Let's work on anxiety

Anxiety nearly ruined my life. I always was a little high strung. When I was a teen, I worried about the school, grades, whether or not friends liked me, whether or not my parents would get sick, and so on. Eventually my brain kind of unraveled. I was either making no decisions and freezing up because I was too anxious to act, or, the other way around: making really rash decisions just because I couldn’t handle the tension of trying to figure things out.   

My GP suggested multiple times that I go on medication. I said no every time. In my mind, my anxiety was protecting me somehow. I kept thinking: what if I stop worrying, and something really bad would happen. My GP suggested I talk to a therapist.

I tried counselling. It felt good to talk to someone at first, but after a few sessions, I started wondering whether it would help or not.  Eventually what helped me most is learning to get out of my head and notice my body: what it felt like inside to be anxious. I realized I had almost forgotten what it’s like to be calm.  

My anxiety is manageable now. I don’t know whether I feel more anxiety than other people or not – I just know I’m doing much better and finally living my life.