‘Bullying left me scared to leave the house due to panic attacks - now I have a six-figure business’

A woman has spoken out on how she overcame debilitating panic attacks caused by bullying and went on to create a six-figure business.

Vicky Owens, 24, struggled to get through secondary school due to severe bullying. Classmates would throw food at her, tell her to “kill herself” - and even poured yoghurt and ketchup over her in the school canteen.

The torment led to her suffering from a severe panic disorder - causing her to black out. Now, after being prescribed medication, she runs her own six-figure business, and wants to teach other children how to overcome mental health issues.

READ MORE: ‘I went to Manchester Airport’s top city break destination - and discovered something surprising’

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.

“My anxiety got to the point where I didn’t want to put my body through another panic attack.I thought, if I have one more panic attack, I’m going to die.

“I lost a lot of friends - who just didn’t understand what I was going through. Now, I’m in a really good place - I feel really confident.”

Despite being “teased” through the years, Vicky says her bullying really began in 2014, when she was in year 10. She says she was very quiet as a child, and her school year was filled with big personalities. Her classmates started bullying her “for the sake of it” - and Vicky suffered a two-year ordeal.

“I remember one time in the canteen,” she said. “One kid threw a yoghurt pot over my head, which everyone found really funny.”

She finished school before the situation could be dealt with, and struggled to trust friends at college.

Despite being scouted as a model