A student has revealed how she overcame debilitating panic attacks caused by bullying and is now “living her best life” as a successful business owner. <br /><br />Vicky Owens, 24, struggled to get through secondary school due to severe bullying. <br /><br />Classmates would throw food at her, tell her to “kill herself” - and even poured yoghurt and ketchup over her in the school canteen. <br /><br />The torment led to her suffering from severe panic disorder - causing her to black out.<br /><br />Now, after being prescribed medication, she runs her own six-figure business, and wants to teach other kids how to overcome mental health issues. <br /><br />Vicky, a social media strategist, from Manchester, said: “I was too scared to leave the house without passing out - now, I inspire kids in my position to go after what they want. <br /><br />“My anxiety got to the point where I didn’t want to put my body through another panic attack.<br /><br />“I thought, if I have one more panic attack, I’m going to die.<br /><br />“I lost a lot of friends - who just didn’t understand what I was going through. <br /><br />“Now, I’m in a really good place - I feel really confident.”<br /><br />Despite being “teased” through the years, Vicky says her bullying really began in 2014, when she was in year 10. <br /><br />She says she was very quiet as a child, and her school year was filled with big personalities. <br /><br />Her classmates started bullying her “for the sake of it” - and Vicky suffered a two-year ordeal. <br /><br />“I remember one time in the canteen,” she said. <br /><br />“One kid threw a yoghurt pot over my head, which everyone found really funny.”<br /><br />She finished school before the situation could be dealt with, and struggled to trust friends at college. <br /><br />Despite being scouted as a model at 17, Vicky also struggled with low self-esteem. <br /><br />She said: “I was very reluctant to make friends. <br /><br />“I just assumed everyone had it out for me.<br /><br />“I’d joke to friends that they wouldn’t be able to stand me after a while.<br /><br />“The bullying just made me feel like I must be an insufferable person.”<br /><br />While studying A-Level media and photography, Vicky was recruited for a modelling agency. <br /><br />A talent agent spotted her while she was shopping in the Arndale Centre, Manchester.<br /><br />She was told she’d need to try out for the agency alongside 100 other women. <br /><br />But she had her first debilitating panic attack before she made it to her first shoot.<br /><br />“I was so timid and terrified,” she said. <br /><br />“It happened out of nowhere - while I was setting off for my first shoot in Manchester. <br /><br />“The taxi pulled up outside my house, and I was just about to come down the stairs. <br /><br />“All of a sudden, I blacked out.”<br /><br />Vicky fell down the flight of stairs and hit her head on the ground - before swiftly regaining consciousness. <br /><br />She put it down to nervousness, but the attacks became more frequent. <br /><br />Before long, they were happening every time she needed to go to a big event. <br /><br />“I’d even faint while doing my big shop,” she added. <br /><br />“It’d happen every time I forced myself to go out.”<br /><br />Worried she could be suffering from heart problems, she visited her GP in October 2020. <br /><br />She was diagnosed with panic disorder after her doctor ran through her symptoms, and prescribed a daily dose of 50mg sertraline, an antidepressant. <br /><br />Vicky says the medication gave her the strength to set up her own business. <br /><br />She began cold-calling businesses, offering to run their social media accounts for a £100 fixed fee. <br /><br />For the last three years, Vicky has become a social media strategist for brands like Netflix, Vogue, Shreddy and TikTok. <br /><br />Her company earns six figures, and she runs a team of six employees. <br /><br />She said: “We’ve built up a really good reputation as a business. <br /><br />“I’ve done it all in spite of my school bullies and panic attacks.<br /><br />“Some of my old bullies have even applied to work for me.<br /><br />“I’ve gone back to speak at my old school, to hopefully inspire kids struggling with their mental health.”
