Anxiety, I will not let you get the best of me. Even on my darkest days, I will not, by any means, let you take over.

Living with anxiety, panic disorder and depression, mental illness plays a huge role in my life. For years I let it take over my body and mind and change me into a completely different person. A person I could not recognize. For the longest time, I let it eat me up and control my life. I was unhappy, until recently. Because recently, I decided it is time to fight back. I learned that my mental illnesses are not what make me, me. They are only just a small part of me.

Do I struggle sometimes with everyday activities? Yes. Do I struggle with getting out of bed in the mornings sometimes? Absolutely. But am I going to let it stop living my life? No way. Because I am more than just a diagnosis. I am more than a stigma. I may struggle day in and day out, but I remind myself that there is more to me. I know that every morning when I wake up, these are going to be my demons that stay with me, and I am finally ok with that. I am ok with being a fighter because it has made me stronger. And I am ok with admitting my mental illnesses because it helps me confront them.

Living with anxiety is different for everyone, anxiety takes various shapes and forms. It also does not mean that you only suffer when you have a panic attack. Sometimes it does restrain me from normal everyday activities, like classes and going to the movies, but you learn to adjust. Because the best feeling is even if those small things make you uncomfortable and cause you a bunch of anxiety, getting through it feels like the best victory. Even though this is something I will continue to live with and deal with my whole life, I still will not let it get the best of me.