“From doing my Mental Health First Aid course at the Brentwood Centre I learnt that your personal framework and a history of events will affect your mental wellbeing. For me personally I can certainly understand that a number of events in close succession led to my increased anxiety and panic attacks – parents’ divorce, dislocated knee, my own divorce, then major surgery. My mental health affected everything I did. I stopped socialising, couldn't concentrate on work and had endless panic attacks - even sitting in my own house watching TV!
It was at this point I decided I wasn't going to let it beat me anymore and, being a competitive runner all my life, I faced it head on with the theory...'I will beat this feeling by killing it with exercise' and that's what I did.
Every time I felt the anxiety rise I went for a fast, hard run or put my walking boots on and walked 7 or 8 miles. It started to help. Exercise for me was my coping mechanism, and although I still had the odd attack, I was confident that I could find a way of making it go away for a bit. 
Now I rock climb and mountaineer which really help me switch off from any negative thoughts. I still run, do some yoga and strength classes and can say I'm in a better place mentally than I have ever been."

Fitness in Mind at the Brentwood Centre has been designed to help people on similar journeys using exercise to promote mental wellbeing. The peer led and peer supported project, managed by Essex Mental Health Community and Brentwood Leisure Trust, is now moving into a three year Sport England funded programme with the help and support of twelve other partners. Check out the website for more details www.fitnessinmind.org.uk