried to go but, I couldn’t get very far due to the constant panic. I rang the psychiatrist and explained the situation and he advised me to go back to my G.P., which I did. He was very angry and told me I was wasting the time of busy people and that I wasn’t ill enough to require a home visit by a psychiatrist and that if I didn’t go to see the psychiatrist it was my problem and there was nothing he could do. I was devastated and just didn’t know what to do.

    After a couple of weeks I decided to take matters into my own hands and I rang the psychiatrist. He was most helpful and arranged for a Community Psychiatric Nurse (C.P.N.) to visit me. This she did and duly reported back to the psychiatrist. They diagnosed that I was suffering from panic attacks which prevented me from going out. It was then arranged that the C.P.N. would visit me weekly to help me overcome the problem. Week after week we went on a little walk but returned home as soon as I felt anxious. Unfortunately, as I know now, she didn’t know anything about how to properly treat my problem. She was doing her best but, I wasn’t getting any better. It was not her fault that she hadn’t been given any training about helping people with my problem.

    We kept this up for about six months but regrettably I was, if anything, getting worse. In November 1982 my boss sent for me to see how I was getting on. I had to admit that things were getting worse and he pointed out that my work was suffering due to my anxiety. However, my boss, Tony, was brilliant and very understanding. He said that there was a “Behaviour Therapist” working in our hospital group and would I like to see him. I must point out that because I worked at a hospital and even lived in the grounds I did not come under the “catchement” area of that hospital so Tony had to pull some strings to get me an appointment with the “Behaviour Therapist” in our own group. I didn’t really know what a “Behaviour Therapist” was but, I was prepared to try anything. A telephone call, from Tony, resulted in the therapist agreeing to see me. I suppose it was like colleagues helping each other rather than a formal N.H.S. matter. The therapist’s name was Kevin Gournay and, as I am sure you will realise, he is now Professor Kevin Gournay, the president of our charity  ‘No Panic’

    During this ‘dark’ period of my life, my stepmother died and my father came to live with us. Marion and he were very supportive but, I wish he hadn’t kept on telling me to “Pull myself together”. I would have if I could!! I didn’t want to live my life in that way. Life was extremely difficult and the future looked very bleak. My world consisted of only the hospital grounds. Anyway, Kevin came to see me and immediately diagnosed that I had an illness called agoraphobia. It was such a relief to find out what I’d got and that it was just another illness. He insisted on my taking 6 weeks off work and having complete rest. He also told me that I had to very, very slowly reduce my intake of Tranquillisers. I had been on them since 1969. However, that is another story.

    Kevin returned to see me in early 1983. He explained what a “Behaviour Therapist” did and how my recovery would be achieved. He made an appointment to see me the following week and said we would go and have a cup of coffee somewhere. I wasn’t too worried about this as there was a small café in the village and I felt I could just about manage that, as long as we went in a car. I thus returned to work in the middle of January 1983. Kevin duly arrived and I was ready, feeling quite pleased about going to the café. Big mistake!! Kevin had other plans, we were going to Enfield, some 12 miles away. I was absolutely terrified and told Marion to find the insurance papers as I was convinced that I would never get home alive.

    Kevin told Marion to stay at home and off he and I went in his car with me still panicking and expecting to die at any minute. I don’t think I have ever been so frightened, it was the most horrific two hours of my life! However, much to my surprise I did go into the centre and have the cup of coffee and a biscuit. We left the café and out of the blue Kevin announced that he was just “nipping off” to buy something and I should just stand and wait. Panic again! I wanted to run into a shop and plead for an ambulance or a doctor but, I didn’t. Kevin returned and we drove home. I had made it, much to my surprise and, physically I was fine, just totally exhausted. Kevin explained that he had carried out a “flooding” exercise to prove to me that my worst fears wouldn’t happen and do you know? He was RIGHT.

    Kevin told me about self-exposure which, he said, meant facing up to my fears on a gradual basis and we agreed on a recovery programme. I should explain, here, that we moved house in December 1982 that meant that when I returned to work, in January 1983, I had to travel about a mile. I couldn’t make the trip, on my own, for some time and Marion would sit outside my office, in the car, for the whole day as I didn’t feel safe if she went away. I’m lucky I met and married such a great little lady.

    I started on my own self-exposure, firstly by getting to the ground floor of the block of flats, where we lived, and then by daily walking around the block  day in, day out, come rain, wind or snow. I would have my “Walkman” on my head, playing my relaxation tape, and bouncing a tennis ball to stop me thinking about how bad I felt. I must have looked very strange with my tape on my bald head and bouncing a ball, like a geriatric hippie but, I didn’t care. If that was what I had got to do to get better then so be it. People would give me some funny looks but, I would stop and explain what I was doing and why. Although I don’t for one minute think they really understood I had made new friends who, when they saw me, would shout encouragement or if I had got further than they had seen me get before they would congratulate me. This help and support was marvellous as it gave me encouragement to go further and also I wasn’t at all embarrassed by them knowing what my illness was. It may have been an illness which is little understood but in those early days my recovery method gave us all a few laughs. Eventually, as Kevin had predicted, the anxiety began to drop and, as I now know, it always does. I practised driving a little, on my own and as the weeks went by I got further and further. I slowly increased the distance from home that I walked and even went on a bus, just one stop and standing on the platform, courtesy of a kind bus driver who I told about my illness. It wasn’t very far but, it was a start. I told everybody I could find about my illness and I probably bored the pants off most of them, much as I do today!!

