Anxiety is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far
-Jodi Picoult
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), was recognized as a diagnostic category under the third edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, when anxiety neurosis was split into GAD and panic disorder.
Anxiety is the mind and body’s reaction to stressful, dangerous or unfamiliar situations. It’s a sense of uneasiness, distress or dread you feel before a significant event. A certain level of anxiety helps us stay alert and aware, but for those suffering from an anxiety disorder, it can feel far from what you may consider “normal”, it can be completely debilitating.
When it comes to anxiety, there is no “one size fits all” description of what it looks or feels like. However, Society tends to cage the meaning of anxiety into a neat little box and unofficially sets on a definition for this experience, which honestly cannot be further from the truth.
When the different experiences we each have with anxiety are acknowledged, the ability for each of us to cope in a way that’s most helpful for us becomes that much more attainable.
After thorough research, I found many have been belittled with the same nonsensical belief that their disorder is an “excuse”, particularly not as bad as they make it seem, because "everyone feels anxious when they’re stressed”.Over the years, the word anxiety has been thrown around loosely. Often generalized as stress, the real meaning of anxiety continues to be lost in translation. Without firsthand experience, the impact this disorder has on a person’s life is difficult to comprehend.
Corrie Ted boom once said, “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength”. Living with anxiety is strenuous and extremely exhausting. We need to be educated appropriately on this topic so we can be of help to those around us, who’re in turn, suffering.
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