I have anxiety. I know I am not unique in this; according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, it is reported that about 18% of the population is diagnosed with anxiety. But in my personal opinion, this percentage is possibly higher considering anxiety can often go misdiagnosed. If you do the math, it’s about one in five people. This is more than you would think, right?

Anxiety often goes misdiagnosed because, like every other mental illness, it is misunderstood. In order for us as a society to properly help and treat those with a mental illness, it is essential for us to increase our knowledge about the subject.

Let’s start with anxiety, the most common mental illness; what would anxiety tell us, you know, if it actually could talk to us?

I think it would let us know that anxiety does not pick and choose who it visits. It visits most people; sometimes it has short visits, sometimes longer visits, and sometimes forever. Anxiety doesn’t discriminate; no matter your sex, race, sexual orientation, hair color… you get the idea: it will pick and choose you. It will visit you, creep through your veins, cloud your mind and judgment, twist in your stomach. No one is immune to the thunderous storm that is anxiety.

It would say that despite popular belief, it is not always the devil it appears to be. Sometimes, it may occur to give us that extra push we need. It can help us better prepare for a test, meeting, presentation, etc. Believe it or not, sometimes anxiety can be a beneficial, helpful tool in small doses. We need a small amount of anxiety to come through our door in order to be productive and successful human beings.

I suppose sometimes anxiety has the capability of outstaying its welcome. For some, anxiety affects their everyday life. It doesn’t simply knock at the door before entering; it barges in, possibly ripping the door off its frame. Anxiety makes itself at home in our brain and heart while taking over our body. At this point, we need help to get rid of it.

I’d hope that if anxiety could in fact talk to us, it would tell us that it is not as powerful as we think it is. I hope anxiety would let us know its weaknesses: a distracted brain, exercise, healthy food, medicine. That way, we would know for sure that it is in fact possible for us to beat the anxiety.

Anxiety has the power to take over our body and cripple every bone. Anxiety will come whether we want it or not, sometimes in helpful amounts but sometimes in extreme amounts. If we find a way, we can stop it before it barges through our day.

Let’s learn more about not only anxiety but other mental illnesses as well. Let’s fight the mental illness epidemic together: by learning and by understanding each other.