Kimberley Macdonald knows this struggle.

She was house-bound for four months, suffering with agoraphobia, which is an anxiety disorder that can develop after panic attacks. 

It can make a person fear or avoid places and situations that might cause feelings of panic, helplessness, entrapment or embarrassment. 

To push herself to leave the house and her comfort zone, Miss Macdonald began entering fun runs across the state. 

“I didn’t leave the house for about four months and it just got to the point where I had to get out,” she said. 

“I did a fun run and it was the worst day of my life, but I just kept doing them.”

The fun runs were often difficult and the drive there full of worry, but they were an important challenge.

“As soon as you stop doing something it gets hard,” she said. 

“I used to do fun runs and that was my way of keeping my inability to leave the house in check.”

In May 2017, Miss Macdonald started the Anxious Amblers walking group to support other people living with anxiety and depression, and as a way of keeping her own mental health in check. 

“I started the group for people in my circumstances to try and meet new people, but also to sort of give myself an obligation to get out,” she said. 

“When you have really bad anxiety or depression, you’re always afraid you’re going to ruin other people’s day or night because you have moments, so I thought I’d make a group for other people like me who were going through the same thing.”

There are no limits on who can join the walking group and participants are welcome to bring friends, family members and children. The group meets on Saturday morning. 

“We do a lot of local walks, it is a bit easier for people to get to,” Miss Macdonald said. 

Getting walkers to tackle a task they previously thought was impossible was what Miss Macdonald hoped the group could achieve. 

“When you do something that scares you to death and then you actually do it there is no prouder moment. I’ve had that so I am really trying to encourage others.”

Members don’t just hit the pavement together, they also meet for coffee, high teas and the occasional glass of wine. 

“I continually let people know it is a very casual and easy atmosphere,” Miss Macdonald said. 

For more information about the group, email anxiousamblers@hotmail.com or search for Anxious Amblers on Facebook.