Testimonials

Anxiety is a very isolating mental illness. I felt so alone and misunderstood because no one could relate to what I was experiencing. People would ask me what was wrong, and I honestly did not know how to answer that question because there wasn't anything that was bothering me. I started to worry that my feelings would lead to actions that could hurt the people around me.

I have learned from my own experiences, and that of others when I listen to them, is that everyone’s experiences are different and so maybe the approaches. The key is to listen, acknowledge, validate and understand and last but not least try to help as much as you can with the best of your abilities.

I am proof that you can live life and take back control. I developed my greatest strength to control my thoughts from my darkest time. Of course, it is still a daily struggle, especially in university; there are good days and bad, but I know I can take control.

One major thing I learned from therapy was being asked to acknowledge my thoughts or feelings, to challenge them, question if it was a realistic thought and ask myself if I had control over it.

The CDC says that 1 in 5 adults will experience a mental illness in a given year. 1 in 5 children currently have or will experience mental illness.. What I’ve learned from this is I am a part of that group.

In my culture, anxiety was not acknowledged or viewed as a serious problem so this made me feel that it was not an important issue to focus on.

I realize my anxiety and my depression will never go away, but I also know that I can help myself and make that dark cloud above me smaller and smaller until it is just a speck.

Since elementary school, I have struggled with anxiety, and I continue to struggle today, but I have learned how to cope with it and not let it take over my life.

When your anxiety is deeply rooted in you, it’s very difficult to overcome. That is why in the last two years, I have shifted my focus from “curing” my anxiety to “managing” it.

With lots of IMPERFECT practice and reflection, I gained the strength to slow down my every thought and used the twisted perfectionistic standards I used to have, to give myself a life that is nothing short of extraordinary.

The summer before I went into my first year of university I was throwing up frequently due to anxiety and I did not think that university was something I could tackle. Little did I know it was the start of something great.

Art has been an interest of mine since I was a young girl. It wasn’t until high school that I started to use art for much more than a way to express myself and have fun.

To say counselling changed my life would be an understatement. Not only did counselling completely change my perspective on anxiety and mental health, my counsellor was also able to help me see my self-worth.

Anna-Lisa was diagnosed with GAD at the age of nine. In 5th grade, she delivered a speech to her class about anxiety and her experiences. The response she got was both heartwarming and heat wrenching. The end result - learning a new sense of pride.

"For a long time, I lived my life maintaining that my thoughts were my biggest enemy. I had tried a couple times in my past to seek out help, but each experience proved worse than the last."

After I decided to drop a class and make a greater investment in experimenting with strategies such as physical activity and mindfulness, I slowly became better equipped to improve my mental health and well-being.

“This isn’t normal”, I said. “I need to see a doctor”, I said. But they said everything was fine. I was going through puberty; my hormones were probably just out of whack. Now I felt even worse.

Ever since I was little, I've always been able to recognize that my brain worked differently than other kids. I always just accepted that I was probably crazy. But I wasn't crazy, my feelings were never silly, stupid or irrational.

Graduate students have been shown to be 3 times more likely than the average person to experience poor mental health, and that the symptoms of poor mental health worsen the longer the students are in their respective programs. Yet, it's rarely discussed.

Guelph Ambassador Sarah Vangalen shares her journey with anxiety through a video testimonial, creatively showing how physical activity has positively influenced her life.

2013 was a life-changing year for me. I was in two motor vehicle collision (MVCs) a few months apart. I sustained mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI) in both, and a whiplash injury, too.

Peyton explains her experience having a seizure from anxiety, in our first ever video testimonial.

I can vividly remember the first time I showed patterns of disordered eating. It was obvious I was nervous beyond belief before my appointment with my pediatrician, since my weight had rapidly increased due to the foods I was exposed to growing up.

Kelsey Cruz, a twenty year old, full time student was kind enough to share her experience of what it was like for her when her parents both tested positive for COVID-19. The following questions were asked in a 1 on 1 virtual interview.

Everyone has different strategies that work for them. For me I found that if I push myself beyond what I thought was possible, I can physically confront my challenges, and have grown to be more comfortable with myself and my anxiety.

These are obviously very strange and scary times, and a lot of us are (understandably) feeling overwhelmed or struggling to adapt to the new circumstances we find ourselves in. Feeling the feels is super important, but so is taking care of our mind+bodies.

Gut health is a complex, yet vital player for achieving both physical and mental well-being.

University is an amazing experience and for many, it is life changing. There is so much opportunity for growth and personal discovery on this journey that you are about to embark on that it can become overwhelming at times. Thankfully, there are many resources available to you in order to ensure your success at your chosen University.

Hey there! I am the Community Outreach and Development Coordinator for Cam’s Kids. While there were many reasons to get involved with the foundation, the driving factor for me was my personal connection with anxiety and mental health struggles.

My purpose in sharing my story is more about the journey of finding hope in many forms to help ease the pain that anxiety can bring to an individual. For me I didn't realize I was suffering with anxiety and depression until my early adulthood. At the age of 18 I remember feeling tremendous stress, in particular when it came to trusting in friendships and relationships. And a huge part of this was from developing friendships in circles where I was harassed or bullied since the age of 14.

