By Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Image: Javier Hirschfeld/Getty Images, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), October 18, 2022
When my son was born with a congenital heart condition, like any parent, I felt lost. He required open-heart surgery and I felt overwhelming uncertainty for what the future might hold. I understood that the outcome might not be good, but I also knew that a positive outcome was possible if I could provide the best care for him.
At a time like that, it was hard to focus on those positives, but I learned that I could use my anxiety to keep me energised. Knowing that the future was uncertain but that my actions could influence the outcome, my anxiety helped me to function in what otherwise might have felt like a hopeless situation. I believe that anxiety can be a tool to help us to cope with the challenges that life throws at us.
However, for many people anxiety can be suffocating, and has become synonymous with feeling bad.
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