A married mother of one from Thatcham is breaking the stigma around anxiety with her poetry.<\/p>\n
Emma Welch, who has suffered with anxiety for years, said her condition became worse after a life-saving operation she had at just 22 years old.<\/p>\n
Thatcham mum Emma Welch said she has suffered with anxiety almost her whole life<\/p>\n
She told newburytoday how anxiety can affect her life on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve had panic attacks on multiple occasions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome days I can feel really panicky about things. It seems to be worse when I\u2019m tired.<\/p>\n
\u201cI basically don\u2019t want to leave the house sometimes, and it takes an extra bit of strength to get out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be really scary because I\u2019ll get a feeling in my stomach, which I don\u2019t understand at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Welch, who works in finance, said she has found different ways to cope with her anxiety \u2013 one of the most common mental health conditions in the UK.<\/p>\n
Her two poems \u2013 Anxiety My Friend and Silent Screams \u2013 have been published in two international anthologies of poems and short prose compiled by author Robin Barratt.<\/p>\n
Emma holding copies of both books featuring her poetry<\/p>\n
\u201cRobin got back to me and said he really liked my work and that he would like to put it in his upcoming book,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
She said watching the film Inside Out 2 with her three-year-old son inspired her first poem.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnxiety is basically overprotection,\u201d she continued. \u201cYou need anxiety to know not to walk out in front of a car<\/p>\n
\u201cBut when it becomes overwhelming, which is what happened to me, that\u2019s when you need to have a conversation with yourself to say, \u2018I\u2019m okay\u2019, because your brain is just on overdrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wrote my second poem at a time where I wasn\u2019t talking to people about my anxiety.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s such a stigma because people feel they need to look like they\u2019re fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also spoke about the other ways she has improved her mental health.<\/p>\n
She continued: \u201cExercise usually makes my anxiety feel better.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think team sport is really important as well, because I have quite a good support network.\u201d<\/p>\n
She praised the support she has received from the Central Family Hub in Thatcham.<\/p>\n
Asked what advice she would give to anxiety sufferers, Mrs Welch replied: \u201cJust talk to somebody, whether it\u2019s your doctor, Talking Therapies, which has helped me a lot, or parents and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
A recent NHS survey found the proportion of 16- to 64-year-olds with common mental health conditions increased to 22.6 per cent in 2023\/4 from 18.9 per cent in 2014.<\/p>\n
The proportion was higher in women than men at each point.<\/p>\n