They say I’m not good enough. They tell me I’m weak, that I’m too sensitive. You have too much time on your hands; you must be doing something wrong. How have you still not made up your mind? You keep saying you’ll reach your goals, but you always end up going backwards. Stop making excuses. You’re such a disappointment. Does anyone even like you?

They say I’ll never be good enough. I almost believed them. I almost believed all that negativity in my mind. I almost believed that I was nobody. Out of the 7.3 billion people living in the world, I didn’t mean a thing.

A dark cloud took over my life and I did not even notice it. Maybe I was just good at pretending it wasn’t there. The worries crept, and I became so restless. The cloud would linger behind me. Behind me, my friends, my classmates. Slowly it snuck up like rain on a sunny day, unexpected, unprepared.

Anxiety. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Panic Disorder. Social Anxiety Disorder.

Yes, everyone has anxiety; occasional anxiety is normal. But many students in college have more than just anxiety, and it comes in many different forms. The amount of times I’ve seen my colleagues miss class and deadlines due to their mental health condition is not okay.

Anxiety is confusing. You’re so anxious that you won’t finish an assignment on time, that you don’t even finish the assignment. You’re so anxious that your professors won’t understand you, that you won’t even go to them for help in the first place. You’re so anxious about confronting someone, that you decide not to, and instead you have all that anxiety manifest in your dreams and you begin to have nightmares. This is what anxiety can do to you; it can deteriorate your mental health and physical health, yet no one wants to talk about it.

People don’t seek support for mental health the same way they do for physical health. People judge when you take a “sick day” when you’re not

actually sick. Do it anyway. Take a day off to focus on yourself. Let your supervisor know that you’re “not feeling very well and have been having bad anxiety,” spend time alone, and you’ll find that you will feel at least 50 percent better. It's not easy living with extreme amounts of anxiety, but I've found that if you learn to love yourself, the anxiety will eventually fade. It may not be easy, but it's a good place to start

Engrave into your head that you are good enough. Be proud of who you are. Forgive (yourself) but don't forget. Remember you are created unique. Loving yourself will help you and those around you.