A MONMOUTH student, who has battled with anxiety since she was 11, is helping others combat stress at school by creating a self-help booklet.

Breaghanna McMahon, 17, is concerned that young people seldom open up about their feelings for fear of being judged or not taken seriously.

Along with her team, she has created an interactive booklet with Fixers, the national charity that gives young people a voice, to help others talk about mental health and break the stigma.

“I’ve had anxiety since I was 11,” she says.

“It got particularly bad at school, which can be an extremely stressful environment, particularly during exam time.

“I wasn’t sleeping or really interacting with people and actually used to feel like throwing up when I was around others. It’s a lot of stress for a young person to handle.

“It can be really difficult to explain to teachers and other people, so you end up bottling your emotions and getting on with life.”

Breaghanna manages her anxiety by attending counselling sessions to talk about how she’s feeling.

She also volunteers at a youth centre, which she says has massively helped her confidence and ability to speak with other people.

Her Fixers booklet offers those struggling with mental health issues a chance to write about how they’re feeling and gives tips on what can help them get through testing times.

“I think it can be a great aid for people struggling with mental health,” she adds.

“There is a lot of stigma around this issue, which prevents many from coming forward because they think they’re going to be judged.

“It’s important for these individuals to firstly recognise there’s something wrong and secondly get help for it, which I think our resource will help them to do.”

Fixers works with young people aged 16-25 across the UK by providing them with professional resources to help them campaign on issues that matter to them.

The charity has helped more than 20,000 youngsters across the UK to have a voice in their community on issues such as cyber-bullying, self-harm, suicide or transphobia.

For more information or to make a donation to fund more Fixer projects, visit www.fixers.org.uk