Hello loves, ❤
I feel that anxiety is not spoken enough BUT… I love being so open about this on my blog ❤ I feel that all people need to understand the below:
1. Anxiety is not just ‘worrying’.
Worrying and being stressed out are completely different animals than having anxiety and being diagnosed with a mental illness. While of course stress and worry can do damage on your health, anxiety is not just biting your nails or freaking out about exams during finals.
2. Having anxiety is truly a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Anxiety is a true illness. It is not like a broken leg where you can put a cast on it, and let it heal. It takes therapy and medication sometimes to help symptoms, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those symptoms will go away permanently.
3. When someone is having a panic attack, telling them to ‘calm down’ won’t help.
When someone is having a panic attack, you can’t reason with them or give them orders to just ‘relax’ or ‘breathe’. Panic attacks have a mind of their own, and they are truly powerful.
4. If someone takes medicine for anxiety, that doesn’t mean that they are unstable.
Because there is a chemical imbalance in their brain, medicine is the key to some people for effectively taking their symptoms to a level where they can about their day to day life without a high level of worry.
5. Anxiety does not equal weakness.
Just because someone struggles with anxiety or any mental illness for that matter, doesn’t mean that they are smaller than you or weaker than you in any way. Their brains are wired differently. There should never be any shame in having anxiety, just like there should never be any shame for having a cold or for having a broken arm.
6. Most people with anxiety are braver than most people.
People who struggle with this illness are incredibly brave and strong. They have to go about their day to day lives, and on top of everyday challenges, they have to try to conquer their own demons. For some, it is a battle every damn day.
7. Panic attacks and anxiety can happen out of nowhere. There doesn’t need to be a reason for it.
A lot of the time when people have panic attacks, others will try to come up with a reason as to why it happened. But sometimes, there isn’t any reason. There doesn’t have to be a reason.
8. Having a panic attack is not a dramatic cry for help.
Many people who don’t understand anxiety, don’t understand how someone could think they are dying when they realistically are fine. What you need to know, is that, when people have panic attacks, there is no connection between reality and what they are truly feeling. Panic attacks make individuals truly think that they are taking their last few breaths. To know that feeling and to have experienced it, is not dramatic at all. It’s just scary.
9. You aren’t any better or stronger than someone who has a mental illness.
We all have obstacles to go through in this world. We all have our struggles and our personal issues that we have to deal with. If you know someone who has a mental disorder, don’t treat them as if they are any less of a beautiful person than someone who doesn’t have a mental disorder.
10. Anxiety comes and goes as it pleases.
Anxiety can leave just as often as it can come back to you. Some days, you can feel on top of the world, and some days you can feel utterly miserable with anxiety and panic raining down on you.
11. Anxiety is a not a laughing matter.
Anxiety is not a joke. Anxiety is not funny. Anxiety is not something to ever laugh at. Period.
Wherever you are in the world, have a lovely day ❤
I get so annoyed when people say OMG I’m so anxious lah di dah, stop comparing nerves to anxiety, they are two very different things. It’s not funny at all, otherwise you wouldn’t be laughing about it… having a panic attack means thinking you’re going to die, that’s a horrible feeling. It’s not funny or fun at all.
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EXACTLY! You hit the nail on the head ❤
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Thanks for taking the time to post this. I honestly learn a lot from reading posts like this.
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I am so happy to hear that you learn from these ❤
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Thank you so much for this. I think I need to come back and read this when I am having a bad day to remind myself to stop blaming myself for my weakness. ❤
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Hehe, just favourite it for whenever you need it ❤
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Thank you :):) I try telling people this all the time, and the one thing I get the most of is, just talk yourself down, breath. I’ve had anxiety since a child. I didn’t know it was not “normal” to feel the way I felt. I also don’t have any “trauma” that caused mine, it is purely chemical” So, that would be like telling a diabetic to talk your sugar down or up. My episodes are also not typical because they don’t just start coming on, peak and subside. I can wake up in an episode and it can last, full force for days, weeks, or months unless managed with medication. That’s how they finally found out I have it because my body just shut down from the physical stress of this constant ongoing attack. I guess your heart can only beat 140 to 150 bpm for so long before your body says, enough :):) Most people don’t even know I am having them because since I’ve had them since I was a child, I can sit here and have one and no one would even know. I so appreciate you sharing this, helping bring awareness. It will help so many people.
