I've dealt with anxiety my whole life. No one else in my family struggled with any mental health issues like I did. My whole life I envied my sisters because life just seemed so easy for them as I was constantly battling with demons inside my head. I've never felt alone, per se, since my family was always there for me.
However, I did feel some isolation because they could never fully understand what I was going through.
In my high school, no one ever really addressed mental health. It was this abstract concept in which we spent a week on in health class. I also never really opened up or had any conversations with my friends about the topic. Thus, everyone in high school seemed like they were "normal"; they all lived life carefree.
Again, I felt isolated. Yes, I've seen the statistics; roughly 1 in 20 teens have anxiety. This means that all those times I felt isolated in a high school class, statistically speaking, at least one other person had anxiety. I was never alone, but at the time, it felt like I was.
When I came to college, I feared that my anxiety would not be understood. That if I were to have an episode, or not want to go out, or need to take some time to myself, it would be looked at as weird or lame. This was not the case. I started to have conversations with my friends about anxiety and I soon came to realize that we all have battles we are dealing with.
More people than you know the deal with mental health issues. I was worried about being misunderstood when in reality, I have never felt more understood.
From the outside, everyone presents a perfect image of themselves. We have always been told to not "judge a book by its cover". By the time we are 18, we have it heard it so many times it starts to lose meaning. College is the first time since kindergarten that we are introduced to so many new people.
This experience has reignited the quoted definition. It's so easy to assume things about someone's life, however, you never really know someone else's life and battles that they face.
I am fortunate to have a family who recognizes my anxiety and helps me deal with it. I was never truly alone. However, other people don't have that luxury of being able to openly discuss their feelings and have a support system. That's why I am writing this. To tell anyone who is struggling with mental health that they are not alone.
If you open the dialogue to the people around you, you will be shocked to find out how many people go through similar battles that you encounter.
