Having anxiety and having an anxiety disorder are very different. Having an anxiety disorder can cause distress that interferes with someone's ability to lead a normal life. An anxiety disorder is a mental illness. People with this disorder, their worries and fears are constant and the word overwhelmed doesn't do it justice. The main difference between the two that people don't understand is with the disorder it's non-stop. There is no “off switch”. It is something that you live with. Anyone can be anxious when something overwhelming happens but the disorder is something you can't take a break from.
Having a panic know attack isn't always pacing the floor or crying. A lot of the time it's like having a ping pong ball bouncing around inside your head. You're trying to stay clam and understand what it was that triggered it and having to help other people understand what's going on. In the moment it's almost impossible to make sense of anything. Sometimes it feels like you're drowning and it makes you feel crazy because people who don't have it don't know what to think or or how to act and that usually makes it harder for you because you can't put it all into words.
The biggest misunderstanding is other people thinking you can control it. I couldn't tell you how many times I've heard “ just calm down” or “ just don't think about it”. When in reality it's NEVER that simple. You can't turn it off. You can't control how long it lasts. Living with an anxiety disorder means being worried 24/7 or having your thoughts racing. You are not crazy and this does not mean you are broken. There is just more to learn about you. Never apologize for that.
