ABOUT

I decided I needed some help. I found a Human Givens therapist who quickly helped me to calm down. When I was calm she showed me that many of my emotional needs were being met poorly – my sense of security, control, my need to give and receive attention, feeling competent as a father – had all taken a huge knock. Coupled with excessive negative rumination these poorly-met needs were resulting in the depression, anxiety and panic that I was experiencing.

Armed with this knowledge I was able to start feeling better. My therapist showed me how my emotional brain was hijacking my rational one, taught me relaxation techniques, de-traumatised my panic attacks and helped me identify and practice using my own resources. With this help I got better. You can learn more about psychological needs and resources here.

I decided to explore opportunities to support others and at the suggestion of my therapist became a listening volunteer with the Samaritans, supporting callers on the phone, by text and face to face. I discovered that it’s a huge privilege to be invited into another person’s confidence and so I went on to train with and graduate with Distinction from the Human Givens Institute.

I didn’t notice them for a while… then I had a panic attack—an utterly confusing and terrifying experience. And then the anxiety got worse and the depression got worse and the panic attacks continued.

How could this happen to me? I was a strong, independent person living a ‘normal’ life; a busy IT freelancer, mortgage, family, facing the same day to day challenges as pretty much everyone else right?

Ok, I’d been through divorce three years earlier, which, along with trying to build new relationships with my young children, had been very painful and challenging. But things seemed to be working out. So why was my head and my body making such a ‘fuss’?!

I decided I needed some help. I found a Human Givens therapist who quickly helped me to calm down. When I was calm she showed me that many of my emotional needs were being met poorly – my sense of security, control, my need to give and receive attention, feeling competent as a father – had all taken a huge knock. Coupled with excessive negative rumination these poorly-met needs were resulting in the depression, anxiety and panic that I was experiencing.

Armed with this knowledge I was able to start feeling better. My therapist showed me how my emotional brain was hijacking my rational one, taught me relaxation techniques, de-traumatised my panic attacks and helped me identify and practice using my own resources. With this help I got better. You can learn more about psychological needs and resources here.

I decided to explore opportunities to support others and at the suggestion of my therapist became a listening volunteer with the Samaritans, supporting callers on the phone, by text and face to face. I discovered that it’s a huge privilege to be invited into another person’s confidence and so I went on to train with and graduate with Distinction from the Human Givens Institute.

I didn’t notice them for a while… then I had a panic attack—an utterly confusing and terrifying experience. And then the anxiety got worse and the depression got worse and the panic attacks continued.

How could this happen to me? I was a strong, independent person living a ‘normal’ life; a busy IT freelancer, mortgage, family, facing the same day to day challenges as pretty much everyone else right?

Ok, I’d been through divorce three years earlier, which, along with trying to build new relationships with my young children, had been very painful and challenging. But things seemed to be working out. So why was my head and my body making such a ‘fuss’?!

I decided I needed some help. I found a Human Givens therapist who quickly helped me to calm down. When I was calm she showed me that many of my emotional needs were being met poorly – my sense of security, control, my need to give and receive attention, feeling competent as a father – had all taken a huge knock. Coupled with excessive negative rumination these poorly-met needs were resulting in the depression, anxiety and panic that I was experiencing.

Armed with this knowledge I was able to start feeling better. My therapist showed me how my emotional brain was hijacking my rational one, taught me relaxation techniques, de-traumatised my panic attacks and helped me identify and practice using my own resources. With this help I got better. You can learn more about psychological needs and resources here.

I decided to explore opportunities to support others and at the suggestion of my therapist became a listening volunteer with the Samaritans, supporting callers on the phone, by text and face to face. I discovered that it’s a huge privilege to be invited into another person’s confidence and so I went on to train with and graduate with Distinction from the Human Givens Institute.