Anxiety and Depression

Throughout my 40 years on this earth, I would have to say 25 of those years I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression. Anyone with either or both probably will be able to relate that you feel like you are going crazy at times. The nervousness and sadness can take over your whole body and you feel like you are losing control of yourself. As a teenager, it affected me greatly. It’s already hard to fit in at school with your brain telling you that you are not good enough to be friends with popular kids. That you deserve to be ignored by your peers that you wish you could be like. This was my state of mind back then. It can be a horrendous feeling especially if you don’t know what is causing it. I would say some individuals that suffer from one or even both may feel like they are abnormal. However, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the U.S. suffer from anxiety. They state that it’s not uncommon for a person that suffers from anxiety may also have depression. So for all those that suffer from anxiety and/or depression like I do just know that you are not alone. We are not alone. There are ways to get this under control. There may even be a way that you can avoid certain circumstances that disrupt your peace. Of course, life comes with some unavoidable sources of stress such as a certain job, kids, and just the everyday hustle and bustle. However, take control of your life to try to eliminate as much of that as possible. It’s part of taking care of yourself and please don’t allow yourself to feel bad if it rubs others the wrong way. As long as the end goal is your peace and no one else is getting hurt as a result. As long as you are not breaking any laws then do what you have to do to reduce your stress thus improving your anxiety and depression. These days I have a few things that help me such as good music, writing, spending time with loved ones and I’m learning to meditate. These may help you as well. Whatever and whoever gives me peace of mind I try to surround myself with because I deserve peace of mind and so do you.