When I was 5 years old, I almost drowned. I experienced a moment of sheer terror that I have never forgotten, mostly because I still feel like I'm drowning almost every second of every single day of my life.

I've seen people come up with beautiful metaphors for anxiety but there's nothing beautiful about the fact that I vomited everyday before and between classes for 6 years.

My experience with anxiety can be summed up in these three situations, born from things my mind says to me throughout the day:

1) The "Everything is Terrible and No One Likes You" Situation:

I go through this every morning when my alarm clock goes off.

Me: "This is going to be a good day"

Anxiety: "Think again"

Me: "I just woke up. Don't start this"

Anxiety: "Too late. Did you know you're failing eight classes? Where are your friends? Oh, right! They don't like you"

Me: "Okay but I'm only taking five classes and I have A's in all of them and also I went out with my friends last night?"

Anxiety: "You're lying to yourself"

Me: "But I have pr--"

Anxiety: "LIES".

2) The "The Moment Explodes" Situation:

-Something mildly inconvenient or embarrassing happens-

Anxiety: "Time to die"

Me: "That seems extreme"

Anxiety: "YOU'RE EXTREME! IF YOU WEREN'T AN EXTREMELY POOR EXCUSE FOR A HUMAN BEING, YOU WOULDN'T BE IN THIS SITUATION"

Me: "It's really not a big deal, though"

Anxiety: "Yes it is"

Me: "But--"

Anxiety: "It's a big deal".

3) The "What If?" Situations:

-Anything happens at all-

Anxiety: "Okay but consider this... what if the way you said the word 'and' came across too harshly so now everyone thinks you yelled at them so they all hate you and what if someone dies tomorrow thinking you're angry at them because of the tone you used when you last spoke? What if the sky falls? What if the rapture occurs? What if neither God or Satan want you at their side because you're just that annoying?"

I always feel like I'm underwater, screaming, but it's okay, because I still haven't drowned.