Suffering In Silence

When exam pressures started to build so did Anna Maria’s anxiety.

She remembers beginning to feel anxious in Year 10, then her grades started dropping, and in Year 11 Anna Maria Dean felt so low she considered hurting herself.

The 17-year-old has made a video, based on a real-life event, in a bid to help teachers and other young people recognise the signs of someone suffering with anxiety.

‘Not all teachers can recognise the signs of anxiety and depression, that’s why I made the video,’ Anna Maria explained.

‘When my anxiety was bad some teachers noticed my grades slipping. They said I needed to improve but never asked why it was happening.

‘I had some supportive friends. One in particular also suffered with anxiety so we were on the same wave length.’

Anna Maria, from Maidstone, is not alone with her feelings of anxiety.

Recent research suggests as many as one in six young people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives.

This means there can be as many as five people in every class in every school living with anxiety, whether that be Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, social anxiety and shyness, exam stress, worry or panic attacks.

The A-level student’s message to other young people is this: ‘As cliché as it sounds try talking to someone. You may need to look for that person.

‘Try and find some sort of relief from the pressures, it will you the motivation to keep going.’

This project was funded by the Colyer Fergusson Charitable Trust.

To find other resources on this topic, and watch Fixers films, click on the image below.