Is it just me? Am I the only one?
The answer is almost always "no." The way you feel, it is very likely that someone out there feels the same way. You're never alone.
Sometimes, with the way anxiety and depression work, you can feel extremely alone even if you have people around you. It's easy to start thinking you have no one to turn to when you need. Does anyone care about my feelings? I know I have people I can turn to, but they must be so tired of hearing me talk about my problems. Am I the only one?
Anxiety feels like a thick, heavy blanket wrapped around your shoulders when it's already 80 degrees outside. The clamminess you sometimes feel in your palms spreads across your body so you just feel sticky, not even sweaty. Heart racing, maybe even nausea and dizziness. A lot of the time I personally can't even get out of bed. No matter how much sleep I get, I always seem to be asked if I'm still tired because of the bags under my eyes. Mix the anxiety with depression, you can sometimes have insomnia. Then, you really are always tired. People never take me seriously when I say I never sleep, like I'm looking for some sympathy or I'm joking. Am I the only one?
I feel like I constantly can't breathe. Like I can never fill my lungs with enough air, or I've been underwater for too long. Do other people get that feeling? Do other people lay on the bathroom floor when they're having a panic attack just to feel the cold tile against their burning hot skin? How many others sit up at night just feeling sick because they're dreading a social situation the next day? How can I tell if I'm not the only one? I feel ashamed talking or even just mentioning my mental health, like it's still a taboo topic.
It's hard for a lot of people to feel like they aren't alone, at least it is for me personally. Who knows, maybe I am the only one who feels all these things. However, chances are that many, many people can relate to my feelings and mental illnesses. If I was the only person in the world who had anxiety or depression, then there wouldn't be a name for it. Sometimes you just have to take a step back and hold on to the fact that you are never alone.
