Day 20 Without Anxiety

Richmond Fellowship Induction


What's The Challenge?
Meet with a representative from Richmond Fellowship.

Why The Anxiety?
I get anxious around people I know really well, this doubles if I'm around strangers. I have never met anyone from Richmond fellowship nor do I know a lot about them. I was referred to them by my doctor, and have only spoken to people over the phone. This is the first time I am going to meet someone I have never met before in a public place. I'm not sure what to expect or what type of meeting this will be like

Anxiety before? 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴⭕⭕⭕⭕
Knowing I was able to bring my emotional support dog (Yoda) soothed a lot of my anxious thoughts. Having my dog with me not only calm me down it also gives me something to focus on. (also people are so much friendlier if you have a dog, they actually smile and even say hello.) I was also able to choose the time and location, it was important for me to find somewhere I had been before and felt comfortable going to. This is probably the least anxious I have been at the start of a challenge. It doesn't mean I'm super duper healthy, my anxiety is still at a level 6 or 7. Planning ahead has helped me a lot, I know where I am meeting the lady (we'll call her Jill, not her real name), when, and she also gave me a quick description of what she looks like so I know who to keep an eye out for. My heart still feels like It's going to burst out of my chest at any second and I keep having to sip my water and take deep breaths.

Anxiety During?🔴🔴🔴🔴⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕
After being told to move from one area to another (because of my dog), we finally settled in one of the tea rooms and began to have a chat about the Richmond Fellowship charity, their resources and how they help people. Jill was very welcoming and open, she explained to me in detail everything that she does within the charity and the community. I found myself feeling comfortable and able to chat with ease, there were moments when I could feel the anxiety trying to creep back in especially when I had to talk about my background etc. It didn't help that we were in a public place and whenever I had to talk about myself or my situation I felt very self-conscious. I'm proud to say I was able to stay above the negative thoughts and panic. I felt a certain amount of safety and control, and I had things to do to keep me occupied. I explained to Jill about the 100 Days Without Anxiety Challenge and she was happy for me to film the meeting, this was an added bonus. A lot of people do not like to be on film or recorded and a few of the meetings I have been to I haven't been able to record for confidentiality reasons. Believe it or not being able to record the meeting also gave me peace of mind, along with Yoda's support and Jill's understanding and patience it's no wonder I felt comfortable and at ease.

Anxiety After?🔴🔴⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕⭕
I feel really happy about the meeting I just had with Jill, I honestly feel like I've just taken another step in the right direction within my recovery. I was able to go the whole meeting without feeling pressured, panicky or questioning why I was there. I felt at ease to stay behind after Jill had left and look through some of the paperwork and information she had left me. Having Yoda there with me was comforting, It's almost like having a safety blanket you go to bed with as a kid. I'm so proud of him for being well behaved. I'm proud of myself for going and also staying behind afterward, I didn't realise at the time but this shows just how much my confidence has already grown.

Update?
I have stayed in touch with Richmond Fellowship and Jill. They have a wide range of resources and facilities and they've helped me to do a couple more Days Without Anxiety too. I would highly recommend Richmond Fellowship to anyone who is going through mental health recovery, they are amazing and I cannot thank them enough for the help they have given me.

If you have any Challenge Ideas; Please comment down below and let me know.
Remember to check out The Video!

Thanks for Reading
xo


Enjoy Day 20? Why not Read/Watch Day 19?

Struggling with Mental Health?
Helpful Links:
    Infoline: 03000 123 3393
    Call: 111 (for urgent needs)
    Helpline: 116 123 (UK & ROI)

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