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Okay, Let’s Talk about Anxiety

Quinn

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It seems like these days, everyone has anxiety. Not just anxiety, but frustrating, life-altering, capital-A ‘Anxiety.’

I hear the word used a lot. I hear it in different forms – ‘I have anxiety,’ ‘I have social anxiety,’ ‘I am a super anxious person’ – and when I do, I want to tug on that person’s sleeve and ask, “Really? Do you really? Are you really an anxious person? How anxious? When you say that, what do you mean exactly? Can you tell me about it?”

Here’s the thing; on one hand, hearing other people talk about their anxiety makes me feel like I’m not alone. Considering how many people talk about it, it almost makes me feel normal. I mean, everyone seems to have it. Maybe everyone does have it to some extent.

On the other hand, sometimes I feel like a lot of things get lumped into the anxiety category when they probably don’t belong there. I mean, sometimes I’m reluctant to do something, but that doesn’t mean I have anxiety about it. Sometimes I’m nervous about something, and that also doesn’t mean I have anxiety about it. In my case – and I can only speak to that, because everyone has different experiences – anxiety is a different beast to either reluctance or nerves or fear or pure unwillingness. It feels different.

When my laziness makes me disinclined to do something, it usually sounds a bit like a petulant teenager. It grumbles, and sighs, and mutters things like, “Yeah, no. I don’t want to do that,” or, “Uhhhh… yeah I’d rather stay home and watch something on Netflix. Imma do that instead.”

When my nervousness makes me disinclined to do something, it sounds a bit like a frightened child. It makes high-pitched noises only dogs can hear, and groans, and whines things like, “But do we haaaaave to?” or, “What if the other kids don’t like me?”

My anxiety doesn’t say anything. My anxiety doesn’t sound like anything. It feels. It feels like my soul is digging its heels into the floor and refusing to budge. It feels like my heart is a hummingbird. It feels like my throat has suddenly shrunk to the size of a plastic straw and getting air is a conscious effort. It feels like I need to vomit, even if the only thing I’m able to bring up is bile. It feels like my mind is either at 0 or at 100; either blank with panic, or piling worry on top of worry on top of worry until I can’t see over the top to the horizon of normality.

It feels like flying down a steep hill on a bicycle with no brakes. It feels like when you’re on the stairs and your foot misses a step. It feels like waiting for results you know are going to be bad. It feels like cold heat flooding your body.

It’s a deeply, deeply unpleasant feeling.

Thankfully, I don’t feel this steamroller, flat-out, full-force version of anxiety too often. When I do, I try to push through it. I don’t take medication*. I don’t wonder if I’m dying. Instead, I tell myself that it’s not real, that I’m in control, and that my brain is being (excuse the language) a dick. I tell myself that emotions are constructs, and that it will pass.

And you know, it does. Eventually. Somehow.

So now tell me, do you feel anxiety? If so, what brings it on? What do you do about it? How do you manage it? Inquiring (and anxious) minds want to know!

 

*I have nothing against taking medication and have often considered it, but the potential side-effects have always frightened me more than the idea of just dealing with the anxiety.

82 thoughts on “Okay, Let’s Talk about Anxiety”

  1. I feel your pain… it leaves me feeling unsettled. I did finally get a prescription, which helps immensely! Do talk to your doctor and find out which way works best for you. 🙂

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  2. It usually feels like someone is sitting on my chest and squeezing my heart with their hands. At the moment it’s mainly brought on when dealing with my mother (very Freudian…). I guess it’s hard to detangle what is nerves, fear, panic, anxiety, they usually go hand in hand. When I had a particularly tough time with feeling anxious and overwhelmed, everything felt like it was sped up and I was frantic although I was completely paralysed to act. Fun times! 😉

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  3. All my life I have struggled with anxiety of sorts. And it has never gotten better from being in school and being worried about telling my parents about a bad test score, or a school bully, or other things. As an adult it tends to come about with money issues or work issues. It can be debilitating at times. Knots in my stomach, tension in my body, unhealthy food choices and the urge to vomit as you mention. Like you I have been fearful of going down the medication route for the same reason. I try to find other ways to deal with it like going for a run, or putting on certain songs that always get me pumped up. Last year I made a video of a big family gathering we had in Ireland for a 100th Birthday. Even though I made it, it’s kind of been a go to source in the last year because it genuinely just makes me happy. And I think that is maybe a key to dealing with anxiety. Remembering that there is always something worth smiling or laughing about. Great post. Sorry I haven’t replied to many of your recent posts. I’m taking a bit of a break from my music posts for a bit because I’m working on a book so I figured that would be a good diversion for a bit!

