anxiety
A look at anxiety in its many forms and manifestations; what is the nature of this specific pattern of extreme fear and worry?
Why Anxiety Makes Me Seem like a Bad Friend
I'm not a bad friend. I'm not a bad friend. I'm not a bad friend. These are the words I repeated to myself as I cancelled yet another party, another dinner date, another movie night. I've unwittingly become a master of excuses.
By Emmy Thompson7 years ago in Psyche
Adventures with Anxiety
Wuddup my fellow nervous Nancies, During my first year at UNC Chapel Hill, I took a course classified as a "first year seminar." What is a first year seminar, you might ask? It's a class exclusive to freshmen, that typically covers an interesting topic (and is basically a guaranteed 'A').
By Lexie Lloyd7 years ago in Psyche
Escape Anxiety
I was very interested in writing for Vocal to see what the hype was all about. I was unsure of what I could possibly write about. I don't feel I'm very interesting and I've never been very popular. While I may stand out in a crowd due to my upbeat personality and constantly changing hair color, inside I feel anxious, shy, and always worried. Just writing these few lines I think I may have just found what I know best about and could hopefully help change others life with. How to push yourself to be in the spot light when inside you are anxious as all hell.
By Megan Allaire7 years ago in Psyche
Anxiety Is Tough, So Are You
Two steps forward, one step back. That has been the motto I’ve been living by as I navigate myself through my mental breakdown. I spend my days with my “emergency anxiety kit” on me. It consists of emergency medicine, a stress ball and lavender oil. This isn’t my first mental breakdown, it is my third. Usually they are rooted in anxiety, but this one is different because it is rooted in depression.
By Juliana Fetherman7 years ago in Psyche
Trapped Inside Myself
I can't breathe. The air is grabbing my throat and I am gasping for air. All my life I have been the quiet girl. The sweet, innocent one that doesn't have a lot to say. Maybe I am a little shy, maybe I am a little socially awkward. However, I have a lot to say. I want to say it, but I can't. I didn't realize it was bad until my sophomore year of high school. I stayed home for two weeks with what I thought was a stomach ache. No. It was my anxiety. For the two weeks, I went to doctor after doctor trying to find the cause. Finally, a doctor told me I was anxious. Seriously? There has to be an ACTUAL cause to this. I found out later, no. That was it. Anxiety has its way of doing that. It can become so severe that it leaves you feeling physically ill. The last two years of high school, I just learned to "deal with it." It was hard. Every time I ate I felt like I was going to get sick. I was scared to go out with friends, scared to go on trips, scared to get into someone's car because every time I felt sick. That made it even worse. Could you image me actually getting sick? I could never show my face again. I spent the whole two years missing out on fun things because my anxiety held me back. Even when I actually went on things, I was so scared of getting sick and dealing with the embarrassment that I couldn't enjoy anything. You know what? I NEVER got sick. It's embarrassing thinking about it now. I missed out on so much.
By Jasmine Mitchell7 years ago in Psyche
The Silent Monster
There comes a time where I have to stop and ask: "is this my anxiety talking?” Day to day, I watch as the world continues to go around me while I sit and ask myself this question. Everyday, I have struggled in every aspect of my life because I never know if this is in fact my anxiety talking. It wasn’t until recently that I realized it was the one guiding my mind for years.
By Kyrsten Wagoner7 years ago in Psyche
I’m Still Embarrassed by My Mental Illness
I went to the local shop today to put on my gas & electric. As I was paying, I reached tentatively towards a display box of Malteaser Reindeer and subsequently knocked the whole display into the floor. Chocolate deer splayed out across the tiled floor like a delicious festive massacre. I could immediately feel the tears welling up in my eyes.
By Victoria K7 years ago in Psyche
Living with a Monster
It creeps up on your thoughts. Out of nowhere you're in a panic of fear. You're hands begin to sweat, you're feeling light-headed and nauseous, you're legs weaken and you begin to shake, you're body is so hot, like a fire that was lit from the inside. You feel like you're dying. In your mind, you are dying. If you're near other people you try to hide so no one can see you fight the monster. The embarrassment alone is enough for your anxiety attack not to leave you. You to talk to the monster and negotiate on why you don't need to go into this attack. Your mind is consumed with hundreds of thoughts you have no control over. Trying to convince that part of you that everything is okay, you are not dying. This is just another attack that you will live through. You're heart is pounding through your chest. So fast and so hard, you can't breathe. You feel like you're about to pass out. You desperately search for your safety. A person that you trust, a pill, a glass of wine, peeing out the poison of the monster, breathing cold air from the freezer, taking a hot bath, curling into a ball in a secluded area. Any routine that has worked before, you try again. You cry in fear. Fear of what though? Do you have an exact reason for the fear?
By Jennifer Veal7 years ago in Psyche
Do More of What Makes Your Soul Happy
Happy HallowThankMas. If you remotely know me, you would understand that when the calendar hits October first, I am in full holiday swing. With my spooky decorations in the dorm, Thanksgiving drawings planned out, and half of my Christmas shopping done, I am in the spirit.
By Michaela Switzer7 years ago in Psyche
Searching for Hope
“What brought you in today?” There it is. The question I wasn’t sure how to answer but I knew was going to be asked. “I’m having anxiety attacks that lead to me thinking about killing myself.” Those where the worlds I chose to say even though it went deeper than that and the therapist who sits across from me would find out soon enough. Today is March 3rd, 2018, and my life is about to explode without my knowledge. But first, “what are some things that cause your anxiety attacks?”
By Janice Page7 years ago in Psyche
