Southwater woman reaches out to help people cope with anxieties

Twenty-year-old Lauren Woods set up a website to provide mental health support - and it has now led to her having a book published.

Lauren, who went to Horsham’s Tanbridge House School and Collyer’s College, first established her website - www.positivepage.co - three years ago.

“I struggled myself with OCD and health anxiety,” said Lauren. “I knew there were quite a lot of people around me trying to get help but the waiting list for support was very long.

“I wanted people to be able to go to the website and find someone going through something similar to them.”

The website captured the attention of publishers Mango Publishing who approached Lauren and asked her to write a book on mental health and self care which has now gone on sale via Amazon, Waterstones and Foyles’ website.

The book - called ‘Emotionfull’ - is separated into different parts with each part focused on different emotions.

Now, with many people facing anxieties because of the current pandekic, Lauren hopes that her book will prove a useful support for many.

“It has all stemmed from me struggling with my own mental health and I wanted to find other people that would understand and help other people themselves.”