Because anxiety presents differently for everybody, it can sometimes be easy to miss.

Ayla Tesler-Mabé grew up with parents working as psychology professionals, so she was well-versed in anxiety from a young age. However, neither Ayla nor her family realized she had been grappling with anxiety and perfectionism. Ayla had fainted as a child, but it took fainting on a flight as a young adult—and waking up to “a good hundred people staring”— to investigate further. 

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Did you know that panic attacks can cause physical symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations—and even be mistaken for a medical emergency?

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories, Tom Power shares his journey with anxiety—something he didn’t realize he struggled with until his adult years. Tom recalls a terrifying incident in his mid-twenties at a social gathering where he thought he had a heart attack. “All I could think about was, what is happening to me?” Tom shares, “Why am I feeling this way? Am I having a heart attack? Am I having a stroke? What is going on?”

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When it comes to treating anxiety and other mental health disorders, there isn’t a ‘one-size fits all’ treatment approach.

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories, Dr. Kourosh Edalati shares his experience as medical director and CEO at Elumind Centre for Brain Excellence, a private outpatient healthcare centre specializing in optimizing brain functions through various neurotherapeutic modalities. Dr. Edalati highlights the importance of building rapport with patients and creating individualized treatment plans, stressing that different people may respond to different treatments. Dr. Edalati also explains why an integrated approach to mental and brain health, such as the ‘roads, cars, and driver’ model used at Elumind, can be beneficial when treating patients with mental health challenges including anxiety.

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Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff, a registered psychologist for over 15 years, offers her expertise and shares insights with Pegah and John. Dr. Taube-Schiff’s clinical work is focused on the delivery of scientifically supported treatments for obsessive compulsive and related disorders, anxiety disorders, depression-related issues, and a wide range of emotional and behavioural problems. 

Dealing with anxiety or finding strategies for anxiety is tough at any age, but how can you manage anxiety as an adult when you didn’t have access to the right resources as a child? 

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories, Anxiety Canada Youth Network alum Pegah Mollahajian shares her story, and registered psychologist Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff offers her clinical expertise and insights into group therapy, exposure therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and more.  

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Work anxiety can impact anyone, but can you imagine having an anxiety attack right before you need to go live on air?  

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories, Tamara Taggart shares her story. As a successful broadcaster and speaker, she thrived in her professional life, with many around her noting that she was the busiest and most successful people they knew. But behind the scenes, she felt “odd,” and later realized that she’d been dealing with undiagnosed anxiety and depression for years. She coped by staying busy through work and volunteering so that she never had to “think about anything else.” From childhood chaos, to having a child diagnosed with Down Syndrome, to her own cancer diagnosis, Tamara was in survival mode for as long as she can remember. Tamara and host John Bateman discuss her journey to understand and work through her anxiety—a journey she is still on today. 

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In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories, podcast host, John Bateman puts himself in the hot seat. John reflects on his experience with anxiety, expressing gratitude to his mother who played a significant role in his journey. John shares that for him, anxiety manifested in the form of panic attacks in childhood, often fuelled by existential anxiety. In early adulthood, this evolved into isolation and rumination that resulted in John’s first encounter with depression. Having experimented with various forms of treatment, John found that group therapy played the most significant role in his journey, alongside cognitive behavioural therapy, and medication.  

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To learn more about Dr. Chisolm and the perspectives approach to psychiatry, visit https://margaretchisolmmd.com.   

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Dr. Chisolm talks about her journey with anxiety and postpartum depression, as well her experience as a mental health professional. Dr. Chisolm shares that although she’s had an anxious temperament from a young age, it wasn’t until her brother passed away from suicide that she considered psychiatry as a career path.

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Hannah Stone is an artist who began painting and designing clothes in 2002. Inspired by the nostalgia of childhood visits to the seaside arcade, Hannah claims her work “has a way of transporting the viewer to a sweeter and simpler time”.   

In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Hannah dives into her journey with anxiety and bipolar disorder, sharing that she didn’t realize she had anxiety her entire life until recently receiving a diagnosis. Hannah shares that in the past, she was able to hide how she was feeling, and put up a front for the outside world.

As a recovered substance user, Hannah mentions that for a long time she coped by self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. Today, Hannah is eagerly exploring the various coping tools and strategies available and learning to cope with her anxiety day by day. To see Hannah’s art visit www.gohannahstone.com.  

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In this episode of #OurAnxietyStories Dr. Burns discusses his work as a psychiatrist. Dr. Burns shares that many severe mental illnesses, such as mood disorders and schizophrenia, tend to be intertwined with symptoms of anxiety. He notes that in these cases, anxiety is often overshadowed by more dramatic symptoms such as hallucinations. Dr. Burns also touches on the benefits of using medication as a tool for treatment, emphasizing that “the combination of medication and behavioural techniques can be really useful”. 

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In this episode, Alayna shares her journey with anxiety, discussing experiences with aviophobia (a specific phobia that involves a fear of flying), as well as panic attacks. Alayna notes that her lived experiences with anxiety led her to discovering mindfulness and compassion, tools that she now actively shares with her followers. Alayna also touches on the feelings of anxiety she experienced while ending an engagement and navigating her sexual identity while in the public eye.

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In this episode, Jeanna shares how anxiety and imposter syndrome affected her as a university student. Jeanna also touches on how grounding techniques and exposure therapy help her understand and cope with feelings of anxiety.

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