One of my biggest pet peeves is how loosely the term “anxiety” is used in daily language. I hear all the time “my professor not answering my email give me anxiety”, or “an unmade bed makes me anxious." If you do not have a diagnosis and you have never truly struggled with the crippling effects of anxiety, then you my friend, are just stressed. For those of use who do struggle with anxiety daily, caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains, we find your reference to the term “anxiety” in a humorous manner slightly offensive.

I have experienced both anxiety and stress. Stress happens pretty much every day for most of us. It’s actually needed in order for things to get done. I’ve felt stressed every finals week, trying to cram in my end of the semester studying. I’ve felt stressed deciding which college to attend. I’ve felt stressed when I was running late to an appointment or event. All of these things produce stress, but none of these feelings come anywhere close to the frightening place in which anxiety lies.

Anxiety is much, much different. Anxiety has kept me tossing and turning in bed during hours when the majority of my timezone was asleep. Anxiety is a constant feeling of drowning, never being able to come up for air. As soon as you think you are getting close to the surface, your thoughts bring you back down to the place of fear. In some of my darkest days of anxiety, I was scared to get out of bed in the morning. I had a fear of life, completely overcome with the obsession of the future's ambiguity. Anxiety is living every day with tears on the brims of your eyelids just waiting for the right, breaking moment to begin their endless stream down my face. Anxiety leads to a lowering of self esteem and self worth. Anxiety changes who you are, it changes how you feel about yourself and the way others see you.

Anxiety is a scary place to live. You have good days and you have bad days. The belief that a good day is coming soon is what gets you through the bad days. It is the combination of hope and faith that conquers anxiety. You must surround yourself with love and remove negativity. Stress is overcome by getting the work done and a quality yoga session. Anxiety is a constant battle that honestly, I believe will always be there. Overcoming anxiety happens little by little and piece by piece, hanging onto hope and continuing to believe in yourself no matter where life takes you.