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    1. I tried getting into the running but for whatever reason my right knee just absolutely loathes it so I think I might take a leaf out of your book and try making myself some relaxing videos! Where in Ireland were you? That’s very exciting! What’s the book about?

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      1. Hey whatever works exercise wise is all that matters. I’m not obsessive about it, I just find when I finish I’m much calmer. We were in Donegal, where my mom was born and still have a lot of family. The book is based on a series on my blog called My Four Seasons-A Musical Autobiography. I’m writing about my completely normal and boring life, but incorporating key music that was important at the time or especially fits thinking abut it now. Its basically an extension of what I already do, just expanded

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      2. Ah yes Donegal, you mentioned that before. Next time you’re over you’ll have to explore more of the island! Galway, Dublin, Kerry at the very least! I like the idea, can’t wait to read it! Nobody’s life is “normal and boring,” everyone’s experience is different!

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      3. Dublin I know but the furthest south I have been is Wicklow. I do really want to see Cork. And Kerry. And Galway. And….you get it! Oh I know everyone is different, I was kidding. What I actually realized was that if I took the core of the series, and stuff from other posts I had a lot already written and having my own book has long been a goal for me

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  4. I’ll get anxiety out of nowhere. There are times when anxiety is warranted, like when I’ve completely blown off an assignment at work, and then have to cram. My bad. But there are other times, when it’s not warranted, and for the life of me – I have no idea why I get that feeling. It’s usually fleeting, though and then I’m off to wander about. 🙂

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  5. Thank you for this post. It needed to be said. People need to realize that even if they are the one’s who cry wolf, the consequences can still be shifted to someone who really needs help.

    I have been clinically diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but I can count on one hand how many anxiety attacks and depressive states I’ve had in the last year, and for that, I count myself lucky.There are people that suffer on a daily basis, and I wish more people were sensitive to that fact.

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  6. I have a few things that make me feel anxious like… Mr being out on his motorbike or my mother out driving (her driving is appalling) – I feel sick, can’t concentrate until I know they are home and if the phone rings when they are out I have already convinced myself they have been involved in an accident. These are just things that worry/frighten me, everyone has those so I wouldn’t ever say I suffer from anxiety or have anxiety.

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  7. Wow, you described anxiety perfectly. It is indeed a feeling. It’s not worry about a bad grade or decision at work, it’s not fear that something bad might happen if you mess up or don’t do what someone wants. Those have reasons attached to them that you can control. Anxiety just happens.
    For me, anxiety is that worry or fear for no reason. It just is and if I could correct it, if I could study more to get good grades, learn better about my work expectations, talk things over with parents, children, or spouse so we’re all together on things, I could and would. But you can’t. There’s nothing to fix. It just is. Fortunately for me it is the exception rather than the norm.
    Once I had medication and it helped in that it made the rare anxious event extremely rare. But it also made the rest of life dull, sort of blunted. Everything was OK but there were no spectacular highs. It was like living where there aren’t any seasons. How can you enjoy a fabulous if you never see a gray sky. So instead, when I do get the rare helpless feeling I sit and brood for as long as it takes me to recognize that I did nothing to bring this on and then instead of just hoping it will pass, I find something to do that I know I can do successfully but requires some thought and attention to do so. Write something, play the piano, work a puzzle. I don’t try to control it, I override it. So, that’s what works for me.
    Great post. Thank you for sharing and good luck.

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    1. That was a great explanation of how medication made you feel, thank you. I like the idea of doing something that requires focus, almost to distract from the feeling. I tend to do things like that too, usually baking, or drawing, or something like that. Like you, it tends to be something that keeps my hands busy!

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  8. Thankfully my anxiety has been little to none over the last couple of months. I feel like I fought it head on and have finally taken control over it.

    I took medication for about a year and I truly feel it made things a million times worse when it was all said and done, thank God I decided to get off of it. When you said, “It feels like my mind is either at 0 or at 100; either blank with panic, or piling worry on top of worry on top of worry until I can’t see over the top to the horizon of normality.” That was pretty spot on. When my anxiety does surface, my brain either quits working all together or goes into overdrive. I stutter really bad and have the hardest time forming sentences. I have nervous ticks with my hands and pick at the skin around my finger (horrible I know).

