Whesley

Whesley, 29, often felt unwell. At first he thought it would go away on its own, but decided to see a psychologist after multiple panic attacks at work. Together with an online and consultation room psychologist from iPractice, he learned to cope with his anxiety disorder.

“It started with dizziness and pain in my stomach”
I first had symptoms in 2016, but I didn’t know they were symptoms at the time. It started with dizziness and pain in my stomach at birthdays and busy times at work. At the time, I kind of glossed this over as “I don’t feel so good.”

“I had two panic attacks in two months at work”
If I didn’t have enough distractions at work, I started thinking. My stomach started to bother me, got a high heart rate, I started sweating, got cold and when I stood up I felt shaky on my feet. I had a headache, felt a kind of pressure on my head and felt like I had to run to my bed as fast as I could. That was the only place I felt better. I had two panic attacks like that in two months at work.

“I realized I needed help”
Normally I could make a full work day, but now this was difficult. One Monday morning at work I noticed that tears were in my eyes and I thought “Not another day like this”. I burst into tears and went home immediately. That was the moment I realized I needed help. On the way home I called my friend and said, “I’m going to call a psychologist.”

“Only by saying it out loud made me feel better”
I never said how I felt because I found it very difficult to make myself vulnerable, cry and say that I wasn’t feeling well mentally. I kept trying to keep myself bigger than I was.

“I really liked the feeling that there was always someone there for help”
I searched a lot on the Internet and looked at experiences of others. What attracted me to iPractice was the intensive support and openness, this suited me well. During treatment I had conversations with the consulting psychologist and video conversations with the online psychologist. I was able to set my own pace and indicate how much help I needed. I really liked the feeling that there was always someone there for help. It’s very valuable that you can always ask for help without having to take the big step of calling a friend or family member who might not feel like it.

“At first it seems like mission impossible, but at some point you notice that you start making progress”
Because of the treatment, I dare to open up more and express what is going on in me. Yesterday I told my friend that I was nervous and she took me outside with the dog for a walk in the fresh air. I felt much better. Friends and family now say to me, “I think you look better, and you are less nervous.” You notice that you have made results.

“Now I can talk better so it doesn’t pile up”
Of course there are times when you slip back and that’s normal too. That’s not weird at all. It’s hard for a while, but you’re going to get that in real life, too. I keep the fear circle in mind at times when I’m struggling. When you’re struggling with something, you think about it, then adrenaline increases, and you start thinking even more, and so the circle keeps turning. Now I can talk it out of my system so it doesn’t pile up inside of me.

“My goal is to make mental health discussable among men”
Especially talking was a big deal for me. I could cobble together a whole evening, but couldn’t talk about my feelings. I noticed that I am definitely not the only one in this. Many men find it hard to talk about their feelings. They are not comfortable in their own skin, but don’t admit it and don’t want to do anything with it. To them I would say, “Just start, you always come out better. You’re really not a fool if you go to the psychologist. The more you know about yourself, the more things you can address.

Looking for help?
Do you recognize the symptoms from Whesley’s story? Don’t hesitate to seek help. Call us at 085-5805343 for personal advice. Or contact us online.