8 Things You Need To Know About Your Anxiety

I was diagnosed with anxiety when I turned 23. My entire life was turned upside down instantly and I was terrified. I constantly felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I didn’t know whom to turn to because of the undying stigma surrounding anxiety. I had never felt more alone than I had in the months leading up to my diagnosis.

After tirelessly struggling with anxiety for years, I built up the resiliency and tenacity to face my anxiety head-on. Now I want to teach you how you can, too, whether you’re new to struggling with anxiety or if it’s something you’ve been struggling with for a while now.

Here are eight things I want you to know about your anxiety to get you through the tough days and help you see the light at the end of the darkest tunnel.

1. Anxiety isn’t all bad

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, and everyone experiences it from time to time. The issue with anxiety is not its presence, the issue is when anxiety becomes persistent and constant. When experiencing anxiety, the goal isn’t to eliminate it completely, it’s to learn how to manage your triggers so you experience anxiety less frequently and less intensely.

2. It isn’t just “all in your head”

Anxiety is caused by a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters and hormones, and your mind and body have become so used to living off such low levels of happy hormones (that quite literally make you happy) that your brain is always stuck in fight-or-flight mode. This isn’t your fault, and you can’t just “snap out of it.” 

If I got a quarter for the number of times someone (including myself) has said that anxiety is all in my head, I’d be a billionaire. It’s terrifying, exhausting, and aggravating trying to constantly validate your struggles to everyone all the time; but anxiety is real, and I get it because I’ve been there. Your anxiety is valid, so don’t let anyone ever tell you differently.

3. Taking prescribed medications doesn’t make you weak

Building off the last point, prescription medications can supply your mind and body with the happy hormones that your mind and body are lacking, so taking medications for anxiety is just as valid as a person with a broken ankle using crutches to take the pressure off their ankle. It’s okay to take the pressure off your healing journey with prescription medications for anxiety.

4. It comes in MANY different shapes and forms

Anxiety isn’t a “one size fits all”. Sometimes anxiety can affect all aspects of a person’s life, and sometimes it may only affect some. There are many kinds of anxiety (i.e., social anxiety, specific phobias, generalized anxiety, panic, OCD, and PSTD) and there can be many differences between each of these different kinds of anxiety. In addition to that, your anxiety isn’t supposed to look or feel a specific way. There are so many different physical, mental, and emotional signs and symptoms of anxiety that it would be impossible to categorize what you should or should not be experiencing.

5. Your doctor/psychiatrist CAN help

I know just how easy it can be to start googling all your symptoms and trying to find the answers/treatments for your anxiety, but trust me, it’ll only lead you down a rabbit hole of falling on all the WRONG answers. The best thing you can do for yourself is to take a visit to your doctor/psychiatrist (as daunting, embarrassing, and shameful as it may feel) and discuss your concerns with them instead of reading a Wikipedia page that Jane Doe wrote in 10th grade on anxiety symptoms she saw in an ‘80s soap opera (see where I’m going with this)?

I’ve been on the positive receiving end of healthcare for anxiety, AND I’ve been on the negative receiving end, but I PROMISE you that the positive experiences have significantly outweighed the bad.

Sometimes it may take seeing a new Doctor and/or psychiatrist or advocating for your right to have tests taken to rule out outlying medical causes, but I was able to finally be diagnosed with anxiety after probably 15 years of it being undiagnosed for the sole reason that I went to my doctor and discussed my concerns and symptoms with them.

6. Healing takes time

Probably the most important thing to remember is that healing takes time. As amazing as it would be to wake up one morning and be completely free from anxiety, it isn’t realistic. Everyone is different, and therefore everyone’s healing journey will look and feel differently. It took me years of struggling and trying and doing all the wrong things to figure out the ins and outs of how to identify, manage, and address my signs and symptoms of anxiety. It may take you only a fraction of the time to overcome than it did for me, but it’s so important to consider that nobody’s journey is the same.

7. It doesn’t define your worth

You are more than just your anxiety. Anxiety doesn’t define your disabilities just as much as it doesn’t define your abilities. Anxiety doesn’t have to be your greatest liability; instead, it can become your greatest asset IF you allow it to be. When I started looking at anxiety as my superpower that allowed me to become exponentially more resilient, audacious, productive, and organized than ever before.

8. It’s treatable

You CAN overcome your struggles with anxiety, and you don’t have to settle for a life that constantly leaves you feeling defeated. Conquering anxiety begins with one small step in the right direction, and sometimes overcoming your struggles begins with one small conversation.

There may be many days where you feel alone and like nobody understands, but there are MANY amazing therapists, counselors, anxiety coaches, and/or mentors who would be excited to see you succeed and are cheering for you to persevere DESPITE your anxiety. You’ve got everything you need already within you to overcome your adversities, but it doesn’t make you weak, broken, or damaged to ask for help along the way.

You can do this; I believe in you.