Our door opened slowly as I looked up from my computer screen.

Three of my close friends came through the door. The three girls came into focus and my attention snapped to the one in the middle. She was being held up by girls on either side of her and she was clearly in bad shape. She could barely walk, her breathing staggered between sobs, her legs unsure of every step she was taking.

My roommate and I quickly abandoned our video game and came to her assistance to lay her in a chair. Then I noticed something much scarier. Her body wouldn't stop shaking. We gave her tissues, blankets, and a pillow but none of it seemed to help. I felt desperate and useless, eager to help out a friend in need.

I later learned what she was going through was an anxiety attack. I have never had anxiety or seen an anxiety attack before. I knew somewhat what anxiety is, but not as good as someone who suffers from it. Merriam-Webster defines anxiety as "a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome."

And, according to the Centers for Disease Control, anxiety affects one in five Americans today. That is a huge number, and for a long time, many of these individuals went untreated or were unaware of their illness.

Hell, even I was unaware of just how many people suffered from it. So, when she started to have an attack, I was clueless in how I could help. I called up some friends who have anxiety and they told me to comfort her as much as I can, but I have to let her ride it out.

The hours ticked by and she still hadn't calmed down. By morning, she had finally calmed down and slept well into the day, but it had got me thinking about why I had been so blind to this condition even when my childhood friends had told me about it when I was young. But when she had her attack, I felt just as paralyzed as she was.

Recently, more and more people have been bringing awareness to mental illness in America, especially with musicians.

When Logic announced his third album entitled "Everybody", he promised to showcase tracks about everyday people and his own struggle with race, mental illness, and more. Two of the songs in the album depict mental illness. One of these is called "1-800-273-8255". In the song, he tells the story of a suicidal person who is about to commit but calls the suicide hotline as a last resort.

The person answers the phone and talks them down. If you hadn't guessed by the summary, the song's title is actually the suicide hotlines number, and as a result, they received 40% more calls after the song's release and were able to help so many people as a result.

The song has over 354 million plays on Spotify alone. The other track labeled "Anxiety" tells the story of Logic's own anxiety attack. One of the lyrics tells his feelings as the attack came on:

"As my body began to fade
In this moment my mind was full of clarity
But my body insisted it was in danger
I looked around and I told myself I was safe, I was fine
But I was convinced that something was wrong
Before I knew it I felt as though I was going to
Fall and fade away."

He goes on to give a message to those who suffer from anxiety:

"I have anxiety
Just like you, the person I wrote this for
And together we will overcome this feeling
We will remember despite the attacks and constant filling of our mind and body being on the edge
That we are alive
And any moments we have free of this feeling we will not take for granted
We will rejoice in this gift that is life
We will rejoice in this day that we have been given
We will accept our anxiety and strive for the betterment of ourselves
Starting with mental health
We will accept ourselves as we are and we will be happy with the person we see in the mirror
We will accept ourselves
And live with anxiety"

These are powerful lyrics to those who suffer from mental illness. It lets them know that someone has your back and that they might only be a phone call away.

But they also show someone who doesn't suffer from these illnesses what it is like to have them, but it might not always work.

See, I purchased the album as soon as it released and heard those songs so many times before. My childhood friends told me they suffered from it, yet here I was, blind to its existence. I hate myself for it. I should have never brushed it off the way I did. Unfortunately, it took someone to have an attack right in front of me to understand what these people go through on a daily basis.

That is why I wrote this article. I wrote this for those who are unaware of anxiety. Hopefully, my second-hand account of what my friend experienced opened your eyes to this problem of mental health like it opened mine. If it did, I encourage you to educate yourself about mental health. Be more empathetic to those who have anxiety and/or depression. Understand that what they have is more than just being overdramatic or sad, and understand that together, we can help those who suffer to help them overcome their illness and prosper without being held back by anxiety.