Anxiety and What it Means to Me

Anxiety comes in different forms for different people; some scenarios and episodes can be more severe than others. Sometimes, you need to experience your own form of anxiety to help yourself get through it in the future.  

Anxiety means that you are in a state of worry, or you feel nervous. There are many different types of anxieties such as separation anxiety, social anxiety, or maybe anxiety towards a specific phobia about something. These things can take over your life if you let them, but if you continue to work hard towards your goal of beating your anxiety, you should definitely be able to get yourself there. 

When my anxiety becomes apparent to me, I start to overthink, become more pessimistic, and my thoughts become clustered. I have major general anxiety, which means that there can be different scenarios which cause me to have a panicky feeling that I can't get over. When I first realized what was happening I wanted to get help right away. I talked to my therapist and I told her all of the things that I was experiencing. She asked me all of these questions that I never thought about and really made me think about myself in a more emotional way. After I talked to her I felt as if the weight was lifted off my chest.

​Communication is the number one key for me to help my anxiety and it might be for you as well. Whenever my anxiety becomes clear to me, I decide to put myself in an environment where I feel safe. An example would be in my room with music, or simply on my bed. 

I’ve learned that the feelings I experience when anxious are normal. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be okay with some things you can't control. In order for you to help yourself, you will need to open your horizons by not limiting yourself to a stereotype. It can be hard to love yourself at times like this, but it can be very beneficial if you do this sooner rather than later.
• You may need to experience “your anxiety” in order for you to know how to go about things
• Breathing can help lower stress and calm down your nervous system. This helps me calm down after my mind is scrambled. Focusing on your breathing can also distract you from the things around you. ​​

​
This uneasy feeling that accompanies anxiety can come and go, but you should always try to rise above it. You know yourself better than anyone. Therefore, the way you handle this situation can be personal towards yourself. Don't forget to be cautious of what induces anxiety and try to stay away from it. Remember that you are not alone!

​Melody x. 

Helplines: 

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
• Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a real human