What: Anxiety Management Course
When: Six consecutive Wednesdays 1.30-3pm, Wednesday 29th January – Wednesday 5th March
Where: Online via Zoom
Who: Adults aged 18 and over who have had meningitis.
Through our existing Keep Connected Online sessions and support work as well as evidence we’ve collected over the years, we have seen that anxiety is a big issue for the people we support.
Meningitis can have a variety of long-term impacts. While recovery is straightforward for some, it is more complicated for others. Lingering effects can include headaches and fatigue as well as anxiety which is itself exhausting. The anxiety can take many forms; for some it might be limited to worries and concerns about the length of time needed for a full recovery, some people experience panic attacks, while for others it might result in a deep-seated unease and distrust of their body (How can I trust it after this? What else is it going to do to me?). And anxiety can affect sleep, which makes daytime fatigue resulting in irritability, problems concentrating (brain fog) and low mood.
This course of six sessions over Wednesday afternoons, aims to help you to understand your anxiety and will introduce a variety of self-help strategies aimed at both reducing anxiety and improving your wellbeing and quality of life. It is for adults who have had either bacterial or viral meningitis themselves. You might have had the disease years ago, or you might have had it more recently, i.e. six months ago.
It will be hosted by Dr Sue Jackson and a member of the Meningitis Now support team.
Dr Sue Jackson is a chartered psychologist who has conducted extensive research on health conditions and health service improvement. In her private practice she specialises in working with clients with chronic mental and physical health problems.
Sign up below or if you want to find out more first email Kathy:
“My anxiety is a result of the meningitis. It was so hard to deal with and I sometimes had panic attacks for no reason. I got so anxious and terrified of getting meningitis again.”
Please note that this course isn’t group therapy or an intervention for ongoing and severe mental health problems. It’s a course of learning and self-help for anxiety. We always advise people to see their GP in the first instance if they are concerned about their mental health.
These sessions aren’t drop-in sessions as they build on each other and the self-help for your anxiety. By signing up for this course you are agreeing to attend all sessions where possible.
We will limit the attendees to 14 adults. Please sign up as soon as possible to get your place. See the Terms and Conditions for further details about the course.