Everyone deals with things differently and it is so important to understand and respect that. Obviously, I can't speak for everyone that has anxiety, but I can tell you what I go through on a daily basis and how it affects me.

I have had problems with anxiety since I was very young. I remember being little and not being able to sleep because my mind wouldn't let me. I could be so incredibly exhausted and not be able to fall asleep because a part of me did not want to shut off. For those of you that have never experienced anxiety, it feels like there is a huge hole in your body that is filled with thoughts and emotions you cannot control, even if you tried. When I was little, it was easy to distract myself in order to make me happy and forget that I was panicking on the inside, but now, it isn't that simple.

This year has been the most stressful year of my life and every moment I think things will start looking up, my anxiety takes over. My family went through a traumatic loss in January, leaving us all in a permanent state of shock and anger. I did not take the loss well and it made my anxiety go from 100 to 100,000,000 faster than I could ever imagine. It's easy to tell someone to stop stressing and just shut their mind off, but when they have anxiety, one must understand that what they are going through is definitely involuntary.

The reason why the word "deal" is in quotation marks in this article title is because I don't actually deal with it. Every day is a struggle. Every day consists of an inner battle I have to fight in order to stay somewhat positive and productive. Every day, every month, every year--- it's a struggle, but I refuse to let the stress and pain I experience every day control me and my future.

If you know someone- a friend, a child, a partner- that has anxiety, I have one piece of advice for you. Just be there. What we go through every day can't be changed by a single conversation, but knowing that we have support and love surrounding us makes breathing so much easier. I try my best every day to not let my anxiety take over, but I couldn't do it without the ones I love telling me there is a light beyond the dark clouds and the breakdowns.

Don't "deal" with anxiety. Work through it. I believe in you.