X-ing Out Anxiety | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

X-ing Out Anxiety

How comic books helped me deal with anxiety

52
X-ing Out Anxiety

High school is stressful for everyone. Especially senior year. It's a time of big decisions and becoming an adult. Senior year is especially difficult when paired with anxiety.

Throughout my junior and senior year I struggled with anxiety that manifested in physical symptoms: meaning that if I got even slightly worked up about something, I broke out in a cold sweat all over. Naturally, this crossed a few colors off of my wardrobe color wheel. Kinda hard to wear pastels when you're worried about sweat marks.

I had to be careful about what colors I wore and what fabrics I bought. Everything was either too thin or light colored. Shopping was a nightmare. I mostly wore black, dark blue, dark green, and other colors I knew would mask any discoloration. I tried the strongest antiperspirants I could find, even going so far as to visit a dermatologist. I was scared to shake hands because I knew my skin was clammy and I always had a jacket with me to cover up.

Around the same time I began to get into Marvel comics and movies. Even though Captain America was the first Marvel movie I saw in theaters, the X-Men were my first Marvel love. I watched the X-Men cartoons when I was younger and read the comics at my local library. I loved all the movies (yes, even the cringe-inducing original trilogy) and could rattle off the details of most of the alternate timelines found in the comics.

It was through the cartoons and comics that I was introduced to my favorite superhero: Rogue. She was a girl from a small southern town (like me!) whose powers meant she couldn't make skin contact with anyone without causing serious harm to them. She had to be careful with what she wore and shaking hands made her nervous. Sound familiar?

The more I learned about her, the more I realized that this was someone who had turned her insecurities into strengths. If she could be a hero with a watch-out-world-here-I-am attitude, why couldn't I? I read every Rogue comic I could find. I watched her pick herself up after every setback and eventually learn to control her power. She became one of the most powerful X-Men all by learning to control what made her insecure about herself.

While I didn't immediately learn control and I couldn't turn my anxiety off like a switch, I did learn to accept myself and take it one day at a time. I learned to live in the present without worrying about the future. I gained confidence and stopped limiting myself. It took a while, but the cold sweats stopped and now my wardrobe is bright and colorful, with plenty of green and yellow as a reminder of the comic book heroine who taught be to be comfortable in my own skin.

While I haven't become a superhero (yet!), I have become a bolder, brighter, happier version of me. Even though today I'm likely to be found sporting and Avengers shirt, the X-Men will always be special to be. Because through them, I learned to be fearless and become a better me. That's pretty heroic, don't you think?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

148375
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

37328
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

33093
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments