LET GO OF THE BATTLE

There’s a kind of “pride in the battle” we carry in our everyday lives, Robyn Malcolm tells me in her dramatic way that gets right to the point when we chatted for this issue. “The more blood under your fingernails, the better.” I can’t help cringing in recognition. I’ve been fighting a chest infection, my first since 2019 because the Covid pause that stemmed the flow of flus and colds is now over and the bugs are ready to party. But that doesn’t stop deadlines, so work carries on and also the desire to go to concerts and friend catch-ups that are now back in the diaries. We soldier on until, like Malcolm, one day we can’t. I took it as a warning shot. I said no to an event I really wanted to go to, and got an early night.

Malcolm is clear that she’s not speaking up about her struggle with anxiety because she wants to talk about herself. She wants to talk about us. The figures are staggering – 1 in 4 New Zealanders will suffer from an anxiety disorder in their lives. That means that even if you’re lucky not to have anxiety impact on how you function, then it’s likely someone very close to you will experience it.

The documentary You, Me & Anxiety that Malcolm has made is great at explaining what it’s like to battle anxiety and that’s a massive help in knowing how to support people going through it. There are solutions. Malcolm has found her own and there is a lot of good information out there. Try starting with the Anxiety NZ and Mental Health Foundation websites. Often the first step is noticing where you’re at. So take a moment to check in this Rātapu/Sunday. Let go of the battle for the moment. There’s pride in that.

Kia tau te rangimārie,

If you’re lucky not to have anxiety impact on how you function, then it’s likely someone very close to you will experience it.