Frantic. Crazy. Mind never stops running. Panicked. Always looking flustered. These are just a few words that resemble what people think of about people dealing with anxiety each morning when they wake up. Being someone who was lived with anxiety for the past few years, I can tell you that yes, we most certainly are those things. But, they aren't bad like people think. We live in a world where mental illness is something that many people fear to talk about, but that's why it is important to know that it's not all bad. I know that sometimes, anxiety (and all mental illnesses) seem like an overwhelming internal battle for someone to have to deal with. Yet, the people who are suffering from them are not any less normal than the rest of us.
I love my anxiety. While it's been something I've battled with, it's benefited me in a lot of ways and I know it has for many others dealing with it as well. Anxiety is a general term used to describe nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. Because of this definition, it seems to many like the disorder is something that sucks to deal with on a daily basis. Little do they know, some components of anxiety help. I'm 100% positive that the worrying helps. For one, it helps with how we perform in school. Instead of being lazy and sitting on our bums, we worry about our grades, what tests we have in two weeks, and our schedules. "Is three days enough study time?" "Maybe I should get started on that paper due in three months." Being a worry wart in the education system pays off.
Also, being anxious is like its own type of security. It's important to feel secure with yourself and your decisions at all times. Everyone around you will know you'll always be safe because your anxiety doesn't let you do dangerous things. You won't walk anywhere alone. You won't take a drink from a stranger. You won't try any substances. You won't go into any woods or get in a car with someone who's drinking. You won't do any of these things because they are the things that keep you up at night. They are the things you wake up in a sweat over because they give you bad dreams. Being panicked all the time keeps you safe and sound and free of harm.
Anxiety may be considered a mental illness that people battle with, but it's not that. Sometimes, it can get hard, but it's a blessing in some ways. It keeps you safe. It makes you stay on top of things. It's taboo to talk about such topics, and that's why no one knows the benefits and the positives of it. People dealing with anxiety are not victims all the time.
