“I have been diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, PTSD, and OCD.
Everything started to go downhill with my mental health when I was 18 and I was violently assaulted, both sexually and physically.
I subsequently became an alcoholic and couldn’t handle life at all. I’ve been up and down in the years since but after my daughter was born in Feb 2014 that’s when the anxieties got worse.
I suffer badly from Intrusive Thoughts, where I believe I will harm her, I believe I’ll harm my husband or something bad will happen to them. I have to carry out ritualistic behaviors to stop these things from happening.
I have bad agoraphobia and can’t be amongst crowds, or in busy places. I have to be able to see a clear passage to the exit. I often can’t answer my door and phone. I can’t stand in queues because I’m scared of people being behind me. I am terrified of strange men and often can’t speak to a man I don’t know. I suffer bad flashbacks to my assault and panic attacks daily about pretty much everything.
My advice to anyone would be please go to the DR, knowledge is power and getting diagnosed and help will start recovery.”
