Anxiety is something that a lot of people suffer from, including myself. For those of you who don't know, anxiety comes in different forms. It can range from getting a little nervous before you do something new and exciting, to not being able to leave your house or doing normal activities due to your anxiety. Most people are usually just a little nervous, but recently I have come to terms with the fact that I am not this way. In this article, I will be discussing how my struggle with anxiety began and how you can not only help yourself if you suffer from it, but someone else who has it, too.

To start off, I think I need to explain where my anxiety stemmed from. At a young age, I became aware of differences between me and other girls. Mostly that I wasn't the skinniest or the most pretty girl in school. I was okay with it because I had a great group of friends and a supportive family, but the older I got, the harder I found it to truly love myself. Then from the age of 10-12, I was sexually abused by someone that I knew and trusted. As a young girl, I didn't know how to cope with this. I felt dirty. Like it was my fault. I kept this from my parents until I was fifteen years old. From this point, I became a different person. I didn't go out with friends as much, and I found it very hard to be around boys. I have a hard time being in large crowds or even new places that I haven't been before. I went to Europe for my senior trip and had an extremely hard time. I remember going to my hotel room and having panic attacks because my anxiety level was so high. Anxiety became the main thing that controlled my life and I was ashamed. I hid it from my friends and family; I didn't want anyone to know what was happening to me and I didn't want to admit I had a problem. Then one night I had a massive attack and my mom had to help me through it. After that, I decided to take action and get some real help. I'm going to break down what I did so that some of you can overcome this anxiety

1. Seek Professional Help

I know a lot of you might scroll past this, but I broke down and did this. It gave me someone to talk to who was completely unbiased to me and could clearly diagnose what was wrong with me to get the help that I needed. This actually helped so much and it made me feel a lot better after leaving a session. A lot of schools offer free counseling for the people who attend and there are plenty of places you can go within your town that can really help you out. I believe this is one of the main things that helped me to start conquering my anxiety.

2. Take Baby Steps

I know this seems obvious, but it is true. When you suffer from anxiety, it is hard to try new things or be around things that make you trigger, but if you slowly immerse yourself, it makes it easier to deal with those kinds of situations. I am always trying to put myself in those kinds of situations that make me uncomfortable, but only a little at a time.

3. Breath Through it

Having the right mindset is everything. When I have a panic or anxiety attack, I feel like the world is crumbling around me, that I can't breathe; everything feels hopeless, when really it's not. You CAN and WILL pull through it and you have to think that way. When I went to counseling, I was given something to say over and over when I am having attacks.

You are good. You will get through this. The future will be better.

I know it seems like this wouldn't do very much, but I found that just trying to recite this over and over gave me something else to focus on other than the attack itself.

4. Get Out of the Situation

This one is probably obvious but if you need to take a couple minutes to yourself then please do. Sometimes overstimulation can trigger attacks. If I am in a crowded shop and I can feel myself start to panic, I just take myself out of the situation. I walk outside where there's fresh air and open space. If I am around someone who makes me uncomfortable, I politely excuse myself, and if I am getting overwhelmed with school work, I give myself a breath to regroup before continuing. This is probably the most effective way to cope with attacks.

5. Double Dates (For the Single People)

As I said earlier, men make me a bit uncomfortable, especially when I am alone with them. My closest friends are aware of my anxiety now and are people I can rely on. If I go on a date with someone, I try to make it a double date. It makes it less awkward and it helps to have someone there who understands to make it more comfortable.

6. Tell Someone You Trust

Having someone there is a key element in helping to cope with anxiety. This needs to be someone you trust and are completely comfortable around. For instance, my parents and a few close friends who I generally spend a lot of time with know about my anxiety and about the things that have happened to me. I know that if I ever needed them or if I were to have an attack, that they would be there for me to help me.

7. Dealing With the Attacks (For People who Want to Help)

While I am having the attack, one of the main things I want is space. While the attack is going on, I feel as if I am being smothered and I want to be out with as much air as possible. My advice to anyone who has a loved one with attacks is to be there to get them what they need, but don't try to console them just yet. Usually, once I have calmed down, I want to be distracted. If you can make me laugh or get me into something else, then I am usually okay. Make sure if they ask for something like water, you get it. I know sometimes when I panic my throat gets really dry, I get hot and need fresh air. Most of the time, these things are easily obtainable and can really help calm an attack.

So I know that I am not an expert in Anxiety but I hope that this helps some people out there. One last thing before I end this article: there are lots of people in the world that struggle with anxiety. One of the main people who really helped me come to terms with my anxiety was Zoe Sugg or Zoella on YouTube. She struggles with the same thing and I will link her video at the end of this article. But, knowing that you are not alone is important. Thousands of people have some type of anxiety and it is not something to be ashamed of. You are amazing and you can get through it. I still struggle every day, but I am also getting better every day. Just remember that you can get through this and you are not alone.

Zoella's Video: