I have known for years that the overwhelming amount of anxiety I was feeling wasn’t right, and I knew deep down that I should receive help. I instead carried on like nothing was weighing me down. Looking back I remember moments where I would just be continuously asking myself “is this normal?”, “am I just being overdramatic?” and “am I going crazy?”. And if I could go back in time, I would go to the very first time I asked myself those questions and tell myself to get help. The problem is though, I have had many of these moments in my life that occur daily, that my mind is unable to point out the first time these type of questions were raised.
Many people underestimate the impact anxiety can have on an individual, and I have noticed this especially in the past few months, as I have let only a few people know of my suffering. Some say that it is all in my head, that I should stop over thinking and I just have to get over it. These people just assume that I haven’t tried that if it were that simple to fix I wouldn’t be in the position I am in now. It’s no surprise people keep their mental states a secret, because people who are lucky enough not to experience the day-to-day hardships, look down and incorrectly estimate the difficulties faced by many of those who are affected by mental illness.
I don’t want to hide the fact anymore that I suffer from anxiety and depression. I feel as though this is my coming out post, coming out and speaking about my mental illnesses, as before I could count the number of people with only my fingers that knew of my anxiety and depression.
I look forward to continuing this blog and adding new posts every week on the matter of mental illnesses, this being anything towards helpful tips and tricks on how to look after yourself. I hope to shed light on you on these matters if you’re someone who suffers, have a friend or family member suffering, or you’re just one of the lucky ones.
Caitlin
