Empathy in Action: BounceBack Program

May 3, 2022

Anxiety has always been present in my life.  I remember my youth as a medley of emotional intervals, moving between the comfort of normalcy and the overwhelming weight of anxiety.  As I’ve aged, I’ve adapted my lifestyle to shield myself from any possible threats of anxiety.  I stay grounded by focusing my attention on my role as a mother, wife, and homemaker. I take comfort in routine and control.

When the pandemic hit, I lost my routine, and by default, my control.  The stress of this loss accompanied by the added pressures placed upon me as a mother, created the ideal environment for anxiety to invade.  Over the months, my stress increased and I found myself in a chronic state of fear.

To me, fear resonates as the loss of normalcy.  When I become overwhelmed by stress and worry, the protection I created through routine and control disappears. Part of my identity is upheld by these characteristics and when they depart so does part of my identity.  Imagine living your life disconnected from yourself.  I felt like I was a spectator watching myself deconstruct without the knowledge of how to put myself back together.  Physically, I was experiencing tense muscles, indigestion, nausea, a sore chest and a rapid heartbeat. Mentally, I overanalyzed and carefully inspected every situation for potential threats.  I carefully navigated my days by only doing things that presented little to no fear.  There was never time for me to recuperate from the anxious cycle– worrying, becoming anxious and worrying about becoming anxious. I learned to cope through visits with my therapist, increasing my anxiety medication, running, and eating healthier.  Still, the anxiety remained despite my best efforts to control it.

I was then introduced to the BounceBack program facilitated through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).  It is a free skill building program that is designed to help people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression, low mood and worry and stress. Participants can be paired with a trained coach who provides motivation and support.  Your coach helps you choose between twenty different self-help modules dependent upon what skills you wish to build.

I was paired with my coach, Val. We scheduled two-week intervals where I would work on two skill building modules, practice what I had learned, and then connect with her to review.  Some of the modules I chose to focus on were Noticing and Changing Extreme and Unhelpful Thinking and Understanding Worry and Stress.

I quickly formed a bond with Val.  Not only was she knowledgeable, but she was kind and understanding.  As I progressed through the modules, I noticed my mood lighten and my chaotic thoughts start to slow down.

Completion of the BounceBack program took me a little over three months.  I noticed the closer I got to finishing, the more uneasy I became.  It had made such an impact in my life, I thought I wouldn’t be able to maintain the skills I had learned.

It was on our last call that I expressed my concerns to Val.  She had been my support system, my mentor, and my friend.  Without her guidance, I feared I would not be able to move forward.  I will always remember her encouraging parting words, “Don’t thank me, you showed up, did the work, and fought for yourself.  Be proud of what you accomplished.” Perhaps the most significant thing Val did for me was provide the validation I needed to fight for my mental health.

It has been a month since I completed the BounceBack program. My mood has improved, and my anxiety has significantly decreased.  I still face challenges but know how to combat them using the skills I learned.  The most important lesson I took away from this experience was acceptance.  Sharing my story is, in part, my way of accepting myself. The anxiety has become part of my new norm.  Being able to blend normalcy and anxiety together has made it possible for me to embrace anxiety instead of trying to control it.  No matter where you are in your battle with mental health, remember there is always opportunity to bounce back.

To learn more about the BounceBack program, please click here.