Happier Days
About me
HI! My name is Ava and I am eleven years old. Last year I had my first "scaredy attack". This is how I describe that feeling when I can't breathe properly and I cry because I'm scared, sometimes for no reason. Sometimes I feel so worried that I feel like I'm going to be hurt.
With the help of Emma Ring from Spectrum House, I learnt that I have anxiety. Anxiety can be a really frightening thing if you don't know what it is or what to do when it sneaks up on you.
​
By talking about my big worries, I have been able to manage them (well most days) but more importantly, I no longer feel alone.
​
My biggest message to you is that kids with anxiety are not alone! There is always someone who can help.
​
5 years later
Hi (again)
Recently, I was reminded of this website and the impact it had when it was published in 2019. Looking through my old videos and pictures, I was reminded of the kid I was, the struggles I had and the fear I experienced. Just breathing some days seemed so hard.
Now, I am 16, and so much has changed. I volunteer for Beyond Blue talking to community members about positive mental health and am even more passionate about helping people with anxiety. After Covid-19, lock downs, feeling isolated and distanced from friends, I learned so much about myself and my anxiety. With help from school, family, and doctors, I feel so much stronger now. I have changed in ways I didn’t think possible when I was 11. I even went to Spain on my own for a 3-month exchange over Summer. Not 1 panic attack! It was amazing.
This isn’t to say that I no longer have anxiety. I do, but I am better at managing it and understanding what is happening. More importantly, I know how to get what I need to calm myself, the resources available (many on this site) and how to use the strategies to move through the negative feelings. It does get better.
When I first made this website, I wanted to help other kids like me to understand that big scary worries had a name. I wanted to tell other kids that these worries were called ‘anxiety’, that the feelings were very real and that they weren’t going crazy. I wanted kids to know that their feelings weren’t wrong, and that they weren’t alone. My purpose remains the same, only now I want to reach more people.
I am in the process of creating a 'Teen Stuff' page, to share some of my recent experiences and additional strategies to help calm nerves. I’ll also provide some information on how to help if you are with someone having a panic attack.
​
Looking forward to updating you soon!
​​
Ava
