For many people, especially college kids, having anxiety is a daily battle. I personally hate it when I hear people say that anxiety is not a "real" disorder.
Does this sound real to you?
You are driving and suddenly things feel uneasy. You don't know what is wrong, but something feels very wrong.
You drive on, keeping both hands clamped on the wheel and your eyes never moving from the road, yet you can't remember if the light you just went through was red or green.
You have already driven 30 minutes, but it has felt like five, because all the thoughts in your mind have consumed your body. Your stomach is in knots but you cannot figure out why. You cannot figure out why you have this awful feeling that something is wrong. You go through your memory like a file cabinet searching for the reason. Searching for an explanation. Was it school? Did you piss somebody off? You think and think but you can't find the reason yet you still feel uneasy and scared.
This is anxiety. Yeah, I know, it happens sometimes for no reason at all. It seems to come from thin air, but it is real and it is hard to deal with on a day-to-day basis. This scenario has happened to me in different settings, like waiting in line for coffee, or right when I wake up. Sometimes while I am taking a shower. I have a second shadow that follows me around causing me to worry constantly.
But it's okay.
I have learned a lot about anxiety. I have made mental health my passion, and no, I am not a freak. I have friends that I love hanging out with, I work two jobs, and I function like a normal person in society. If you think anxiety is something to joke about, I think you need to realize that a lot of people are dealing with it every day and it can be crippling both emotionally and physically. If you suffer from anxiety, or any mental disorder, you must know that you are never alone because mental illness happens to one in five adults.
I try to share my story and the struggles I have because I want mental health to become an open conversation; I do not want the word "suicide" to be taboo anymore. It shouldn't be when it is so prominent in our society. Mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed of, and by openly talking about them, we are stopping the stigma and helping so many lives.
If you broke your leg, would you go to the doctor? I'd hope so. Same with a mental illness; if you or a friend has been feeling low or distant, then they should seek out therapy. Therapy comes in all types, whether it be petting a super cute puppy, having a heart to heart with a friend or family member, or going to see a psychiatrist. Whatever it is whatever you are dealing with, there IS help, and it is important to take advantage of the help. It is important to realize that your health, mental and physical, is a hell of a lot more important than any embarrassment or shame you might feel. You should NOT feel shame because you are not alone.
