You’re not alone.
Anxiety disorders are the most common types of mental illness in the United States. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, roughly 40 million Americans over the age of 18 are affected by anxiety. 40 million people know what you’re going through. It may not seem like it now but you are not alone in your suffering.
There are going to be days you want to go to sleep and never wake up.
This doesn’t mean you want to die. It’s natural to want to get away from your suffering.
You can expect to invite depression to the anxiety party as well.
Depression and anxiety go hand in hand. Expect to experience symptoms of depression. You’ll probably be exhausted 98% of the time. You might even find it hard to get out of bed every day or maintain your social relationships.
People won’t understand you anymore.
They won’t understand why you don’t show up to parties or why you don’t show up to class. They won’t understand what it feels like to have a panic attack. They simply just don’t understand.
Your friends might leave you.
This is a hard one. Right when you need them the most they completely up and leave. They usually do this because of #4. They just don’t understand you. You aren't the person they thought you were or wanted you to be anymore.
“I’m tired” will probably become your new personal mantra.
It’s much easier to say that you’re tired than explain everything that’s really going on with you. Plus you will be tired. Anxiety takes up so much mental strength and sometimes is physically draining as well.
Your anxiety experience is purely your own.
No one in the world has your same experience with anxiety. So if you decide to look for someone that has had your same experiences you probably aren't going to find anyone. This doesn't mean you're alone, it just means your anxiety is uniquely specific to you.
People will tell you that they understand but the reality is that they don’t.
Nobody truly understands your anxiety except for you. You have to be your own best friend through this journey.
You will get through it.
It may feel like you will never come out on the other end but someday you will learn to live with your anxiety. It may take years but you will eventually come out stronger than you were before.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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