Hello, anxiety! 👋🏼
I am pretty young, and by young, I mean I am 17. I grew up in a very loving household, very protected, and didn't really have mental health issues as a child. In fact, I was a really, really happy child, and I have to say that continued until I was 14.
With 14, puberty hit. I was still happy, though with ups and downs – I think that’s pretty normal for that age. However, at 16, I started experiencing really strong anxiety, especially with the fear of losing loved ones. I feel the reason for that was unresolved fears, pressure, and stress. This led to OCD behavior and tics.
It didn’t get better until I opened up about it and asked for help. The moment I asked for help, it started to improve. A few months later, my OCD behavior was completely gone, and I overcame it. I am so proud of myself for solving it. It was really hard for me to talk to people about this and open up, especially because I always seemed happy on the outside and didn’t want to be judged. Still, I am thankful I had this experience. I know it sounds weird, but having experienced mental health issues makes you understand people with mental health problems and helps you support them.
I am proud of how far I have come. Now, my mental health is pretty stable, though on some days, the anxiety hits. Is this normal and part of adult life? I will start going to therapy again just so I can open up and deal with my stress professionally.
Does anyone have tips for the days when anxiety hits? Let’s talk more about mental health!
#mentalhealth