I Let My Anxiety Disappear Between the Pages of Books
I love books. Science fiction, fantasy, realistic fiction and pretty much everything in between. My favorite part about reading is being able to escape the world and hopefully learn something along the way. Whether it’s how to vanquish a dark lord or how to fall in love when you wake up as a different person every day, I could learn one million and one things from the books I love.
Even before anxiety was a part of my life, I found books to be great stress relievers. It’s hard to worry about the path your own life is going to take when you are wrapped up in the romance of two teens fighting to the death to appease their government.
So I read. I let my anxiety disappear between the pages so I can become the protagonist of a thrilling mystery or a peculiar romance. I try to find truth in imaginary people and made up events. I imagine I belong to worlds where people disappear into the ink on pages or where secret realms are hidden in wardrobes.
And sometimes, I find some amazing insight into my own life. I find quotes that help remind me of important things like imagination and being part of the present. I fill the walls of my bedroom with the words I find in books so I can remember the most important things literature has taught me.
I have included some of my favorite quotes below for you:
“The only way to deal with the future is to make sure the present is OK.” — David Levithan, “Wide Awake”
“Of course this is happening inside your head Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” — J.K. Rowling, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”
“That’s the thing about triggers and feelings…They don’t make you weak or sad, angry or afraid, even heartbroken. They make you. I am more powerful because of who and what I am. Not because of who I am not. I’m not going to apologize for what I feel.” — Margaret Stohl, “Icons”
“The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today.” — Pittacus Lore, “The Power of Six”
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” — Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist”
“Don’t panic.” — Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
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Thinkstock photo via Kim Carson
I am a sophomore in college studying English education. I love writing poetry and fiction and everything in between, both for fun and for school. I have an anxiety disorder and I enjoy finding new ways to cope and to help others cope. I have seen firsthand the effects of mental illness on people who are close to me and I have also seen how our society views people who are neurodivergent. I hope to help someone by sharing my stories and by emphasizing that, no matter how you feel, you are never truly alone.
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