    Like I said, my anxiety has virtually disappeared in the last few months. Not sure how, but don’t really care why. I’ve tried really hard to make sure I don’t put myself in situations where it would usually occur and I have tried facing my fears head on. I think that has helped the most!

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    1. That’s great to hear! I’m happy for you, and I’m also very proud of you, because facing your fears head on is no easy feat and you honestly make it sound easy, even though I know it’s not!

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      1. Thanks Quinn!! I’ve just been so tired of not having control over my body or my emotions. Not that I have “control” now, but I am beating this thing! I just made a conscious decision to say enough is enough and I refuse to live like this anymore and I refuse to be on medicine that is harmful to mybody.

        You may think this sounds weird, but I truly battled my fears, on my own terms and in a way that made me feel like I COULD win. For example, my biggest fears (out of many) are; the dark, getting burned or fire that I cannot control, lakes or any dark water I cannot see through, being alone (like physcially), spiders or any bug that crawls or slithers or comes at me without being invited.

        For the dark: I have made myself walk to my moms house (which is about 50 yards away) with a flashlight and no one with me many times this year. I know this sounds so sad, but normally I would make someone else go for whatever reason I needed or would make someone go with me.

        For lakes: I am taking it in strides, but I have gotten into two lakes this year and spent over an hour in them each time, knee deep, but in them. Normally I would not even put a toe in.

        Fire: I cooked bacon for the very first time in my life a couple of months ago. Again, I know this sounds crazy, but I have always been insanely scared to even be in the kitchen when someone is cooking with grease. I cooked it by myself! On a super low heat, but I did it!

        Being alone: I honestly haven’t had a ton of opportunities with this one. But in the moments I have, I just pray and ask God to protect me and take my fears away and I continue to pray until I feel calm.

        Last, bugs: I’m just taking these suckers head on. Don’t get me wrong, still afraid of them. But instead of screaming and running in the opposite direction, I try to do whatever it is that needs to be done in the moment and move on.

        Sorry this is so long, but I say all this to say. I really think this has made a difference with my anxiety. I’m not sure how it’s all working, but it’s making a big impact on me metally and I am going to keep pressing forward because anxiety sucks and I don’t want that crap in my life!

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      2. That is really brave of you!! I hope you have a fire blanket and fire extinguisher to make you feel a little safer, and I hope that short walk in the dark is a safe one! I liked reading about these, made me wonder about how I could do something similar, although my fears are much less tangible, like catastrophe thinking; like, thinking that because things have been so good for so long something terrible must be around the corner….. as an example! Not sure how to grab that bull by the horns….. 🤔

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      3. Thanks Quinn! I laughed when I read this because I don’t have a fire extinguisher or a blanket and it actually sounds like a good idea! ha!

        I used to have fears over things like that, but I just learned that I seriously have NO control over things like that. Not that I have any more control over what is in the dark or whether I catch on fire or not. But it’s the rationality behind it all. I’ve always said I have an overactive imagination and when it comes to my fears, that is what is happening. My fears are completely rational and capable of happening, but what are the odds? My answer to that has always been, I AM that one in a million, or at least I like to think so 😉

        The point is you can take control of those fears, but choosing to believe that you are going to be okay in spite of them coming true. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t, maybe things stay exactly the way that they are today. But will you survive in any of those scenarios? No matter how terrible one of them may be, will you still be Quinn?

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      4. Yeah, that’s what a tiny part of my brain keeps telling me but the panicking part is so loud sometimes it gets drowned out in the moment! 🙄 Will have to work on entering myself and reminding myself of that. If the worst comes to pass, I’m still me. Thanks Kristen!!!

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  10. Pingback: Okay, Let’s Talk about Anxiety — When Do I Get The Manual? — С любовью к людям!

  11. Sorry that you are also dealing with anxiety, it truly is difficult. I have tried medication before and recently started again to help out. I have a handful of other techniques that usually work, but sometimes it goes beyond what I can control on my own

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    1. Yes, I have reached the borderline of being able to manage it, and just about avoided going over the edge, but if I reach that point I have no qualms about trying anything that will help get me back on an even keel.

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  12. This was a great topic to share and I love the way you were able to describe how it feels! I have troubles with anxiety and I have worked in mental health. Describing and sharing are so difficult.

