Anxiety is a big issue too many people know too well. It's like an endless pool of endless rambling and painful thoughts.

No matter how much you swim or how hard you try, you just end up drowning in your thoughts. I've been anxious since my younger years and it's not always easy. "Just don't worry," "You'll be fine," "Just breathe," and "Take a day off" are some of the countless things people have told me over the years and let me tell you, they don't always work.

Sure, those people had great intentions. Sure, they were trying to help and I know that; trust me I know. Unfortunately the brain of an anxious person doesn't take the advice as well as we hope.

Anxiety is different for every single person it takes as its victim; it consumes your life. It's like a bully that's in your mind 24 hours a day and constantly picks and picks at your brain until you literally feel like you're going mad. Anxiety makes you feel so much insecurity about yourself that you cant even look at yourself in the mirror because you don't like what you see and it never EVER changes. It gives you more and more insecurity as you do things during the day, and sometimes you think "What if I'm not doing this right?" and "What if I mess this up?" and an endless amount of "What ifs".

Anxiety plants thoughts in your mind and those thoughts linger in your mind throughout the day. They keep you up thinking about things that normal people would think were the most ridiculous and wild thoughts, like, "What if I never wake up if I go to sleep?" "What if I have a bad dream?" or "What if I have a bad day tomorrow?" It never stops no matter how hard you try. It seems to always be there in the back of your mind.

Anxiety is a battle you face; this battle may not be understood by people who have never experienced such horrifying circumstances. Anxiety is life-changing and ANXIETY IS REAL. You should never take anxiety lightly and if you feel like you are going to harm yourself in any type of manner or just need to talk to someone for advice, contact the hotlines listed below. And remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)