With the holidays fast approaching a lot of us will be heading home and interacting with family and hometown friends. For some of us this can be an incredibly joyous and relaxing time: cutting the turkey, putting up the Christmas lights, and laughing with our cousins. However, for another set of us young adults we head home riddled with fear and discomfort at the thought of spending time with every single member of our family. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), "Anxiety affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population." The reality is that while there is a majority of us who do not have these fears on our way home for the holidays, there is a large number of us who are justifiably anxious.

It is no secret that there is a stigma around mental health, but it seems even more true with anxiety sufferers. While it can sometimes be physical, anxiety is mostly an internal battle. Having suffered from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) for a majority of my life, I believe this to be true. At the most intense moments, I feel absolute fear for no reason, I feel my heart beating out of my chest, and I feel panic swelling in my chest. There are days where I go to bed with the anxiety and I wake up with it.

Which is why I want to warn you- speaking to my non-anxiety sufferers here- that there may be silent sufferers in your midst. It could be a roommate down the hall, the nice girl in the back of your Poli Sci class, or even your cousin. This is the thing about anxiety, it does not discriminate. It is so apparent in our world that even our favorite pets can suffer from it. I want to stress, however, that while we have anxiety, we sufferers still find our joy in the holiday season and every day. Having been a sufferer for many years I have learned techniques to help me get through my moments of panic and anxiousness. Whether it's deciding I am in control of my body and not letting the anxiety take over or simply taking a walk away from people I have techniques. It is important that we, as sufferers and non-sufferers, create an open environment where whispers and off-handed comments are not allowed. It can be easy for a non-sufferer to tell someone with anxiety to just stop thinking about it and move on. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that does not work- believe me, I've tried.

Former One Direction member and current solo star Zayn Malik is the most recent celebrity to openly share his issues with anxiety. Just a few weeks ago Zayn released his first book and in it he discussed his ongoing issues with anxiety, "Even when you know you want to do something, know that it will be good for you, that you’ll enjoy it when you’re doing it, the anxiety is telling you a different story. It’s a constant battle within yourself, " Malik wrote. Nothing could be truer. That is the utter horror of GAD: knowing you have absolutely ZERO reasons to be anxious yet you are.

Each day, or even hour, may be a battle for those of us with GAD and other forms of anxiety, but the best part is having someone in our lives who understands. For me, that is my mother. We both suffer from anxiety issues and have a strong understanding of what a panic attack entails. Which is why come Thanksgiving dinner she understands if I need to step out of the room and away from everyone for a moment.

So as you cook the delicious food and play with your cute cousins let us not overlook those closest to us who are suffering. Lastly, if you are a sufferer it is ok to feel what you feel. If you do not have someone in your life who understands your anxiety, I do. This holiday season, do not feel ashamed of your anxiety and give yourself a moment-or two or three.