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    1. Thank you, it’s a bit of an awkward one to share because I’m painfully aware that for people who don’t experience it, it sounds bananas! It is what it is though…

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  13. I’ve never considered myself as a person who suffers from anxiety. I don’t think I hit that extreme on the spectrum — And after reading how anxiety makes you feel, I can definitely say I don’t get that feeling. Do certain things make me anxious at times? Definitely. When I get anxious, I usually run until I wear myself out. Otherwise, my mind will continue to wander, and I’ll make myself sick.

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    1. Running seems to be a common coping mechanism for nerves and stress! I wish my knee would cooperate! I may need to just strengthen it before I can take up running for real…

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  14. I think there’s a difference between just being nervous and having anxiety, and I think some people who say they may have anxiety may just be nervous? That was me when I was younger, it was just me being nervous about things. I started dealing with anxiety around the time of my 22nd birthday and I continue to deal with it now. It’s a feeling for me as well I think, I can’t explain, it comes from intrusive, irrational and negative thoughts which lead me to overthink way too much! I kept on going to the doctor a lot during that time thinking I had all these different illnesses, she gave me some medication but I stopped it maybe after two weeks as I too got worried about side effects. It comes due to a number of reasons now, right now I’m anxious that I won’t ever be able to find a job. How do I cope? I rationalize with myself, I know I have experience and I know I’m not just sitting here waiting for a job, I know it will come eventually I just have to be patient.

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  15. Thanks for the post! I feel like I’m still trying to figure out If I actually get anxiety or if it’s just really bad nerves. The difference is sometimes hard to see. I know I just get nervous some times, but I think I get slight social anxiety as well. As I’ve gotten older dealing with social situations has gotten a lot harder. Right now I’m in the midst of figuring out how to manage it. Stepping outside my comfort zone is something I don’t often like doing, but I try and and force myself to do things I wouldn’t otherwise do.

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    1. The difference is hard to see, particularly if you have social anxiety as well because the social anxiety is far more low-level deep discomfort than what I would refer to as actual anxiety. “As I’ve gotten older dealing with social situations has gotten a lot harder.” This is me as well – if you figure it out let me know! I know I need to push through it and force myself like you said but it’s so difficult when making plans feels terrifying. I mean, what could go wrong? Probably nothing. AND YET!

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  16. I used to have strong anxiety and would get a stomach ache, headache or feel distracted for no reason (and every reason). After many years, I decided that it was not worth it anymore. I made every effort to quell the anxiety — I took some meds, I ramped up my therapy, and I finally decided that I needed to stop worrying. I took up meditation and more yoga. My anxiety has since ebbed and flowed, and I now ask myself: is worry going to help the situation? Ninety-nine percent of the time, the answer is no.

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    1. Therapy has definitely helped me in the past, and I think regular yoga would also help because focusing completely on what my body is doing is almost a form of meditation. I should try find some classes…

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    2. Problem is, worrying is an extension of thinking and many times thinking about a problem leads to finding a solution. You might even say worrying is the evil twin of thinking. Separating the two and minimizing the EXCESSIVE, REPEATING, DESTRUCTIVE thinking is obviously the trick – if you can pull it off.

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  18. I’m with you on this – I think the meaning of anxiety is different for everyone, but to use it for nervousness or worry takes away from the severity of actual medical anxiety. I’m better now, but there was a brief period in my life when i lived in London that I feel I had true anxiety attacks. It would tend to happen either while riding the tube or at home. I would suddenly be gripped by an inexplicable feeling of foreboding and start struggling to breathe, feeling faint and getting heart palpitations. At its worst, there was one night where I couldn’t stop my whole body from physically shaking. It didn’t feel like it was associated with stress or any real threat, but I stopped having the attacks when I got a new flat and a new job – I just wish there was a solution for everyone.

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    1. I’ve only had two anxiety attacks/panic attacks in my life and that was enough for me! If I never have one again it will be too soon! I’m glad the new job and the new flat seemed to kick it for you. It’s not nice wondering when your body is about to rebel against you!

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  19. What brings on my anxiety? My anxiety. That’s it. There’s no trigger. Sometimes I simply go through a period where I feel like I’m on a bike without brakes (I did that once when I was 8 because the older kids suggested it- yes, I felt like I was going to die. I’m lucky I didn’t). My periods of anxiety comes without warning and they go away almost as quickly – just a little hangover to shake. I was medication resistant for years, but when I started taking meds, I felt *more* like myself rather than less. BTW, ANXIETY is a fantastic scrabble word: clever, descent points and you cleared your rack. Well done.

