PERSONAL ANXIETY POST - PAST EXPERIENCES - READING

As well as sharing my anxiety experiences from present time I’m also going to share experiences from my past, what triggered my anxiety, how I felt etc.

I hope by sharing these experiences it could help people or even family members of those who’re suffering with mental health.

Please remember that everyone’s triggers are different so it may trigger me but it may not be an issue at all for a different person.

So reading……

At secondary school I used to absolutely hate reading and I still don’t like it much now, I learn more from listening or watching.

When in class at school and the class was reading a book out loud one at a time I used to hate it.
I would count how many people were in front of me so I could work out which lines I would be reading to make sure I was prepared.
As my turn got closer I would be bright red, sweating and then when it was me I would just rush it so it was over as quick as possible.

When we had to read something to ourselves but in a class I used to skim read and not take it in because I was a slow reader and I didn’t want to be behind.

Later in life at college when doing presentations I used to hate it, before doing it i would be sweating so much, shaking and generally so anxious.
When it was my turn I would be bright red, sweating so much and rush it, I would struggle to speak because I was so nervous, I would stumble on words.

Some of my symptoms of anxiety were very visible at times.

And even now I don’t like reading to my daughter but I do read to hear if she asks but I overthink reading books to her and still rush and mess up.

#AnxietySucks #MentalHealthMatters