An anxiety disorder is not being nervous for a big event — it is being nervous for no event.
An anxiety disorder is not stressing about starting a new job — it is stressing about a job you have done for 20 years.
An anxiety disorder is not worrying about your loved ones — it is being petrified that if you cannot see them, you are going to lose them.
An anxiety disorder is not thinking about a mistake you made a minute ago — It is obsessing over a mistake you made five years ago.
An anxiety disorder is not being uncomfortable — it is never being able to be comfortable.
An anxiety disorder is not disliking busy areas — it is being afraid of many people looking at you… even when they are not.
An anxiety disorder is not disliking talking on the phone — it is the act being physically challenging because of the fear of a voice on the other end.
An anxiety disorder is not a worry feeling in your gut — it is heart palpitations, sweats, a headache, nausea, sobbing and shaking.
An anxiety disorder is not pretty — for me, it is very, very ugly.
An anxiety disorder is not being upset — it is being distracted, separated and scared.
An anxiety disorder is not sharing your life story for pleasure — it is sharing it to let others know they are not alone.
An anxiety disorder is not just a term.
It is an illness.
An anxiety disorder is not something to brag about.
It is something to cope with.
It is something to live with.
It is something to survive.
An anxiety disorder is not a joke.
It is my life.
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Thinkstock photo via alexandralarina.
JMU class of 2017, Walden U class of 2024! Living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD. Fighting to end the stigma and striving to promote conversations about mental health.
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