You're driving down the road. No worries in the world, just driving. No one else is on the road it's just you, your car, and the asphalt underneath your tires. You keep driving and it starts to snow. You're by a lake so you start to get nervous. You start to swerve a little, but you think you got this. All of the sudden, BAM, you're in the lake. Your car is sinking. You can't breathe, you're fighting, you kick at the windows, try to open the doors. No matter how hard you scream, no one can hear you. You can't get out of that car. You're trapped 20 feet under, without air, and you black out.

That's anxiety. Anxiety consumes you, no matter where you are or what you're doing. It becomes you and for hours you're alone. You're drowning, trapped, and no one can save you; no matter how loudly you yell.

Because of this constant worry, constant life on the edge, girls with anxiety keep their guards up. We handle mostly everything with worry, wondering what will set our anxiety off next. Because just like that, we can drive into a lake.

So please, bear with me because we do love differently. But there is one thing I can promise you, we will love you like no one else ever will. We will love you like you are the only thing that matters, because to us, you are a safe space. You're the only person we know we can trust whole-fully, our love and appreciation for you will never go unnoticed.

We need to be assured. Sometimes even reassured.

Please be patient with me when I ask you if you're leaving for the twentieth time. We're never really in control of our anxiety so it's nice to know what you're thinking. Don't think I'm doubting you when I ask twice, because that feeling we finally get when we understand you're not leaving is the best..like ever.

Safety is important.

I'm not depending on you, so don't get confused. We just need a little more safety, overprotected even. We need you to be our safe ground, we need to know you are there, and that you care. You are our safety net and the only one we will ever want. Please remember that.

Close bonds form easily.

We might lean on you a little more than the normal girlfriend. When were happy, were happy. But when were sad, were a mess. If we feel anxiety coming on, you're the first person we need. You're the only person we trust to hold us while were shaking and collapsing to the ground, gasping for air. You see us so vulnerable, we form a bond with you that you will never have again, and that's a promise.

We will love you more than you will ever understand.

We tend to be a little too much at sometimes, yes. But that's because anxiety is real, what we feel is real. We trust you with our entire lives. You are our protector, we love you so much more than any other significant other ever could. You are so much more than just our "other-half". You are our world, and were so thankful for you, and we will tell you that 600 times a day.

A day will never go by where you don't feel loved. No matter how many times you ask if we're okay, the answer will always be yes. Your happiness is more important than our own. We will hold you like no woman will, and will appreciate the small things you do.

Anxiety controls your body, including your heart. A simple, "we need to talk" throws us into fight-or-flight mode. A simple, "I don't know anymore", turns our hearts inside out, we lose feeling. Breakups are hard, but for a girl with anxiety, it's worse. They will struggle to find themselves again because they put so much faith into you. They love you more than you will ever comprehend. Once you love like that, it's almost impossible to love like that again.

So if you're with a girl with anxiety, she is not a mess, she is not a prisoner, she is not a burden (although she thinks she is). She is a gift, a gift you should treasure. We tend to need a little more love and care, but we will cherish you for it. Girls with anxiety love different, but I promise you, we will love you like no one else ever will.