    Kevin came to see me week after week and reviewed my progress in the diary that he had insisted I keep. The diary was a “Godsend” because not only did it show what I did when but, I could look back and get confidence from reading what I had achieved. Kevin, the little devil, occasionally took me on more “flooding” trips. To say I didn’t enjoy them is somewhat of an understatement but I understood why he did them. I could have cheerfully throttled him at times but underneath I knew he had my best interests at heart. After about 4 months I could drive to work on my own and stay there. My staff were marvellous and helped me through the bad times. Once again by telling them it reduced the fear because you are not always on your guard trying to hide things away.

    Over the next two years I gradually expanded my boundaries and life was beginning to get back to something approaching normal, whatever that is. I even got back to playing table tennis, a sport I have loved since I can’t remember when. I was fortunate enough to be quite good at it and had played at county level and was ranked in the top 50 in the country. I may sound quite big-headed but I am what I am. (Most people still think I am big-headed and the fact that we have no doors in our house is neither here nor there.) Anyway playing table tennis involved quite a bit of travelling but things were getting a lot easier. Would you believe it, I told all my table tennis colleagues about my illness too. In late 1984 Kevin did his usual “flooding” trick. He was due to give a lecture at Birmingham University, some 90 miles from St. Albans and he thought it would be a good idea if Marion and I went with him but, I’m not so sure that I felt it was a good idea. He is full of jolly little wheezes. However, I agreed to go. To my surprise it was a “doddle” and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. However, there was one slight “hitch”, my car blew up in Birmingham and a “A very nice man” from the A.A. put the car on a trailer and we all travelled back to St. Albans in his lorry. Even this didn’t cause me any anxiety. Who’s a clever boy then?

    In about the middle of 1985 I decided I didn’t like the way things were going in the N.H.S., so Marion and I decided on a change of career. I should explain that Marion was also a senior hospital administrator but had had to give up work in 1982 due to heart problems. We decided to buy a shop in Telford where Marion’s son, by her first marriage, lived with his family. A wool shop came up for sale and we bought it and changed it into a “chippy” (I love chips so it seemed like a good idea) We moved up in January 1986. We came by ambulance as I still wasn’t too good on motorways without Kevin – he inspired me with total confidence – The trip was as easy as falling off a log, I had improved much, much more than I had realised. Things were on the up and up and life was really very pleasant again.

    We opened the shop in March 1986. Life was good again. After a further few months of reinforcing my self-exposure I soon adjusted to my new life. I could do anything I wanted – go to restaurants, the cinema, shopping, drives in the country etc. Everything I attempted I could do without any anxiety or fear.

    This situation went on for nearly 5 years but, at the end of 1990 Marion was taken seriously ill with her heart. This is when they fitted her heart valves. At the same time our “chippy” wasn’t doing too well due to the recession and in early 1991 my agoraphobia came roaring back with a vengeance and I also developed monophobia, fear of being alone, with it. This meant that Marion had to sit in the shop with me. Things went from bad to worse, it soon became obvious that we couldn’t continue with our little shop. It was killing Marion which in turn was making my anxiety worse. We kept having to close the shop due to my panic attacks and obviously our customers were going elsewhere.

    We put the shop on the market and sold it in June 1991 although, we lost a lot of money as we had to let it go cheaply to get a quick sale and also the recession affected the value of business’.  For about 6 months we just recuperated and then we began to wonder what we were going to do for the rest of our lives. Obviously I hadn’t recovered enough to go out and get a job and Marion was nearing retiring age anyway. We decided that we would like to try and help others tackle their anxiety disorders. I joined Phobic Action, as a help-liner and put a small advert in the local paper –hence the birth of ‘No Panic’. Originally we had only planned to operate as a small local charity but, the word spread and we found we were getting enquires and calls for help from far and wide. The rest is history, No Panic has grown and grown and thanks to all the volunteers who have joined us we now help many sufferers and carers.  So the proof is here; The initial four volunteers has grown to some 90 and the charity now has a membership of over 1500 located mostly in the U.K. but including quite a few from other parts of the world who have got to know about the work of No Panic.

    No Panic now offers a full range of services for people who suffer from Panic Attacks, Phobias, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and any other anxiety related issues. We provide literature, CD’s/DVD’s, a membership scheme and “contact” book service wherein members are able to make pen-friends or phone friends with other people who have similar problems. We also offer telephone and email  recovery groups which are of special benefit to people who live in rural or isolated areas where access to local face-to-face self help groups or statutory support is very limited. 

    The telephone/email recovery courses that No Panic use are based on cognitive/behaviour therapy and anxiety management as the basis for recovery. Whilst no therapy guarantees success, this method has at the present time the highest success rate. You are expected to face up to your fear on a step-by-step basis. You are not thrown into your worst scenario and left to sink or swim.  The progress you make will depend on the amount of effort you are prepared to put in. It is a gradual process in which slowly but surely you desensitise your body and mind from your fears.

    By Colin M. Hammond MBE – Founder of No Panic