Hamish tells of beating anxiety to get life back

IN CONTROL: Anxiety sufferer Hamish Herrick has come through his period of darkness. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A racing heart, trembling hands and a fear of public places typifies those who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.

As a sufferer, Hamish Herrick, 26, has found it hard to do things that many people take for granted in their daily lives.

"It stops you from doing normal things - going out for dinner, going to the supermarket, working, visiting friends," Mr Herrick said.

He described a panic attack like "spinning yourself round and round in an office chair, then tying a belt tight around your neck and seeing how you feel".

"Or like being a parent watching your child sitting on the train tracks, with a train coming."

The condition is not recognised for the debilitating effect it can have on someone's daily life, according to Mr Herrick.

"Once you have had a panic attack in a particular situation, you never want to go back there because of the fear of it happening again."

Mr Herrick suffered his first panic attack when he was 20 and working in a call centre in Australia.

He said the feeling was unlike anything he had experienced before, "like I was going to faint, I had to put the phone down straight away".

He has spent most of his early 20s trying to deal with the condition and has finally gained some control over it through counselling, medication, hypnotic therapy, breathing techniques and neuro-linguistic programming (psychotherapy).

His advice for others includes asking for professional help straight away.

"The condition is becoming more common, it's not as hidden as it was before," said Mr Herrick.

According to the Mental Health Foundation of NZ, New Zealand has the second highest rate of anxiety disorder in the developed world behind the US, with 15 per cent of New Zealanders suffering.

Overall, one in five New Zealanders suffers from some form of mental illness and, according to the foundation, only 39 per cent sought professional help within a 12-month period.

Mr Herrick has created a website at www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/newlife, which he hopes will inspire other sufferers of anxiety and help him raise some money to get his life back on track.