My life has been a bit of a roller-coaster going everywhere and then nowhere. As a young child I was believed to be a very talented musician. My parents encouraged me and supported me in every way they could. I was optimistic about life and the idea of a career in the music industry both challenged and excited me. My dream came true when I was picked for a major part as a musician in a well-known orchestra. I loved and enjoyed this time of my life.

It all came crashing down around me when on the way home from rehearsals I was physically attacked and mugged. My handbag was snatched. I instinctively tried to hold onto my bag. The attacker was bigger and stronger than me so in the struggle I fell to the ground. I was badly bruised but not seriously physically injured but I was emotionally traumatised. A passerby came to my assistance but the attacker was well gone at this stage. I reported the incident but no one was ever caught or apprehended for the attack.

My physical injuries and bruises healed over time but emotionally I couldn’t seem to be able to move on with my life. I became fearful of travelling on my own. Even if I travelled by bus I was constantly looking over my shoulder. Even though my place of rehearsals was only ten minutes walk from my home, I wouldn’t walk alone, not even in daylight.

As time passed my fears intensified, they did not lessen. People would say to me that an incident like this can never happen again. Logically I would agree with them but then my mind would start to play tricks on me. I found that I was looking at complete strangers and thinking is this the person that attacked me. Are they going to follow me? Do they know where I live? Will they come to a concert that I’m playing at and follow me home again?

I felt I was losing my mind. I would feel panicky if someone approached me to ask directions or even ask a question. I began to miss my music rehearsals. Nobody seemed to understand including myself what was going on for me. My doctor prescribed anti-depressant pills which eased my mind a bit but they didn’t stop my fears.

My parents didn’t know what to do. They eventually stopped trying to persuade me to continue with my music. I went through a phase of not wanting to leave my room or my home even if someone else accompanied me. I though with time my fears would lessen and maybe even vanish.

I would sit in my room sometimes and think how life could have been so different. I blamed myself for walking home alone on that traumatic night and putting myself at risk. I eventually packed in my music career and got a part time job in a small cafe, but my fears never left me. I felt anger, sadness, loss, fear and frustration.

One day when the cafe was quiet a lady came in for a coffee. She wanted to sit with her back to the wall. She commented on how it is so unsafe to leave your bag in exposed places. She told me her handbag was stolen the previous week. I opened up and found myself telling her my story. She listened to my story and told me I needed to get help to try and sort out the shock and fears that I was experiencing. As she was leaving she handed me a card with the name and number of a person who did bio energy healing therapy. I thanked her and stuck the card in my pocket.

I had never heard of anything like bio energy therapy before but I went online and learned all I could about it to see if it could help me. I took a deep breath and decided not to allow the attacker to control my life and so I made the call to the number on the card. The person I spoke to explained that they would be using energy therapy to work on my chakras to decrease the intensity of the controlling emotions of anxiety, fear and shock.

I booked myself in for five sessions of bio energy healing therapy and the level of fear associated with the attack greatly decreased with each session I attended. These changes were very subtle but I did notice I was no longer looking over my shoulder everywhere I went. If someone approached me, I didn’t try to avoid them. If I felt any element of fear I would remember the therapist’s advice to focus on my diaphramatic breathing, and stay in the moment.

Two months later I started back at my music rehearsals. Now I feel the intensity of my fears have greatly diminished. My fears are no longer controlling me, my life or my career. I am determined that fear won’t control me in the future. It may affect me but it won’t control me.