When they struck hardest, Maria Connell says she feared she was about to die.
A racing heart. Shortness of breath. The shakes, the sweats. And this overpowering, suffocating feeling of fear, so strong it overwhelms any sense of reason.
"It just brings you to your knees."
Connell, 46, suffers from anxiety disorder, the subject of a talk at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre on Thursday. You can only admire her courage.
We spoke for a couple of hours this week. One story from many:
She was flying from Vancouver to Ottawa when, somewhere over Winnipeg, it hit her. She had to get off the plane.
She reached over and grabbed the arm of a stewardess. She asked if the pilot could land immediately.
The crew member, to her credit, took Connell to the rear of the aircraft. She soothed her, told her it would be just as quick to land in Ottawa than to divert, gave her yogurt, stayed by her side, kept talking.
She survived.
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By Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen, June 9, 2010
I think that Maria is courageous and brave to stand up and speak up for what she believes in. Helping others who suffer from a mental illness and sharing her story about living with anxiety and panic can only be helpful.
ReplyDeleteWe need more people like Maria to stand up, speak out and lose the fear.
You really do need to admire her courage!
Ted, Ottawa ON