interview
TV presenter, Anna Williamson, suffered for almost a decade from overwhelming anxiety, but came off her medication when she found out she was pregnant. MM caught up with Anna to find out how she is coping...
Nickelodeon and CiTV presenter, but did you know that this vivacious entertainment correspondent is also a Childline counsellor and recently became an official ambassador for Mind? Anna's role as an ambassador for the
M
mental health charity, which offers advice and support to those suffering with mental health issues, is one that is ideal for her because, for almost a decade, Anna herself suffered from severe anxiety. She now talks openly about the mental health difficulties she faced and wants to let people know that it’s OK to ask for help. Anna’s particularly keen to reach out to
women like herself, who are pregnant (her first baby is due in July) and are concerned about, or feeling guilty about, taking anti-anxiety medication. 'I first began to be affected by stress about
ten years ago,' Anna told Modern Mum. 'As with most people it was the result of a combination of stress factors such as relationships and work. I was also a real 'people pleaser' and it simply all got too much for me. I began to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety and struggled on for about seven months before the whole situation imploded. At first, I tried to get through it all by myself - as most people do. Te problem is that with a physical illness everybody can see that you're ill in some way, but when it's a mental health matter it's very different. I made the biggest mistake that anyone struggling with anxiety does initially - I didn't tell anybody because I thought that nobody would understand. 'When it all came to a head I finally went
to my GP, who referred me to a consultant psychiatrist, who was absolutely fantastic. Gradually, through a combination of medication and talking, I finally started to feel like myself again. I also, very importantly, started sleeping again. I hadn't been sleeping properly for a long time and I was simply burnt out mentally and physically. One in four people suffer from
any of you may recognise Anna from her work as a 'Tis Morning' presenter and as a former
some type of mental health issue, so I was far from alone in how I felt.' Anna's psychiatrist recommended that she
take a short dosage of Xanax, which is designed to help the brain 'relax'. Xanax switches off the receptors in the brain which not only stop someone from relaxing, but which also create irrational fears. She was then switched on to a combination of escitalopram and cipralex. It would be three weeks before Anna woke up one morning and actually felt that things weren't so bad. 'Gradually I started to feel normal again,'
says Anna, 'and I was back at what I would class as my functioning level.' Prior to becoming pregnant, Anna knew
that her anti-anxiety medicines weren't advised in pregnancy.
“Te problem is that with a physical illness everybody can see that you're ill in some way, but when it's a mental health matter it's very different. I made the biggest mistake that anyone struggling with anxiety does initially - I didn't tell anybody because I thought that nobody would understand”
'Naturally, when I found out that I was
expecting, I was very concerned about being on any medication, although by that time I was down to a small dose - five milligrams a day. Nevertheless, I spoke to my GP, who fortunately had a very good understanding of anxiety and depression. She agreed that it was low risk, but over the course of two weeks we reduced my medication to every other day before finally stopping it altogether. 'I have to admit that I was initially
waiting for the anxiety to return, but nothing actually happened! I took plenty of walks in the sunshine and built plenty of relaxation into my daily routine. I also focussed on ensuring that I had an optimal nutrition plan.'
Apart from suffering from excessive
morning sickness for the first twelve weeks and then taking the flu for four weeks, Anna's pregnancy has gone smoothly from a mental health perspective. So what advice would she give to other pregnant women, who may be on anxiety medication, or to those who are suffering from anxiety and contemplating a pregnancy? 'Te main thing I would stress to anyone
in the same position is to not feel guilty in the slightest and to seek medical opinion as soon as you can - preferably from a GP who has a particular interest in anxiety and depression. It's OK to be on certain medications during pregnancy and a GP will be able to advise accordingly, so there's no need to panic if you're on anti-anxiety medication. Te risk is definitely low and if you have to take it, so be it. But you can also do something holistically to try and achieve the best possible outcome. Whatever you choose to do - whether it's yoga, or relaxation techniques, or swimming - it's all about putting yourself first and taking care of yourself. Both you and your baby will benefit from a little TLC.' „
Anna is an Ambassador for Mind, the mental health charity, which exists to ensure that no one has to face a mental health problem alone.
www.mind.org.uk
Summer 2016 MODERNMUM 11
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