A little bit about me. My name is Stacey and I am 38 years old. Married for 8 years and have a daughter. Love travelling, meal prepping, and spending time with friends and family. I also suffer with health anxiety!!
I have suffered with health anxiety since 2010 at least, and it is exhausting. For the last 15-years I have worried and cried and worked myself into a frenzy thinking I have illnesses that have never actually been there. I have tried Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) twice, private psychotherapy and antidepressant medications. When not in an anxiety episode I can fully see how irrational I have been but when in the throes of anxiety, my irrational brain does not comprehend that these things aren’t actually happening.
Despite that, I put on a brave face and continued to go to work, be a good mum, organise fun activities for the family and smile. Until I couldn’t do that anymore.
Last year my anxiety took a dip after a culmination of events and I ended up being off work for 2 months. Eventually I returned to work but in hindsight I went back too early as it was completely overwhelming and I became emotional at the smallest things.
Then Climbing out happened.
I first heard about Climbing out through work. It is a charity that offers support to anyone who has gone through or had any life changing illness, injury or trauma. They offer support and guidance through mind management sessions that help give you the tools to cope whilst at the same time doing activities in an outdoor setting..
I made a self referral and before I knew it, I was having a phone conversation with Kelda Wood who started the charity. We had a good chat about me and whether this programme was something that would benefit me. Kelda explained the programme was fully funded through charitable donations and that it was a 5-day programme. By the end of the call, I had been offered a place on the Lake District programme in November 2025.
Next post: Climbing out programme
Life after anxiety 