Anxiety Is Strong Enough To Break You, But You Are Strong Enough To Stop It

“Anxiety is a constant state of worrying and panicking and being on the edge. It’s irrational fears. It’s thinking too much, it’s caring too much. Because the root of people with anxiety is caring.”

— Kirsten Corley, thoughtcatalog.com

“If I’m not thinking about work, I’m probably thinking about made up scenarios that have no truth.”

— Kayla Bindus, thoughtcatalog.com

“Some people rarely venture outside of their comfort zone — but she’s outside of her comfort zone every damn day. She’s either worried about what to say or what to wear or where to park. She’s never relaxed. She’s always on edge. That’s why she’s always learning. Always growing. Every second of every…”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“Sometimes, anxiety can be so debilitating, that you can’t muster enough energy to go out. No matter how excited you were for the event beforehand, when the day actually comes and your anxiety is in full force, you say no.”

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, thoughtcatalog.com

“We may seem shady or wishy washy because we make plans and break them when anxiety hits. We aren’t trying to be a bad friend, we just physically and mentally can’t do it. We want to hang out with you and go on adventures, but our anxiety doesn’t always allow us to do that.”

— Myka Shantell, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety makes you ask what if questions. What if my friends don’t like me today, what if I look fat in this outfit, what if I get sick, what if I can’t focus.”

— Carly Riegler, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is being disconnected from the present moment, other people, or yourself.”

— Brianna Wiest, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is the voice in your head that tells you that you’re acting like an asshole even though you really aren’t and that everyone else thinks you’re an asshole even though they probably don’t.”

— Adam Benedict Tan, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is drowning. It can look and feel different in everyone, but there’s one shared commonality. It sucks.”

— Kris Miller, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is feeling completely at fault when prioritizing yourself. It is the undeserving feeling of guilt you get when you treat yourself.”

— Adam Benedict Tan, thoughtcatalog.com

“I am not being emotional for no reason. My anxiety likes to trick me into worrying about many problems, mainly the illogical ones. At times it will feel as if I am drowning in my emotions, but at other times it will feel as if I am sitting in a desert, void of any feelings at all.”

— Stefanie Manzi, thoughtcatalog.com

“You are not wrong for feeling anxious or having a panic attack. You are not crazy for having racing thoughts or feeling like your heart is going to explode. It happens to a lot of people.”

— Kate Dolan, thoughtcatalog.com

“What’s so important to know is that the anxiety you experience is not your fault. You didn’t cause this. You did nothing so horrible as for the universe to force this on you as a punishment.”

— Nicole Vetrano, thoughtcatalog.com

“Having no control over your own mind, your thoughts, your worries is scary. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world, especially when everything could be perfectly fine, but your mind tricks you into believing everything’s so wrong.”

— Hayley Greenwood, thoughtcatalog.com

“I am a woman, a daughter, a classmate and a friend. I have a generalized anxiety disorder but I also have enduring resilience and strength.”

— Ailish Gannon, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is controlling and can be life ruining. But she has not given up.”

— Isabelle Adler, thoughtcatalog.com

“Nail biting. Foot tapping. Hair twirling. These small signs of nervousness may sound familiar for someone who has social anxiety.”

— Sarah Schuster, thoughtcatalog.com

“As much as I hate all of the things that go on because of my anxiety, I have learned so much about who I am. I am strong. I am capable of overcoming. I am loved. I am confident in those statements because of my anxiety and the toll that it takes on me.”

— Kayla Bindus, thoughtcatalog.com

“You overthink everything. And by everything, I mean everything. From the words your partner says down to the food he orders on dates. Everything is a reason to dissect, overanalyze, and imagine every possible scenario.”

— Sofia De Jesus, thoughtcatalog.com

“They will never know what it feels like to second guess every word you say, to be extra cautious and always mentally prepared for something to go wrong. They won’t know how we’re always expecting the worst — from ourselves, and others.”

— Snigdha Chopra, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is the restless nights of sleep, as you toss and turn. It’s your brain never being able to shut off. It’s the thoughts you over-think before bedtime and all of your worst fears become a reality in dreams and nightmares. It’s waking up tired even though your day just started.”

— Kirsten Corley, thoughtcatalog.com

“She’s strong, because she shows up, even when she’s shaking. She speaks, even when it’s with a cracked voice. She keeps breathing, even when those breaths are shaky.”

— Holly Riordan, thoughtcatalog.com

“People underestimate what anxiety really is. You want to call those who overthink everything, or make up scenarios in their head crazy, but you don’t understand: those with anxiety can’t control it.”

— Hayley Greenwood, thoughtcatalog.com

“Whether anxiety is a frequent or seldom visitor, it has the power to leave you exhausted, scared, and paralyzed.”

— Kate Dolan, thoughtcatalog.com

“For as long as I can remember, I have always felt anxious in social settings. Whether that be in class or at parties, or even in just groups of more than three people, I just always feel uncomfortable, paranoid, and painfully awkward.”

— Krystal Naval, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is waking up with a pit in your stomach for no understandable reason. Anxiety is hiding and burying parts of yourself for fear someone, someone like you, won’t get it.”

— Kris Miller, thoughtcatalog.com

“We won’t always be able to tell you what we need or explain how we’re feeling. We may withdraw into our own world or go off the grid for a bit. We may overdo ourselves by going nonstop and hiding behind a smile.”

— Myka Shantell, thoughtcatalog.com

“Anxiety is the constant thought that says, ‘Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.'”

— Carly Riegler, thoughtcatalog.com

“The future is a huge trigger for you. You hate when people ask you what your plans are for the next five years, and it will cause you to retreat. Graduating from high school and college for most people is very exciting, but for you it can be incredibly daunting and scary. You hate when people talk a…”

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, thoughtcatalog.com

“People will judge you. Even the sincerest and most meaningful people will judge you at different times – even if they’re incredibly supportive and try their hardest. It’s a harsh fact but people judge what they don’t understand.”

— Carla Robinson, thoughtcatalog.com