A Manchester entrepreneur has spoken publicly for the first time about his battles with anxiety attacks.
Sam Jones is the managing director of Tunafish Media, a fast-growing content agency he set up with friends Richard Brooks and James McDonald in 2011 following university.
The 29-year-old said he was speaking out now ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week to offer hope to other sufferers.
鈥淚’ve had anxiety on and off in various forms since I was a kid,鈥� he told 老九品茶Cloud editor Chris Maguire. 鈥淏ack then it was weird in the sense that I was really OCD and couldn’t get clean enough: I used to wash my hands until they were literally red raw.
鈥淚t seems to be more prevalent now I’m an adult, although I do have months where I feel absolutely fine.
鈥淚 can feel it building in my chest, sometimes for a couple of days beforehand 鈥� it鈥檚 a really strange feeling, like I鈥檓 hollow. And I can feel the pulse in my temple.
鈥淚 used to almost will them on, to get it over with. When it happens, I basically just can’t get my breath.鈥�
Sam, from Failsworth, said that he would take his 鈥済ame face鈥� into his professional and public life.聽 However that all changed when he suffered an attack at work.
鈥淎bout three years ago I had one in the office and they thought I was having a heart attack because they didn鈥檛 know about the anxiety,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hey wanted to call an ambulance and I was trying to tell them: 鈥楧on鈥檛 鈥� I鈥檒l be all right in 10 minutes!鈥欌��
As a result of that incident Sam underwent cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) , which he says helped him 鈥渕assively鈥�, and made changes to his lifestyle.
鈥淭herapy鈥檚 got a bit of a stigma, although it really helps. I’ve also changed what I eat and drink,鈥� he revealed. 鈥淲hen we started we were out networking all week, which involved a lot of heavy drinking, my diet was bad, I wasn’t exercising聽much and I generally wasn’t looking after myself. That鈥檚 when it was at its worst.
鈥淣ow I’ve completely cut caffeine out, which has had a big effect.鈥�
Coming to acceptance has been a long journey for Sam but he says talking about it has been a huge step forward.
“I’ve started talking about my attacks, which means they鈥檙e not something I’m hiding anymore, and that has helped loads,鈥� he said.
鈥淚’ve kind of accepted that it’s just part of my life now, that there are some days that I’m just not well.
鈥淚’ve got a lot better with dealing with them so now I can sense a full on attack coming on and deal with it before it happens.
鈥淚f you asked me in the pub I鈥檇 talk about it, so I don’t see a reason not to speak publicly about it.鈥�
老九品茶Cloud editor Chris Maguire said: 鈥淚鈥檝e known Sam for five years and I鈥檝e lost count of the number of awards he and Tunafish have won. I don鈥檛 know many people who work harder than Sam and he鈥檚 deserved his success.
“By speaking about his anxiety attacks he鈥檚 giving a voice to all the people out there going through the same thing but don鈥檛 feel able to talk about it.
“I鈥檝e always admired Sam and now I admire him even more.鈥