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Firstly, thank you for taking the time to comment your story ❤
Secondly, you are not ALONE! I too go through this as well.
I am happy to hear you can control it though & can sit there & no one would know whats going on.
I am yet to conquer that, I freak out when I am having an anxiety attack.
There is light at the end of your tunnel ❤
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I feel it was a defense mechanism. I’d hide if I got so bad that anyone could tell, and freak out in private because I was petrified that if any one knew, they would lock me away some where. I really felt crazy. I realize now it’s the irrational nature of it that made me feel that way. You know, you can only tell yourself you’re ok for so long but then when it’s been days of the symptoms it goes to irrational. This heart beat is irrational, I’m just sitting here. These racing thoughts, slamming around in my head, irrational. The tornado wrapped in a hurricane brewing inside me, irrational. And, and, and :):) I know, you know what I mean. Yes, there is light. Things are much better than they use to be, and I feel it has an enormous amount to do with Getting closer to God, knowing that I’m not the only one, that I’m not crazy. I don’t have to hide or be ashamed :):)
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I completely understand how you feel.
Sometimes I feel I am going crazy 😦
I always think I am having a heart attack 😦
❤
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Thanks so much for sharing.
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You are most welcome ❤
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Something you can add if you like….
Anxiety is something everyone on the planet has to some degree. It exists in the human psyche on a dimensional scale, like any emotion or mood. The dimensional scale goes from low to high, and on the low end, one may very well find “worry”, and “fear” might on the higher end, and panic would be on the extreme high end.
This is why there is a distinction between situational anxiety and anxiety disorder. Situational anxiety is a high form of anxiety that can include panic attacks, but is triggered by something; for instance people who were humiliated on account of difficulty learning mathematics can suffer math anxiety. People who “don’t test well”, have test anxiety, and PTSD has a whole range of triggers. And then yes, there are people who have anxiety disorder, which is generally, anxiety with no triggers, for periods longer than two weeks, in which they often suffer panic attacks and night terrors.
Not only is it wrong and unfair to try and shame someone with anxiety disorder, think of them as weak, or look down on them with a sense of superiority, but it’s also stupid. This kind of reasoning rests on one HUGE assumption….that one has to be born with anxiety disorder. That is not the case. It can develop later in life, and there is NO GUARANTEE that just because someone does not have it yet, that they will never develop it.
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I LOVE THIS ❤
This is brilliant! You nailed this.
Thank you for taking the time to share this ❤
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Great blog post which gives people with anxiety some good tips. I would hope that no-one laughs at medically diagnosed anxiety (#11 on the list)……..
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I have been there whereby people around me laughed & said ‘You don’t have anxiety, you just overthink’
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Anxiety is a mighty friend and powerful foe!
Your passion to help others with anxiety allows God to use you to encourage, comfort, and embolden those who need it, Miss Lovely! ❤
Me and God love you! With or without anxiety! 😉
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Thank you so much, Gail – I love the support you give me ❤
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❤ ❤
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Bang on …….I am sure this post will help many struggling with anxiety. More power to you.
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Thank you for your kind words ❤ I do hope this helps people ❤
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Yes, yes and more yes
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❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
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I think this is such an accurate post – as someone who’s anxiety has flared up in the last year, sometimes it feels like my mind is a mess but others I know I’ll be okay despite how I’m feeling. Thank you for sharing this and spreading awareness ❤
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Thank you for your kind words ❤ You WILL be okay ❤
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Reblogged this on Beckie's Mental Mess and commented:
REBLOG: “Discovering Your Happiness” has written a great post about anxiety & Panic attacks. The Do’s & Don’ts on how to treat people with them.
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Thank you for re-blogging Beckie ❤
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My pleasure. It was very well written. 🙂
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Bless ❤
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You certainly nailed this on the head. Great post!
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Thanks Beckie ❤
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You’re very welcome. 🙂
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❤
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These are very good points! Anxiety is so often misunderstood. It’s great seeing people tackle the misconceptions to help others understand it better. 🙂
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Thank you ❤
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