To some extent, anxiety is an entirely logical response to being alive, and being a human among other humans.
When I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder in my 20s, this thought would have been helpful. To know that the way I responded to some ideas and possibilities was extreme, but it wasn’t unusual or illogical. However, that was not how I saw things. I decided that I was a dog, my anxiety was fireworks, and every night was Bonfire Night.
“Sorry, I can’t, I have anxiety,” was a brilliant excuse. At the time, I meant it. My anxiety felt overwhelming and debilitating. The thoughts in my head were.. [read more]