I was recently contacted by a media representative who asked me to describe what it’s like to live with anxiety. I pondered over my response for days before replying. Today I want to share it with my readers in the hope of helping other sufferers.
Living with anxiety is tough. I have good days where I feel calm and happy. My anxiety always lingers in the background, but I don’t let it consume me. On my bad days, I’m convinced the world is against me and I panic over the smallest matters.
Recently I have tried exceptionally hard to fight the battle against perfectionism, and I’m winning, but it isn’t something that can be cured completely. It can be eased once triggers are recognised and dealt with and coping mechanisms can be established for when it rears its ugly head. For me, medication eases my symptoms greatly, but each and every sufferer is different. It’s often a case of trial and error figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t.
Last week I published a post on embracing ordinary, finding the balance, recognising where I am going wrong and what I am trying to achieve, have a read here.
Those that do not suffer with anxiety often struggle to understand what it’s like.
We can’t just switch off, we can’t relax, we can’t calm down. Our mind’s find fault in the smallest of things, often ruining experiences before they’ve even begun.
Worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet seems ridiculous doesn’t it? Truth be told, it is ridiculous, but we can’t help it. Sometimes I worry about something that happened years ago. I have no control over what has already happened or is going to happen but that doesn’t stop me thinking about it so much that I can’t sit still or concentrate on anything.
On a bad day, anxiety makes leaving the house nigh on impossible. It’s a vicious circle, fresh air and gently exercise has a positive effect on our mental and physical health, but being around others can often trigger further anxious thoughts.
I think the worst thing about anxiety is that there is no escape, we can’t turn it off and we don’t get to choose when attacks occur. We play a constant waiting game, it’s a shadow that follows us both in darkness and in light.
Contact Mind for mental health support and advice.
What’s anxiety like for you? Let me know below.
This blog post was originally published on justthethreeofus.co.uk and has been republished with the permission of the author, Chloe Wood.
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Chloe Wood is a 25 year old mother, blogger and vlogger with an insatiable love for coffee and mini rolls. She runs Just The Three Of Us, a parenting, lifestyle and health blog which documents the highs and lows of motherhood and mental health. Chloe and her family invite you to come and join the chaos.
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