Islay, a 17-year-old student from Cheltenham, is a remarkable success story having recently returned phenomenal results in her GCSE examinations, beating her own expectations. To change that story, her success must be attributed to her hard work and dedication. She said ongoing support through counseling has been key in helping her process that trauma and in keeping her anxiety in check. Now in sixth form, Islay looks back on her experience. Her vision is to equip her friends to address the same challenges.
Before her examinations, this was been compounded with pre exam anxiety, which Islay describes heightened her anxiety to a “day-in, day-out” level. She soon fell into academic self-doubt and developed panic attacks before the classes she feared. Realising that she needed support, she contacted Mitcheldean-based charity TIC+ (Teens in Crisis). That’s why this organization, now on the cusp of rebranding to become Talk Well, has engaged in this work.
During her counselling sessions, Islay discovered some techniques to help deal with her anxiety. She thanked everyone for the opportunity to be of service to her friends finding their way through this new experience themselves. “It’s really lovely that I can help my friends manage their anxiety,” she shared.
Reflecting on her decision to seek help, Islay noted, “I never confronted how to deal with it and the feelings got more intense leading up to the exams, and one day at school I just thought, ‘I need to talk to someone’.” This turning point in her life put her on a course for treatment, which she believes is responsible for her newfound academic success.
Islay’s experience resonated with many, including Claire Power-Browne, CEO of Talk Well, who emphasized the organization’s commitment to supporting young people. “If it’s bothering you, it bothers us and we want to help,” Power-Browne stated.
Even after overcoming her fears of getting help, Islay quickly found that her feelings were perfectly reasonable. “I think an apprehension was that my struggles weren’t overly extreme, so I thought that might be an awkward barrier but it really wasn’t,” she explained. This knowledge meant that she was better able to lean into the support that was offered to her.
Looking ahead, Islay wants to study international relations and Spanish at university. While she’d never deny the importance of the skills she learned on Counselling, she recognizes that without those skills, her performance might have tanked. “I would have done a lot less revision and, therefore, not done as well,” she admitted.
As Islay continues to navigate sixth form and prepare for university, she remains mindful of the triggers for her anxiety. “It’s been interesting noticing the same triggers and I still find myself thinking back to counselling and work through them,” she remarked.
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