It's safe to say that in today's world, there's little time to slow down.
Life is fast-paced and ever-changing and these tumultuous conditions often make it difficult for people to catch up, frequently causing them to suffer from mental health disorders. It isn't uncommon to hear someone say that they're feeling anxious or overwhelmed-- it's a feeling I and millions of others know all too well. Though anxiety varies from person to person, ranging from high-functioning to downright debilitating, it's comforting to know that we're not in this battle against anxiety and mental health disorders alone.
Anxiety, for lack of a better term, is a bully. It's a dark cloud that hangs over your life and prevents you from enjoying important events in your life. It manifests itself in different ways both physically and mentally, often associating itself with depression. After a recent decline in my mental health and a spike in my level of anxiety, I felt alone and helpless. Identifying why you feel anxious is difficult, sometimes impossible, and though those closest to you may suffer from similar feelings of unease from time to time, it's hard to relate to when you can't put yourself in the other person's shoes.
I started thinking about this so-called bully in my life, and there's a lot that I wish I could say to this figure who stands in the way of me enjoying my life to its fullest potential at times. I wanted to feel less alone, which is why I asked 21 people what they wished they could say to their anxiety, anonymously, in order to bring awareness to the fact that you are not alone in the battle against anxiety and depression. Here's what they had to say:
1. Age 23
"Please stop holding me back. I've missed out on so many opportunities just by being "too scared" of you."
2. Age 20
"I'm not afraid of you."
3. Age 19
"You aren't welcome in my life and I won't let you control things I need to do anymore. "
4. Age 19
"Please let me live."
5. Age 18
"You're a part of me, but you aren't me. I'm a sum of my parts, despite how overwhelmingly large and unconquerable you may seem. I'm still me, with or without you. "
6. Age 21
"You may have tried to bully me in the past, but you're not in control anymore. I AM."
7. Age 21
"Stop controlling my life and let me live."
8. Age 58
"Enough is enough. No one deserves this."
9. Age 20
"You are not my master."
10. Age 23
"Back the f*ck off! I [don't have] time for this!"
11. Age 21
"Stop talking inside my brain. I've had enough of you clinging onto me like a piece of gum on jeans."
12. Age 20
"I can't do it anymore. Please go away... I want my life back."
13. Age 19
"Shut the f*ck up and let me live my best life."
14. Age 47
"I've had enough."
15. Age 25
"Please go away. Please."
16. Age 19
"Screw you and let me live my life without worry or fear."
17. Age 19
"Don't think about embarrassing things that happened in the past and beat yourself up about it. They may be traumatic to you, but nobody else remembers it, only you do, so move on."
18. Age 20
"Please go away."
19. Age 22
"Thank you, for choosing me and coming into my life. You showed me what it means to be stronger. All those times you told me I wasn't good enough and you pushed me further and further into the darkness, I learned to find the strength within me to get out and have my light back that I deserve. I am not worthless, I am worthy."
20. Age 17
"Go the f*ck away. I really want to talk to this boy. Stop making me feel like I want to run the other way."
21. Age 20
"Stop ruining my life!"
