Client Success Story: Genevieve “Living With and Conquering Anxiety: My Personal Journey”
By Genevieve Darling
Anxiety is a normal part of life and everybody feels it from time to time. For some, however, anxiety can be extremely difficult, isolating and debilitating. It can also manifest a whole range of health issues and other related anxieties, of which I know first hand.
The catalyst for my extreme anxiety stemmed from the traumatic experience of living with a rare neurological disorder and developmental venous anomaly in my brain since a very young age and having a craniotomy at the age of 16. Living with the reality of an acrylic plug being inserted into my skull and having half my head shaved at such a formative age in my development as a young girl was so overwhelming and scary. Simultaneously, I had my first experience of a toxic and narcissistic relationship with my ex who completely disappeared on me when I needed him the most and found another girl.
For over 2 decades, my anxiety would creep up on me daily, impacting my quality of life, confidence, decision-making process and belief in myself. I didn’t understand until years later the negative impact this period of my life had on me and the downward spiral of bad decisions I made, which I now realize came from a place of low self esteem.
Over the past 20 years, my anxiety and low self-confidence manifested itself in the following ways:
Being married at 25 and divorced by 29.
Hoping for a positive outcome with someone I gave my heart to in a very toxic and narcissistic ex relationship that spanned across 2 decades.
Being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder at age 30 (which I was later able to reverse through diet and exercise).
Having a high risk pregnancy and the health anxieties and fears that came with that with my first daughter, to the point where I couldn’t leave my home alone with her for fear something bad would happen.
Postnatal anxiety and stress after my first pregnancy.
Detaching myself socially and physically from those that love me including my now husband, daughter, family and friends.
Giving energy and time to people who did not deserve it.
What I have come to learn in my recovery journey is that my anxiety has not been a curse, rather it has been a power for good and a catalyst for me to change my life and open myself up to opportunities and relationships I didn’t believe I was worthy of having. The biggest blessing for me was reconnecting with the love of my life and having first our beautiful daughter and now our newborn son.
Here are my top tips for keeping my anxiety in check and living my best life possible.
Accepting and being grateful for my anxiety
Our minds can play tricks on us. The first part of my recovery journey was to accept my anxiety, sit with it and work out strategies to bring me back to a state of calm including deep breathing, moving my body and using positive affirmations to calm my mind - telling myself I am safe, I am well, I am protected and this will pass.
I’ve come to be grateful for my anxiety when it creeps up on me but I no longer entertain it. Using positive mind switching techniques, which I developed when working with Ashley Miers, has helped immensely.
Being pregnant with my second child during a pandemic certainly came with its challenges and anxieties but having these strategies in place ensured that my pregnancy was anxiety and stress free.
Removing toxic people and relationships from my life
This has been a biggie for me. As an empath I have always given time and trust to those who don’t deserve it. Saying goodbye to toxic people and relationships has enabled me to flourish, really deeply value and connect with those that are close to me, transformed my inner circle relationships and coincidently lowered my anxiety attacks dramatically. What an all-around win!
Mindfulness & Meditation
Being at one with myself and healing through mindfulness and meditation practice each morning and evening has reduced my daily anxiety attacks to the point where I very rarely get them. There are some amazing free apps and YouTube meditations and chants, which I have found to have long lasting benefits.
Ashley Miers offers her Virtual Women’s Support/Skills Calls membership where you can learn a huge variety of mindfulness and meditation practices, and I also like:
Guru Ram Dass Chant for Compassion and Healing
Insight Timer App
Forgiveness and letting go of the past
I’ve made a ton of mistakes, who hasn’t? The guilt I’ve carried around with me and not being able to let go of the past has created so much anxiety and stress in my life. Accepting that I am human, everyone makes mistakes and that I can’t change my past but can focus on the present has enabled me to grow as a person and live my life more joyfully.
Accept that no response from someone you love is a response. If people wanted to move forward with you, they would. Not everyone has the same heart as you, and coming to accept this has helped my recovery journey.
Did I mention, my anxiety decreased significantly and my heart healed once I did this?
Taking control of my health
After suffering a high risk pregnancy and pre & postnatal anxiety, I really took charge of my health by working with my integrated GP who, after lots of tests discovered I wasn’t absorbing iron properly, had poor gut health and also had high sensitivity to gluten & caffeine – all of which were major triggers for my anxiety symptoms! Since working with my integrated GP, I am feeling the best I ever have, my skin glows, I no longer get daily migraines and heart palpitations and my second pregnancy remained low risk and anxiety free.
I also have acupuncture twice per month and have had some hypnotherapy sessions, both of which have eliminated anxiety and fears I was having on a daily basis.
My healthy eating plan was further supported when I started working with Ashley Miers in her Transcend the Turbulence program.
Get moving
When I feel a panic attack coming on, I move. I don’t sit with the fear and anxiety that creeps up. Even if I’m at work, I will get outside for fresh air and go for a brisk walk, listen to calming music or a walking meditation and I practice yoga in the evening when I can to calm my mind and promote sleep.