I have anxiety, and I am only one person out of the millions affected. Anxiety can make everyday tasks seem impossible. There are many reasons people have anxiety and one thing for sure is that we do not just one day wake up and it is gone. It’s a mental disorder that many people can be plagued with for their entire life. It’s not something I am proud to deal with, if I could get rid of it I would, but I can’t…and because of that I want to people around me to know a few things.
Know that there will be some days I stay in my room and don’t talk to anyone; you guys most likely did not do anything. I want nothing more than to go out and have fun with everyone, but, physically, I can’t. There’s a chance I can feel an anxiety attack coming on or I’m currently dealing with one, and it is not something I want everyone to see. Anxiety attacks can make it hard to breathe or put me in a bad mood and all I can do is concentrate on calming myself down; I usually can’t do that if I’m around other people. I value nothing more then your support, so please do not take it personal if I don’t want to hang out for a night.
Know that if I tell you I’m nervous, telling me it’s "no big deal" will not solve anything or calm me down. It’s one of the worst things you can say to someone dealing with anxiety. Anxiety is already making me over-think everything and you telling me it is not something to worry about makes me feel more abnormal; it makes me wonder why I am freaking out about something that no one else cares about. I understand you might not always know what to say, and that’s okay, but even just telling me everything will be fine can help.
Know that I will always ask questions… a lot of them. I need constant reassurance about things that many people don’t think about. For example, if we go to a restaurant and I ask you what an item is called repeatedly, it’s not because I’m not listening. I don’t want to mess up in front of someone I don’t know, because with anxiety, I constantly fear judgment from others. That person may not even care that I mess up the name of something, they might not even remember it in the next ten minutes, but I will, and that’s what I fear the most.
I know I ask a lot of you; your support, for you to put up with me needing constant reassurance, my moods swings and understand that I will avoid doing things with you sometimes for no reason at all. However, I appreciate your support more than anything. Sometimes, the little things you do for me, even without realizing it, can make me feel so much better. I know many days I am moody and every little thing may seem to make me upset, but I wouldn’t know what to do without any of you. You put up with every day and because of that I am forever grateful.
