Having anxiety isn’t something that you can just work through overnight like some people seem to think. It’s a big part of our lives when we have it and well, it’s not easy to explain let alone face as a whole.
As time seems to pass I notice more and more that people are downplaying anxiety and trying to act as if it’s no big deal but I’d like to remind those with it (like myself) that it is a big deal and that the way it makes you feel shouldn’t be dismissed, you feel unloved, unimportant, and as if the whole world is caving in and those feelings are valid whether they’re a bit ‘much’ or not. I know, it’s hard for those without anxiety issues/disorders to really grasp what we’re going through but the more we work to educate them the better they will be able to understand us and our struggles. Yes, for a while you may feel like you’re not getting through to them but in time they will come to see the world through your eyes, as best they can.
For those reading this who do not struggle with anxiety issues, please work to understand how it affects the people who matter the most in your life. It’s not as simple as being nervous about talking to someone new or scared to speak in front of a crowd. It can be so much and yet nothing at all within the same short time frame. It is being so scared and nerved out that you cannot even order your own food at the drive-thru sometimes. Sure, there are periods where you can do it all and you don’t seem to have issues but that doesn’t mean your anxiety as a whole has disappeared. For some, it comes and goes.
Anxiety makes you feel like you’re bothering everyone you’re talking to. Like by saying anything you’re ruining someone else’s day and bringing them down whether you are or not. It makes you wonder if the person is thinking about how much they hate hearing your voice and it leaves you feeling as if nothing you could ever do would be good enough for well, anyone. There’s a lot more to anxiety than simply being ‘nervous’ and I think that’s something tons of people don’t seem to get.
Anxiety makes you think that when you try to reach out for help that taking the hand that’s reaching back is only dragging that person down with you. It forces you into a corner and makes you think the only answer to the questions before you are to sit and suffer. I know, this might sound dramatic but that’s actually how it is and feels. It leaves you wondering over and over again if the people who ‘care’ about you actually do and whether or not you’re wasting your breath trying to speak to them because you’re not worth talking to.
You’re afraid of saying the wrong thing or talking too much and you get so overwhelmed when you do speak up that you end up all jumbled and confused. Anxiety isn’t as cut and dry as people make it out to be, it can be seemingly crippling for some of us. One thing I struggle with each day is just how much my anxiety controls my life. I work hard to fight it off and to remain as on top as I can but sometimes I slip and fall back down that dark staircase.
As someone with anxiety, I think the worst part for me is feeling judged all the time. I could be doing something so small and still feel a million eyes before me even when I’m only with people who truly care about me. If you or someone you care about has anxiety issues or a disorder overall please do your best to reassure them that they are not alone and that you’re not judging them. That in itself can make a huge difference, more than you could ever know.
To learn more about anxiety as a whole and how it affects people take a look at the video below. We all face our own things with anxiety and its disorders come in many different forms. Through educating ourselves we can help ourselves and others.