A few years ago, my life came to a complete halt. I went from being a confident, successful, and outgoing person to a complete wreck, scared of my own shadow and unable to leave the house with crippling anxiety and panic dissorder.
This blog began as part of my recovery. I started sharing what I was going through with close friends and family on social media, and I was overwhelmed by how many people had experienced their own battles with anxiety and panic attacks.
At the time, I wasn’t well enough to help anyone else, but I kept sharing my journey, the struggles and victories. Now, as I continue to rebuild my life, I want to use what I’ve learned in my recovery to help others find hope, healing, and a way forward.
The following blogs detail my journey from my first panic attack to being diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic disorder and my journey to recovery.
When first diagnosed with anxiety I felt so lost and confused which made my suffering worse, I hope through blogging I'm able to share the lessons I've learnt along the way so that others can learn to recover too and know they are not alone.
Graeme Swatton Published on: 29/10/2025Anxiety and panic disorder has been the most difficult and hardest journey of my life, it has often felt very lonely, confusing and at times I've felt like I can't carry on and there was no chance of recovery.
Coming to terms with my anxiety and panic disorder and the start of my recovery journey.
Graeme SwattonAnxiety can feel like a very lonely and frustrating place. Even with people around you who are supportive and want the best for you, anxiety can still feel extremely isolating and lonely. You can become trapped in your own mind and body, a prison cell your mind has created while trying to protect you. Your physical body may be present in a situation, but your mind is elsewhere, lost in its own cycle of panic and fear, fearing the worst and wondering what you need to do to get through this bout of panic just to survive.
Graeme SwattonNew Blog Post Description
Graeme SwattonOne of the things everyone wants when healing from anxiety and panic disorder is a single breakthrough moment where everything suddenly gets better. I know that’s what I wanted. I just wanted to be healed and to get on with my life again. But that isn’t the reality. Healing doesn’t happen overnight. It happens in stages, often messy, confusing, and definitely not in a straight line. Looking back now, I can clearly see three to four distinct stages I’ve moved through so far. Understanding these stages has taught me to be far more compassionate with myself and less afraid when things feel uncomfortable.
Graeme SwattonAs someone who has always been active, whether it was playing sport or working out, Anixety and Panic Disorder has had a major impact on this area of my life. In hindsight the first signs of my anxiety started before my first panic attack in the gym. I used to workout every day, it was part of my daily routine. I loved going to the gym and I loved running. I would usually run home from the gym, but over the course of a few months I felt myself really starting to struggle with my runs and sometimes my workouts too, I felt like I wasn’t breathing properly and my body felt really tight, I was running slower and taking longer to recover. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was as I should have been getting fitter not feeling like I was breaking down.
Keep up to date with my latest blogs and follow my journey to full recovery from Anxiety and Panic Disorder.