Anxiety. It’s a seven letter four syllable word. By itself it doesn’t seem that complicated. Most people have a working idea of what the word means, but in actuality, anxiety is much more complex than many people can even begin to realize. It’s different for everyone. What’s always key to remember is: First, just because someone has anxiety doesn’t mean they’re not strong. Second, just because someone’s anxiety isn’t like your own doesn’t mean they have it easier. Third, don’t ever limit someone with anxiety. We already do that enough ourselves.

I realized recently that May is mental health awareness month, which is way I decided to write this article when I did; however, I originally started writing it to help people understand how anxiety effects people differently. There are so many different forms and like I said before no two-people’s anxiety is exactly alike even if they’re diagnosed with the same kind of anxiety, it doesn’t mean they’ll both have the same triggers or the same symptoms. It’s because of this that I decided to ask different college students how they perceive anxiety and how it effects their lives. I asked for a quote that could be general or specific. The only rule was that it had to be personal. Here’s what they had to say:

“I have generalized anxiety disorder, and I am always anxious about everything. It is never easy because I need a lot of reassurance and support to know that everything is okay. Some people don’t get that, which makes it harder to deal with. It is an all-consuming thing that you have to constantly fight every day of your life.” – Twenty-one

“Growing up, I always had anxiety, but I didn’t always know what it was. At times, I’d have these random bursts of stress, and I couldn’t control myself. It wasn’t until college that I realized that those attacks were actually anxiety attacks. The same thing happened with my social anxiety. Before I knew it was linked to my perfectionism, much like my regular anxiety, I just thought I was going slightly crazy. Looking back, it’s kind of scary to think how I went so long without knowing what was wrong.” – Twenty-two

“It’s not something that you plan on having. You’re just blessed with an innate ability to freak out about virtually anything and everything. I have to stop myself from stressing out about future stress and things that don’t even matter.” – Twenty-two

“I was only recently diagnosed with any anxiety problems. My anxiety makes it hard for me to complete tasks, even little ones. This makes school work unbearable, and I often find myself easily distracted. With the help of other friends who suffer with anxiety disorders, I’m learning how to cope and how to avoid letting anxiety rule my life.” – Twenty

“My anxiety got so bad [during my Senior year of college], so it was really hard to focus. I reached a breaking point the week after spring break. I cried all week. I had personal problems that week that climaxed my anxiety. I sought on campus and off campus counseling. Through off campus counseling and close friends I was able to push through the semester. With my boyfriend holding my hand I was able to come out with all A’s this semester. I owe it all to God. All the prayers he answered. He broke me to my lowest level, and I knew I could not do it alone.” –Twenty-one