Over the last seven days, I took a complete hiatus from social media. I offloaded the apps from my phone, committed to not "scrolling", didn't post, and didn't consume social media in any way. It didn't drastically change my life, but it did subtly improve it. I'm not saying that social media is inherently bad - on the contrary, I think it has a ton of potential positives - but taking a break did make me consciously evaluate how and why I use social media, and gave me the chance to restructure how I'll use it in the future.

A year ago, I decided to do something. Something for me. Something personal. Impactful. Something smart, healthy, and very, very much needed. A year ago, I decided it was time to take control of my life again and take the control back from the anxiety monster I gave it to. A year ago, I took my first dose of anxiety medication, and prepared for a year of change.

Any “type” of person can be suffering from a mental illness, even the ones who seem like they have a perfect life. In high school, I was getting rewarded for my non-stop work through scholarships and awards. It’s funny to me that the driving force behind why I was doing so well was my anxiety. What I learned through all this is that even if the whole world is telling you that you’re doing great, what’s most important is how you feel about yourself.

For those who don’t know me my name is Brigitte Herrema and I have Generalized Anxiety Disoder (GAD) and Depression. For most of my academic career, I was a bit of a social outcast in terms of what the “cool kids” thought were cool. When I was in grade 12, my life began to become a lot more complicated and I was really struggling academically and stopped caring as much as I use to. In university, my anxiety went full tilt.

Hey! My name is Elena, and my friends call me El. My life is guided by my passions. In the past year, I’ve found health, happiness and discovered a strong sense of purpose. Things in my life aren’t perfect, but things are good. This is due in large part to the fact that I am in a good place with my mental health. But, it wasn’t always this way.

Mental health is my passion and it's my life. Every day, I manage the unpredictability of my bipolar type II disorder - a constant flux of anxiety, depression, and irritability. But, over time and after being pushed to my limits, I've learned a lot about how to proactively manage and not be a victim. Mental health is more than manageable, and you can live an extremely healthy life. It just takes the right tools, support, commitment, and openness.

I had no idea that what I was struggling with was anxiety, until I stumbled across the Cam’s Kids website. For many months I felt off...I couldn’t manage to bring myself out to social events. Every day was a struggle and my chest got heavier and heavier with every thought of having to leave the house.

Hello my name is Holly Alexandra Dodd and I have PTSD, extreme anxiety and depression. I was stuck in my own mind, which is a darkness so many know and feel. It was as though the air was heavier for me, as though there was this weight sitting on my chest that I couldn't get rid of.

I have struggled with social anxiety for as long as I can remember. From a young age I remember being ashamed of my body and believing every look or whisper was about me; I thought I was being judged.

I have a grateful (and definitely uncommon) outlook on my depression and anxiety. When they rear their heads, I express outwardly. Any of my close friends, coworkers, or strangers can attest that it’s common for me to say “I’m starting to feel anxious, not sure why”. Or similarly “I feel so sad and I hate myself for no reason, even though I know I don’t really mean that”. I embrace. I know it will pass, which for many others, they can’t find comfort in that.

Despite my initial shock, after speaking with my doctor about what social anxiety is and the symptoms I was experiencing, I realized that I indeed had social anxiety and was willing to get help. And let me tell you—reaching out for help was the best decision I have made.

For those struggling with anxiety please understand that one of the toughest parts to overcoming anxiety is stepping up to CHANGE your daily habits.

I am very passionate about making my struggles have purpose and have a strong passion to share these tools with others in hopes that they will help them as they have me.

Every year before the first day of school I would find myself feeling anxious, but this time, things were different. I had never in my life felt this sort of debilitating fear/dread/confusion, and it ended up being the beginning of a very difficult yet eye-opening journey.

As far as I can remember back in my life, I have always had anxiety. It’s like there have been pieces of me missing… like a house at night that’s meant to have all of its lights on, except some rooms are stuck in the dark.

"I've struggled with anxiety, depression, and an eating disorder for most of my life. My 'story' has had a lot to do with the gap in the health care system...that leaves people, like me, feeling lost and invalidated." - Haley Eltherington

I’ve been living in Ottawa for six years, studying at Carleton University for journalism. As of now, though, I’m studying abroad in Glasgow, Scotland for the semester, and its safe to say that this has been the best experience of my life. I spend more time traveling Europe than actually studying — it’s all about balance.

I am so thankful for my family, boyfriend, friends, coworkers, and dance teachers who continue to support and understand why I can't always control the way I respond to certain situations, as well as help me calm down when my anxiety level is high.

A lot of people would describe me as the happiest, most positive person they knew. I was so scared to tell people how I was feeling. But once I did, I realized how grateful I was and that I had nothing to be ashamed of.

When I begin to experience signs of anxiety, I try taking long deep breaths. Slowing my breaths and being in control of my breathing helps me to control my emotions. Getting fresh air is also a method I use to calm myself when I’m in an anxious state.

The reason I am writing this is so that people may understand that it really is okay to speak out and ask for help. Directed especially to those in the hockey community, you are not alone...

My name is Miranda, here is my story; bear with me.

Our most recent testimonial focuses on Hayley and Lane describing how anxiety feels to them and what they have learned about managing it.

By counting my blessings, shifting my mind, and talking about the anxiety, I can let go of some of it and ease my mind. It's not about a cure, it's about learning to cope.

Having anxiety as a child can be devastating. However, I feel that I learned life skills far before my time.

My name is Jake and I want to share my story with you.

My name is Morgan. I am 16 years old and this is my story. I hope this helps you learn something new so that you can help someone with anxiety or even help yourself.