I think differently than you.

Not because I want to or because I think I'm special but because my anxiety alters my day to day life.

I think differently than you.

Not because my brain is wired funny or because we have different life experiences but because my anxiety affects certain situations I may encounter throughout the day.

I think differently than you.

Not because I want pity or people to treat me different but because my anxiety causes my actions of problem-solving to be a different method than most.

I think differently than you because I have anxiety. It's not something I asked for or something I wished for my 16th birthday. It's a mental health disorder that causes me to worry or fear. And these feelings of fear or distress are strong enough to effect my daily activities.

I think differently than you.

Not because I am stupid or because I think I am the smartest but because my anxiety alters my day to day life.

I think differently than you.

Not because I am afraid or fearful of life but because my anxiety effects certain situations I may encounter throughout the day.

I think differently than you.

Not because I want my friends or coworkers to know why I am the way I am but because my anxiety causes my actions of problem-solving to be a different method than most.

I think differently than you because I have anxiety. I'm fearful of crowds not because I am claustrophobic but because it distorts my surroundings and I cannot be observant of everyone around me. My anxiety rises in times of high stress because my mind is racing from this to that to this to that in 2.5 milliseconds and I cannot complete all my tasks in a good amount of time. Sometimes I think about the direction of life I am heading towards or about how my future may look and I become distressed with my recent life choices or where I feel I am ranked. I am uncomfortable when I am not in a familiar place because I do not have something to cling to to feel safe. The feeling of being out of my comfort zone makes me anxious to return home. I become anxious when I compare myself to friends or how people will see me if I post a certain photo to Instagram or post a tweet to Twitter. What will they think of me?

I think differently than you and that is OK because I was taught that nobody is perfect and we all have our own flaws to deal with. I think differently than you and I am OK with that because I have learned to deal with my flaws and to carry them with me from day to day. I think differently than you and I am OK to speak up about it because I am not fearful of what people will say, think or do because I do not want your pity for my mental health disorder. I want nothing more than for you to understand that I think differently than you and it is OK for life to be that way for me and you.