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    1. I’m glad to hear about positive meds experiences! Thanks Jeff. Also, maybe don’t ride any more bikes without brakes. I mean, I know you’re older and wiser now but just… putting it out there! The thought alone is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat!

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  21. Great post! I’ve had anxiety since I was about 10 my doctor gave me medication but I never took it because I had anxiety about taking medication.. crazy right? Well I’m now 23 and have learned to kind of control my anxiety and still don’t take meds. The only time my anxiety overtook my mind was when I was pregnant, I had the worst anxiety where I pretty much only felt ok and safe when I was at home doing nothing. Anxiety sucks but I’m thankful I have learned to over come it on my own. Best of luck!

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  22. I think feeling anxious and having anxiety are similar yet very different and until you have experienced true anxiety, I think it is difficult for people to really get the difference. Have had it as part of my life for around 15 years and it really is part of my life, It’s there on a daily basis in some form of another. It ranges from mild to full blown head exploding level and some days I manage it better than others. No drugs for me either, instead I spent years trying to analyse or ignore it. Now am working on mindfulness and accepting it rather than trying to distract myself from it. Finally seems to be working…some of the time….

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    1. I find mindfulness to be really helpful but MUCH harder to put into practice than it sounds… I’m glad it’s starting to work for you!

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  23. My favourite one is when people say “haha, oh, I’m a bit OCD!” – I always feel like saying “what, because you like having a vaguely tidy kitchen? Because you like to straighten cushions on the sofa? OCD is when you have to take the iron to work because it’s the only way you can be certain you didn’t leave it on, or when you scrub your hands so much they bleed because you got a bit of muck on them. That’s OCD. What you have is a condition known as ‘being a fussy bastard syndrome’. I’m awfully sorry, but there’s no cure for FBS…”

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  24. I loved the way you described feeling because I’ve always felt like words can’t really describe what I go through every day. my anxiety doesn’t come in the form of attacks but rather a more constant feeling that makes everything so heavy like I’m trying to walk through water or sand and everyone around me is just flying forward. Like I’m in this bubble and no one can really reach inside and get me. so every once in a while I’ll read or hear something like this and my bubble will expand a little more and I’ll add another voice inside there and feel a little less alone.
    Thank you

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    2. I used to have a constantly reoccurring dream as a child that I was trapped inside a bubble that, contrastingly and almost mockingly, was floating free inside another huge, gi-normous bubble. I may just be beginning to grasp the meaning of it all only now.

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  25. I agree wholeheartedly on the fact where you said people who talk about anxiety make you feel alone. Everyone has anxiety. Personally I believe that life experience diminishes anxiety in some facets that aren’t major. I get anxiety over stupid reasons, like going to a new job or anything in the unknown. Fears cause anxiety. I’m not well educated on the matter and I think a lot of people prescribing pills to combat it aren’t either because the information on it is lacking. Ive had anxiety a lot through my life and it always happens whenever Im going through something alone. If there is another or a group of people going through the same thing, its gone. Its a tough concept to understand and I don’t believe medicine is the answer, have to naturally overcome it in our own ways

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  26. Hi Quinn..i read your post on Anxiety and it was really good one.i have myself taken medication for a short while as my eyes would remain wide open throughout the night i couldn’t sleep.Hmmm i am better and trying to fight my fears.The best thing is to focus your energies on doing something productive.It really helps..Do visit my blog: my last post was On similar lines. U would like to read it.

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  27. You’re so right, there’s a difference between actual anxiety and feeling healthy nerves or appreciation about something. For me Anxiety feels like prickly burning skin and a ball of fire that wants to burst out of my chest, or like I’m moments away from a panic attack that never quite happens. Meditation and chamomile and Lavender oil help me drive it away 😊

