I don’t think the main issue is me being ‘cured’ as such. When I open up about my anxiety, I openly know and accept that it will always linger and won’t ever go away.
It can get extremely scary sometimes. Being constrained to your own thoughts of utter hopelessness and feeling like the whole world is closing in on you. To be honest, I thought that those feelings were normal a year ago. I thought that it was something everyone went through on a daily basis, and that crying at 1am in the morning over people in my life ‘hating’ me was normal.
I was definitely never as open with my mental illness as I am now. I still struggle to explain to my parents regarding what is going on in my head because I feel like I’m going mad. I mean, how come I think all my friends hate me? How come I believe I’m a burden and no one wants to be around me anymore? It may sound completely irrational, but it’s real to me.
I denied the fact that I had anxiety. I refused to see anyone and get help because I believed that I was just wasting people’s time if i did seek help because obviously, others deserve it more than me. I turned into a train wreck. I turned into someone who I din’t recognise anymore, and that is one of the scariest things I’ve had to endure yet.
It’s not just ‘feeling anxious in public.’ As much as I have those days where I don’t want to leave my house because I feel physically sick at the thought of being in public, it’s a lot more than that. The thing with generalised anxiety disorder is that it’s like everything you imagine anxiety to be, and a whole lot more. I wish people understood that it was a lot more than just feeling ‘on edge’ now and then. Everyone gets anxious. It’s human nature. Anxiety however is more feeling anxious and a whole lot else on top of that.
There are still times where I sit up at 1am in the morning and have to go to the toilet because I feel like I’m going to throw up. The thought of going on a ‘night out’ excites me (don’t get me wrong), but I get extremely anxious before the event. i hate how busy it can get and how trapped I feel. I worry about getting drunk before alcohol has even entered my system. I go over scenarios in my head over how to get out of a ‘night out’ and just run away.
But I don’t run anymore.
I make sure to put myself in the right mindset, and conquer. Defying all odds, I still end up going out. A simple task to many takes me hours of mental preparation to tell myself, “right, go out for your friends and have a good time.” My anxiety may be my mental illness, but it won’t be my downfall.
It can’t be cured. I can imagine myself even now starting my new apprenticeship and getting worried and stressed over having to interact with new people and to try to not mess anything up. It’ll always be an annoying linger, but it’s going to have to be an annoying linger that I come to terms with how to control. And my down and off days? I will face them head on. Because it’s okay to have those days, and it’s okay to have days where you don’t want to leave the house. It’s okay because in some ways, them days can make you even more determined for when you conquer those fears.
Love and happiness always,
xo, Becca
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This was a great post. Leaning into and facing your anxiety is half of the battle. Keep going!
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Thank you lovely!! X
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Love it Becca. You’re inspiring me to get writing my blog again and it’s been almost a year. What apprenticeship are you starting?xx
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It takes an enormous amount of bravery to face mental illness head-on. Good luck for your apprenticeship!
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Great post! I suffer with anxiety and it’s good to know that it does get better over time and even though it can’t be cured there are ways of coping with it 🙂
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
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Great post, Becca. Good luck for your apprenticeship!
Jeff.
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Loved reading this, well done you for sharing this, and keep up the bravery, you should be proud of yourself for being determined to keep fighting! x
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It’s so good you’re opening up and hopefully that will help others along the way!
Such a great, authentic post and nice to see you cover everything and not just the good things xx
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It’s really good you share this and open up! Keep fighting and never give up!! 😘
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I love how open you are about this Becca! ❤
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It takes a lot of courage to not only admit to what is going on in your head but to also acknowledge anxiety and to share your experience with mental illness, whether privately with family and friends or online with your blog. Reading your words helps remind me that I don’t suffer alone. Thank you for being so open about your mental health – the more we talk about it, hopefully the easier it gets and also the stigma surrounding it will lessen. Good luck on your apprenticeship (and congrats)! Lovely post, Becca.
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Your posts seem to always get me. I understand so well. I experience anxiety as well and it’s hard. Your courage to talk about it, is inspiring.
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This post is important. Thanks for sharing your story. I know people can relate and I hope they find comfort! Stay strong! x
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Your writing is so inspiring. Love it. Keep doing you. Thank you. MattyC
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Your writing is so inspiring. Keep doing you. Thank you, MattyC
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Oh my goodness, Becca you literally wrote how I feel with my GAD! I often thought I was normal with the thoughts I was having and thinking everyone hated me. I became a shell of myself, I didn’t like her anymore and got so low!! Thank you for this post! Thank you for being so honest and open and well done for being so brave with it! I still feel embarrassed and deny it! More often than not it wins…! Sorry for rambling in your comments section! x
Victoria | VictoriaaHelenn
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You didn’t ramble at all!!! It’s so amazing to hear that people relate to what I write, and I love getting to know other people’s MH experiences. Thank YOU for also giving me a story to relate to and thank you for the lovely feedback. X
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Being able to face your illness is a brave thing to do. I definitely felt better once what I felt had a name!
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I was exactly the same. X
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Great post. The times I’ve felt sick and like I wanted to lay in bed and put my duvet over my head instead of face things. Getting up, going forth and giving it 100% never fails and I never regret not giving in!
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Good luck with your apprenticeship! I’ve been seeing loads of apprenticeships lately I want to apply for, but I don’t for this exact reason of stressing and getting anxious and what not. This post has given me the motivation to maybe just go for it 😀
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Your positivity is so refreshing. Keep up the good fight girlie!!
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I really like this post. You’re so honest and I could relate to everything you were saying, especially about going on nights out x
https://ciaraslittleblog.wordpress.com
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