According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, or ADAA, about 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety; however, many other people do not know what it is like to live with this mental illness.

If you have anxiety, you constantly feel anxious, worried and even helpless. You feel worthless and incapable of living your life. It feels like you aren’t normal and will never be. There are often knots in your stomach because you not sure of what is yet to come. It’s this uneasy feeling.

You experience panic attacks from time to time. It feels like the room is closing in on you and you can’t breathe. Your heart beats a million miles a minute. You hyperventilate and feel like you are never going to feel or even be okay. Nervousness creeps up on you at any minute and it’s frequently accompanied by nausea. Shakiness takes over your body and you aren’t sure how to stop it.

You suffer almost every day and night. You often can’t sleep because your thoughts swallow you whole. Even at times when you don’t feel anxious or nervous, the anxiety pounces on you and catches you off guard. When you try to calm yourself down, it often gets worse and you aren’t sure why. When you try to face your fears, you want to run as far away as possible, as fast as possible.

Often, you want to hide or not even socialize. You don’t want to tell anyone what you’re going through because you don’t want to worry anyone, bother them with your problems or worry that they will not believe how you feel.

You lock yourself in your room, completely separating yourself from the rest of the world. The world that could possibly cause you harm or fear. But you still do, because you are courageous and strong under all the nerves and uneasiness. You are determined not to let this mental illness define who you are as a human being.

If you know someone who suffers from anxiety, try to understand how they feel and not be too quick to judge.

If you suffer from anxiety, don’t let it stop you from experiencing the positive opportunities life gives you. Don’t let anxiety stop you from being you. Don’t let anxiety define you. Anxiety can stop you from conquering your dreams due to constantly being in fear. Don’t let it. You’re strong enough to fight this. You’re strong enough to live the life you want.