Anxiety didn’t exist when I was growing up.
Try telling that to 9 year old me, pulling out of the Christmas play as the lead part (humble brag). Try telling that to 11 year old me, physically sick from attending summer school. Try telling that to 13 year old me, always avoiding parties. Try telling that to 16 year old, vomiting on the way to school before an exam. Try telling that to 17 year old me, dropping out of college. Try telling that to 19 year old me, avoiding all social events at my job. Try telling that to 21 year old me, quitting my job. Try telling that to 24 year old me (yesterday actually), cancelling plans with an old school friend.
Okay, obviously anxiety has always existed (and existed within me), but until I was 17, anxiety = nerves. “My nerves are bad today, I’m feeling nervous, it’s just nerves, they’ll go soon.” Luckily for me, they did tend to come and go during my early and adolescent years. I didn’t know what anxiety was until I was 17, and vomiting before college most days. It was only then when my mum said “Well you can’t be ill, it must be some kind of anxiety,” that I first recognised the ‘A word’. Part of me knew I had something and part of me was relieved I had something. Because if this was normal, god help me.
More tomorrow or something. See you later.
Mr Anxiety 