If You Are Feeling Anxious, Read This
There are varying degrees of severity and countless ways of manifestation when it comes to anxiety. No one’s struggle is identical. But one thing is for sure. On some level, in our own unique ways, we are all in a fight at some point or another against the war that is anxiety.
As someone who struggles with generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks, I can definitely understand the mental turmoil that can envelope us when our minds start racing. One thing that I’ve found with my anxiety is that no matter what it is that triggers it, the anticipation and build up in my mind about a situation tends to be a lot more dramatic and unbearable than the event itself. I tend to overthink to the point where I feel so crippled at times that I want to abort the mission altogether and not even try. But here is the thing about anxiety; it doesn’t feed off of logic. It doesn’t make sense. Although it’s so convincing and is incredibly real, it is utterly irrational. It floods us with lies and as long as we are following those lies, anxiety always stays in control. Anxiety is a coward. It isn’t creative at all. Once we start to recognize its little games and tricks, we are equipped to fight back and we are SO MUCH stronger than anxiety. Of course, it would never tell you that but that is why I’m writing to you: because I want you to know the truth. I want you to know everything that anxiety is keeping hidden from you.
Anxiety can be so suffocating. No matter how painful obeying your anxiety is, it can truly seem like listening to it is the only option. Even if we want to fight back, it feels like that is not even an option. But that is just one of the deceptive concepts anxiety has imbedded into us.
It is far from easy to take a stand to anxiety but it is also far from impossible. No matter how weak and beaten down you feel, you do have it inside of you to beat this. You are never too far gone. Anxiety can never take you past the point of no return. So, fight it. Fight it with every fiber of your being. Fight it with everything you have in you. And when you fall down, take a second to breathe, and then get back up and fight again. Because every single time you challenge your anxiety, it is getting weaker and weaker. It is losing power over you.
Now, I’m not going to lie; when you start to rebel against your anxiety, it will get louder and more vicious than ever. But don’t be discouraged. This is a good sign. It means your anxiety is scared. It’s scared because it’s losing you. And you are winning this fight.
When anxiety whispers in your ear, yell back. Yell truth. Anxiety flees in fear when it hears truth. It will come back. It will try again. But it won’t be quite as strong and you will be even stronger than before. Every effort that you make makes a difference, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Don’t give up. Keep fighting the good fight. I promise you it’s worth it. I promise you, YOU ARE WORTH IT.
That light at the end of the tunnel you always hear about, it really exists. And one day you’re going to be the one that someone else hears about the light from. Because you will be living in it. You will be living, breathing hope to someone else.
Anxiety is a dark place. But you, my dear friend, are light. So, keep fighting. Keep shining. And never ever lose hope.
