I’ve had anxiety for a couple of years now it first started in college when the stress of school, a relationship, family and friends became way too much for me. I started noticing the changes in myself, I was sad one minute, happy the next and the littlest things caused me to have a break down, i remember calling my mom from school crying on the phone telling her I didn’t know what was happening to me.

She managed to calm me down and I told her what was going on with me she told me that it was time to go see my doctor, I walked into his office not knowing what to expect for a second in my mind all I could think was “what if he thinks I’m crazy” I sat patiently in the waiting area until I was finally called back, he greeted me with a smile and hand shake that let me know it was going to be ok. I told him everything that was bothering me and how my emotions were all over the place, my chest was constantly hurting and I felt shortness of breath. I went into deeper detail telling him about the many black outs I experienced, how my body would go completely numb and it scared me because I didn’t feel in control of anything.

He looked at me and explained that I was suffering from anxiety/panic attacks he said that it was something ,I would deal with through out my life but their are ways to manage it. I sat back in the chair hoping for some big solution to a problem that had been plaguing me for months. “I think you should take some medication” we’re the next words that came out his mouth, I wasn’t crazy and I didn’t need any pill to help me what was he trying to say. I sat back nodded my head and allowed him to do his job but I was angry inside because just as I suspected he must think I’m crazy.

I walked out of the office more confused now but yes I did fill the prescription, i started taking the anxiety/depression meds everyday it helped me a lot but I didn’t feel like myself I was happy but was that really me? Or was it the meds making me be something I clearly wasn’t so eventually I stopped taking the medicine and I was fine for a while but once again I got triggered by something and I had to get back on my meds, I took them for a while again and then I stopped (this was recently/a month ago) I’m now here to say I’m off my meds again but I’m doing ok for now, yes some days are hard, things will happen and I never know how to deal with them but I take each day one day at a time and I pray 🙏

My mom is my go to for a lot of this she has been my rock and continues to help me daily deal with my anxiety she always knows what to say and how to calm me, some people around me don’t always know how to deal with it sometimes my boyfriend will say “why can’t you just relax, why can’t you not get so upset over the little things” but I explained to him a person that has anxiety does not see it that way and it’s harder for us to get over things and go back to normal, it all takes time it’s a process but with hard work and a positive mind it’s possible to get through it.

I say to anyone out there dealing with anxiety or any mental health issues you are loved and appreciated, you can get through this and it gets easier don’t let this take you over. Your life is precious, take it one day at a time and it will get easier.

What helps me: getting out the house, doing something that I love, surrounding myself around amazing people that love me and my beautiful daughter.

Signs of anxiety/depression:

Symptoms

Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

• Feeling nervous, restless or tense

• Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom

• Having an increased heart rate

• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

• Sweating

• Trembling

• Feeling weak or tired

• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

• Having trouble sleeping

• Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems

• Having difficulty controlling worry

• Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

If you see/notice this in anyone you know reach

out and help them we may not say we need help

but it doesn’t mean we don’t want it.

Great site to help others dealing with anxiety

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961