Did you miss Nadiya: Anxiety and Me on BBC 1?

Here's our run down of the documentary - shining a raw and personal light on anxiety and mental healthcare.

Did you miss Nadiya: Anxiety and Me on BBC 1?

We were delighted to welcome Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain to the Warneford Hospital in Oxford during filming of Nadiya: Anxiety and Me which aired on BBC 1 on May 15, 2019.

Nadiya embarked on a course of cognitive behavioural therapy with clinical psychologist Paul Salkovskis, giving viewers a unique insight into mental healthcare at Oxford Health and inspiring the nation to talk about our mental health.

She speaks bravely and honestly. At times, it’s a difficult process, revealing buried memories and key moments from her past. These sessions are raw and honest, but Nadiya hopes her openness will inspire others to seek help rather than suffer in silence.

She wants to understand how anxiety is affecting the nation’s health and meets fellow sufferers in the hope of understanding her own issues.

After years of struggling with panic attacks and anxiety Nadiya felt the time was right to address a problem which had begun to dominate her life.

She revealed how racist childhood bullying had led her to fear for her life and, with Paul’s help, was able to understand how the fear she felt during a panic attacks was linked to when she genuine feared for her life as her head was held underwater in a school toilet.

Diagnosing Nadiya with a panic disorder Paul explains research shows 80 per cent of people treated for the disorder can recover. Paul helped Nadiya reflect on the physical feelings she experienced during a panic attack and her emotional response to the same physical feelings when happy and excited.

They talked about how safety behaviours, rather than keeping anxiety in check, were in fact feeding Nadiya’s anxiety and, with an impromptu trip to London, Paul was able to show Nadiya that the worst doesn’t always happen.

Equipped with the skills to tackle her anxiety Nadiya knows she has a journey ahead of her. And the nation is behind her as she’s praised for opening up about her challenges and treatment.

As she begins a cookery demonstration before a packed live audience Nadiya explains she would not usually wear her glasses and then would not be able to see the crowd. Putting them on she takes another step towards beating her anxiety.

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Published: 16 May 2019