One mother spoke of her struggle with anxiety and feelings of ‘isolation’, which led her to create a new social environment.
Samantha Davis turns out to be one of the many people in Worcester who have struggled to make friends because of their anxiety and have overcome their own doubts to build friendships with Worcester’s wellness.
This St. John’s-based mother wanted to create a place where people with low self-esteem, anxiety, and other mental health conditions could attend monthly meetups and build friendships. rice field.
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She revealed that she felt isolated before starting the group and had trouble making friends when she moved to the area.
Reflecting on the impact of COVID-19, she said:
“I need a conversation. I was home, unemployed, feeling purposeless, overthinking everything.”
“I felt isolated.
“I thought there must be another way to meet new people.
“I searched Facebook and found nothing.”
She added that when she wasn’t sure about starting the group for her mental health.
“I don’t have the confidence to do it. If it doesn’t work out, it will affect my mental health.”
Nearing its third anniversary, the group now has a staggering 900 members, with an average of 15 people attending monthly meetups.
“There were times when I had to break down my work, like getting out of bed or taking a shower, with no intention of meeting a group of friends,” Davis said.
“It’s like climbing a mountain.
“You need stairs to climb a mountain instead of facing a cliff.
“These are all things I felt.
“I had to put on some big girl pants before going to our group.
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“Sometimes you have to wait a few minutes in the car before you can go inside.”
To make it easier for more people to join the group, Davis met one-on-one before each monthly session to talk to those who were feeling anxious.
Worcester Wellness and Friendship is held the third week of each month at The Berkeley Arms in St. John’s.
People can participate in Worcester Wellness and Friendship through Facebook groups.