You've read the books, downloaded the apps, practised the breathing exercises, tried to "reframe" your thoughts. You've been to the GP, perhaps tried medication. You've journaled, meditated, done the self-care Sundays. And still, the anxiety clings to you like a second skin. The depression pulls you under again and again. The overwhelm doesn't budge.

And somewhere in the back of your mind, a voice whispers: What's wrong with me? Why can't I fix this?

When we only address the symptom, whether it's overeating, withdrawal, or people-pleasing, we're applying a temporary bandage rather than treating the wound beneath. True healing begins when we ask ourselves: ‘What is my anxiety trying to tell me?’

Behind excessive control might be a fear of uncertainty. Behind withdrawal could be a fear of judgment. Behind anger might be a feeling of vulnerability that feels too uncomfortable to acknowledge.

"3 children in every classroom will suffer from a diagnosable mental illness", why do they not say that 3 children in every classroom may be living with loss, family breakdown, parental mental health difficulties (often caused by parent’s childhood trauma), bullying, poverty, abuse, redundancy or anything which may cause distress within a family? After all, there can be recovery in all these issues.