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  28. I guess feeling anxious and having anxiety are two different things that people usually gets wrong. But you never know what people are going through either so it’s hard to say for sure what they really are feeling.
    For me the anxiety was probably always linked to my depression, so it was always a mess of feelings. Ugh, just remembering it makes me feel sick. During high school and college I had to leave earlier a few times because I wouldn’t be able to breathe, I would get dizzy, I would feel like crying, my mind started wandering in circles and everything got blurred. Normally I wanted to get away as fast as possible but also felt nervous about being alone. It was such a desperation, a deep feeling of anguish and wrongness. Bad days, bad days.
    Both my depression and anxiety got a LOT better when I started taking meds. It was such a change, such a good thing for me. As someone said in the comments, I started to feel more like my true self. More positive, more motivated, more able to deal with problems. I had absolutely no side effect. I believe that the biggest problem with taking meds is that someone can take one that is not the right one for them, and instead of going back and talking to their doctor and changing it, people normally just gives up.
    But I still have the bad days from time to time so I always make tea and try to do something with my hands, anything. I find that cooking, for example, is very calming and gives me a sense of accomplishment that puts my mind at ease

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing this, I agree with the idea of switching meds, I suppose it’s a lot like how people talk about counseling not helping when the problem is they didn’t click with their counselor. Thanks, seriously.

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  29. I am so glad I stumbled across this blog post. Thank you so much for speaking a truth and sharing light in this area. I also feel that Anxiety is over used and over played in today’s culture. If people were to put their phones down and have normal interaction with other human beings and not iPhone screens there would be way less “anxiety”.
    My thoughts are is that anxiety is a biological thing. It is not something that we can control really. It happens when we least expect it and it is truly crippling to our being.
    What anxiety feels like for me is disassociation, light headedness, confusion, pins and needles in my head. The funny thing is, is that the “fear” part of it doesn’t hit until after the physical symptoms hit. This is why I say it is biological. It is real, and can stop you right in your tracks.
    Thank you again for sharing your thoughts on this matter!

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  30. Oh HI There. Again, same.

    My doctors tell me it is important to distinguish an “anxious personality” (where anxious is similar to “laid-back” or “type A” or “courageous” or “quiet” or any other adjective. It means a theme that is noticeable without causing serious disruption to one’s life) from “anxiety disorder” which is a medical disorder, as per the medical discipline of Psychiatry. And like all mental health issues, any issue exists on a continuum – we all display traces of almost any condition. But there comes a point where it stops being manageable, and causes a person harm. I frequently get my 4 and A confused, and tend to invert my 3 and 8s. Did that sometimes cause me to lose marks in tests at school? Yes. Did I ever fall behind in my schooling because of my brain’s tendency to make those mistakes? No. Do I have dyslexia? No. I frequently have sadness. Has it resulted in episodes that put my livelihood at risk, completely ruined relationships, go on despite me removing the external stressors that could cause the sadness? Yes. I have depression. Am I loud, easily annoyed and irritated, prone to hyperbole, speak my mind, with the result that my bluntness offends ppl? Yes. Has my tendency to react with irritation/anger ever resulted in a reaction that has caused myself, or others harm (assault, getting fired, unforgivable words)? No. Do I have an anger mgmt problem? No. Am I angry? Yes. I am prone to reacting with anxiety, but to the extent i learn coping techniques, and explore the underlying emotional triggers, my anxiety is manageable.

    I think we all get triggered by similar things – feelings of inadequacy or of loss of control. And the extent to which we struggle with tolerating those feelings, is the extent to which we feel anxiety. The extent to which our anxious reaction is manageable or not, no matter how many healthy coping mechanisms we throw at it or learn is the extent to which our anxiety stops being a personality trait and becomes a condition worth treating more aggressively.

    My therapist told me that anxiety and or depression should always be treated by a combination of 2 out of the following 3: therapy, exercise and meds. 1 alone is not enough, 3 might be overkill depending on the severity of the condition, and 2 is always a sweet spot. The combo depends on the patient. Me? Therapy and never going 48 hours without moving 30-60 minutes. I don’t necessarily need to do intense exercise – walking outdoors is one of THE most useful coping techniques ever – but I must move. Ever since I viewed that requirement (48 hours max btn moving sessions), my life has completely changed.

    Good luck little duck! Quack!

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  31. Oh my gosh, in the past EVERYTHING. I was a nervous wreck for years and I am sad for those years. But now – anything about my little one (colds,coughs,bumped heads) but I can fully control it now and channel it to cope with pretty much anything you throw at me. I’ve basically ‘superheroed’ my anxiety. It never gets the best of me anymore .
    Thank you so much for this. You’ve gained a follower 😊

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  32. Just concluded reading Quinn’s post plus all 75 comments. This is the best discussion on the internet about anxiety bar none! SO worth reading EVERY word. Well done to everyone who contributed and obviously to Quinn who kick-started and hosted the whole thing.

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