Slowly but surely we as a society are breaking the stigma surrounding anxiety and depression.

People who have or are currently living with anxiety are speaking up and sharing their stories with the world. Although it's becoming easier to talk about, there are still some things that many people don't know.

What anxiety feels like, who it affects, how it can affect you, the fact that there are different types, and so on.

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A very common form of anxiety is social anxiety. This can mean anything from not liking large crowds, becoming exhausted if you've exceeded your limit of social interactions, and feeling like everyone is watching and judging you. You dread having to leave the comfort of your own house and pray that you don't have to talk to anyone.

At the same time, you may feel self-conscious about your lack of social interactions; you want to start or join a conversation, but you don't know how. You feel rejected before you even do anything.

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Another form of anxiety is self-deprecation. This means that you belittle yourself, usually in the form of humor. Although I am guilty of this myself, and I find self-deprecation jokes hilarious, continuously repeating them can be harmful to your self-esteem, increasing your anxiety.

This can create or be a cause of social anxiety. Other forms of anxiety include panic disorder, PTSD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. These can cause you to relive a traumatic experience, have panic attacks, or obsess over an object or event.

Something too important to remember about anxiety is that it can happen to anyone, regardless of race, gender, or age. In fact, 18.1% of the population suffers from some sort of anxiety disorder. However, only 31% of sufferers receive treatment, even though it is highly treatable.

It is very difficult for people with anxiety to open up about what they are feeling. In many cases, it's hard to describe. One person says "Having anxiety for me, often means distrusting my perceptions of present reality despite their actually being correct, while believing in my projections about the future that are entirely delusional."

Another described himself as a deer, able to analyze a million things, but the few things you he can't predict cause him to freeze or flee. Personally, when I have anxiety attacks, I feel physically stuck in my head. I can't stop all the thoughts from flooding and taking over my mind. These attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes to months.

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It can be hard for those who do not suffer from anxiety to understand what those who are, are going through. Not understanding is really frustrating for everyone involved. If someone you know is having an anxiety attack, the best thing to do is not try to find a solution, give them suggestions on how to overcome it, or tell them "it's not that bad".

Instead, listen to them, do some breathing exercises, or give them space. The last thing they want to hear is "maybe you should eat better" or "try getting some exercise."

And please, do not tell them "yeah I get anxiety right before I have to give my class a speech" or you get anxiety "right before an interview." It's not the same thing, and that's just throwing gasoline on a fire.

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It is true that eating right and getting some exercise and sunshine helps with anxiety. When you're having a good day, notice what you put into your body and how you talked to yourself that day. When you let your negative thoughts about yourself consume you, your anxiety could get worse, so practice giving yourself compliments throughout the day.

Surrounding yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself can really help, too. It's important to practice mindfulness when dealing with anxiety. Therapy is also a very common treatment for anxiety, which is another reason why we need to break the stigma surrounding anxiety.

Whether you deal with anxiety or not, it is important to communicate with your loved ones, and be there for them when they are feeling anxious or depressed.