I Thought Anxiety Was Normal

I'm just coming to terms with my diagnosis. I always believed anxiety was normal. I'd always check my plans for each day and make sure everything went according to plan. I was very rigid. I hated hearing "something came up". If things didn't go the way I planned, my thoughts spiraled, and more often than not, I suffered from a panic attack.

It took me a long time to accept that I suffer from anxiety, and that it was affecting the quality of my life. I assumed that because I could get through the day, it was impossible for me to have an anxiety disorder. This was my thought until I suffered from an extreme mental breakdown that left me hospitalized for weeks. I had to seek treatment, and that singular act is probably one of the best life decisions I've made. I not only attended therapy, but I was also taught breathing techniques and how to channel my anxiety into something physical. I'd say that the treatment also showed me the link between the body and the mind. I function better now than I've in my entire life.

Most people do not know the signs of failing mental health until they suffer an episode. And sometimes, when they know, they tend to keep it to themselves to avoid being ridiculed. I hope the stigma around mental health is lifted and more people seek professional help.

Priyanka Singh

India