Anxiety – We talk about the struggle, but what about the good parts? I have anxiety. To be specific, I have a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In the words of Lady Gaga, I do in fact believe I was born this way. One of the best things about blogging and the internet these days is that it’s increasingly common to see writers sharing their struggles with anxiety.
More..
- Forbes releases top 10 richest African musicians – Number 2 will shock you! (+Pics)
- 4 bad photos of 2face he doesn’t want hs fans to see..
- LADIES: 12 things a guy will do for a girl he loves, no matter what it will cost him!
- Nollywood stars you still may not know have died – This list will leave you in big shock
One of the keys to accepting yourself as you are with anxiety is realizing how totally NOT alone you are. The world is full of anxious people just like you and me, and they are awesome, smart, not-crazy shining stars with a worldview all their own, and a voice that needs to be heard.
Unfortunately, I sometimes think that in talking about the struggles of anxiety, we forget to talk about the parts of it that are actually good — because there are very big benefits to being anxious.
Here’s my list of ways anxiety makes me a better person. Writing this list was actually good reminder of how every day is a new opportunity to reconnect with every aspect of yourself, good, bad, and in-between. And that’s something those of us with anxiety could really use more of.
1. I’m never late
If you have anxiety, being on time can be an issue. For some folks it takes years to leave the house (do I have my keys? Phone? Shoes? Pet squirrel named Timothy?), for others like me, being late is unthinkable. I’m one of those obnoxious “early is on time, on time is late” people.
I used to beat myself up about rushing to get places and worrying about being the weirdo who got there first. Now I accept my earliness as part of who I am. I don’t rush, I have a schedule, and if I get somewhere early it gives me time to look around and savor the moment, something that’s really hard for people with an anxiety disorder.
Understand that it wasn’t always this way. There are days when my stomach is one giant knot and I want to cancel all my plans and hide.
But life is long and funny and if you love being alive and you love people, you find ways of being that go beyond “coping” and turn into “living happily.” For me, therapy and medication has been key.
Discussion about this post