Anxiety says I can’t…
Eat breakfast, I don’t want to risk throwing up at school from being so anxious.
Say “hey” to my friends first.
Walk into a room by myself (unless nobody else is in there.)
Eat a good sized lunch; a sandwich is enough — I don’t want to risk throwing up.
Ask my teachers for help.
Talk to my absolute favorite teacher.
Raise my hand in class.
Look people in the eyes.
Make friends.
Stay home alone for extended periods of time (so more than two hours basically).
Sleep over at other people’s houses (without having a panic attack).
Strike up conversations with other kids at work.
Strike up conversations with the kids I sit next to in class.
Say more to my drama class than just my assigned lines.
Be expressive.
Act well in front of an audience.
Read out loud with no errors.
Go to my dream college.
Go out on my own.
Have perfect attendance, at work and school.
I can…
Be anxious.
Get super embarrassed over something minuscule and worry about it for the rest of the year.
Get my work done faster (because nobody is distracting me).
Get used to being alone, used, talked over, ignored, etc.
Make doctor visits at least once a year just to up the dosage on my meds.
Anxiety is a controlling disorder hat plagues people worldwide. I know how it feels to feel so alone in everything you’re battling in your mind. You are not alone. Don’t give up hope.
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Getty image via Mary Jirovaya