Anxiety is controlling. It controls your mind, your body and how you feel. It's quite rude actually. Who gave anxiety permission to take over our lives? For those of you who suffer from it, you understand that it's frustrating, a daily struggle, and also that not everyone understands it.
Specifically, to the parents who have anxious kids: you need to be sensitive. Anxiety offers us its good days and its bad days. We never know how the day will go when we wake up, so bear with us. If we coup up in our rooms all day and we don't have a fever or a hangover, please leave us be. It's probably hit us bad and our minds are racing and our bodies aren't cooperating and we need to sit in the darkness and wallow. And no, we're not just "being teenagers" either.
Don't make us feel different or point out our anxiety. If we're particularly distant or moody that day, our minds are probably having a field day and we're over thinking anything and everything that has ever happened to us. It doesn't help if you yell at us or tell us we're not spending time with the family, because we really just can't bring ourselves to a stable enough state to socialize. And no way are we being the party pooper at a gathering.
Don't tell us to breath, or calm down. Telling us to do either one rarely helps the raging twister thats constantly in our stomachs, or the merry-go-round twirling at high speed in our brains. It doesn't help. So please don't suggest it.
If we need days alone, we really need days alone. We're sorry if you asked us to go grocery shopping with you, or if we had a day planned at the mall. If we change the plans we have a reason. Anxiety will drain all the energy out of your body and sucks the conversational skills from you, like a full on dementor just stealing your soul. Well, not that dark, but you get what I mean.
All we need you to do is understand how our days can differ, and that we try our best to conceal our anxiety. Anxiety tends to cause people to push their closest loved ones away. It's not our intention to do so, and we certainly still need you there even if we don't always show it.
Anxiety is a constant internal struggle, and a daily battle. We need you there, to listen to our inner struggles, and tell us it's going to be okay and that we're not alone. No one with anxiety wants to be on their own, even if we act distant.
Be supportive, perhaps educate yourself on anxiety so you understand us when we suddenly have a panic attack or spiral into sadness for a week, and realize that this is an issue we have but it does not define who we are. We are not our anxiety. It's a part of who we are and all we want you to do is understand. We will have good days, we will have bad days. Just continue to love us for who we are. That is all we need in the end.
