Ten years ago I was a socially isolated 30-something with severe anxiety and depression, a problematic relationship with alcohol and a bleak outlook on life. I didn’t see any way that things could get better, and thought the world was better off without me. I attempted to take my own life as a way out, because I didn’t see any alternative. When that didn’t work, I realised that doing something, anything, couldn’t be any worse than doing nothing. I began the long, slow road of recovery, building myself a life which is so much better than I ever could have imagined. It’s been hard, and life has thrown me a few curve balls. I still struggle, it isn’t always easy. But it’s worth it.
This is the story of how I changed my life. It’s not about how I recovered, because I rebuilt my life into something that is so much better than it was before.
Keywords: Anxiety; Depression,; Suicidal thoughts; Social anxiety