A 27-year-old tattoo artist has spoken out concerning the results lockdown has had on her anxiousness and agoraphobia, as she takes on a private problem to present again to psychological well being charity Thoughts.
Molly Garnham, from Stowmarket, has suffered from psychological ailing well being since she was 15
Her agoraphobia – a worry of being in conditions the place escape is likely to be tough – grew to become so dangerous that, from 2015, she was not in a position to depart her residence for 2 years.
Nonetheless, after seeing an enchancment in her well being over latest years, Mrs Garnham is now hoping to present again to charity Thoughts by taking up a strolling problem all through January.
“I’ve had a lot of ups and downs however the one factor I’ve struggled with most is my anxiousness and due to that agoraphobia,” she mentioned.
You may additionally need to watch:
“From round 2013 to 2015, I grew to become housebound due to the agoraphobia and finally, once I began to exit once more, I vowed to by no means let myself get caught in that scenario once more.
“Through the years I’ve completed rather well however over the past 12 months with Covid and all the things, it has been actually powerful.”
Mrs Garnham, who works at Tough Diamond Studios in Stowmarket, mentioned that the pandemic has been a “catch 22” for folks with agoraphobia.
“It has been tough as a result of I must exit and never fall for what my anxiousness and agoraphobia needs me to do, which is keep in,” she added.
“However however, there may be reduction since you’re not allowed to depart your private home, which is de facto what agoraphobia needs me to do.
“It obtained to the stage of one other lockdown, our enterprise closing once more and so I made a decision to tackle this problem.
“I’ve at all times felt such fulfilment in doing one thing that makes me really feel good.”
Mrs Garnham has determined to stroll a mile day by day for a month to boost cash for psychological well being charity Thoughts.
Regardless of a mile seeming simple to most, the 27-year-old mentioned that will probably be an actual problem for her, as she used to battle to stroll to the top of her highway.
She mentioned: “I do not normally stroll up the highway with out feeling anxious, so this can be a large factor for me to attempt to push myself.
“I really feel this overwhelming panic and worry that I must be at residence as rapidly as attainable.
“Everybody has psychological well being, regardless that some folks have good psychological well being, and others dangerous.
“I simply really feel like I simply wanted to do one thing that actually pushes me. I do know it is solely a mile, however that is powerful for me.
“Though there are such a lot of wonderful charities on the market, I believe Thoughts is the one which everybody thinks about once they consider psychological well being.”
To donate to Molly’s trigger, which has raised already £730, go to this website.