1. You have a constant feeling of unease.
You literally never feel completely calm.
2. Your anxiety causes actual physical discomfort and pain.
Anxiety may be in your head, but it affects your body in so many ways. The tightness in your chest, the tenseness in your shoulders, the sick feeling in your stomach, the sensation of being uncomfortable in your own skin...
3. Which at its worst turns into a full-blown panic attack.
You’re just minding your own business, getting on with your day, and BAM your anxiety is all, "Remember me?! MWAHAHAHA!" Coz it's a bastard.
4. Your mind is constantly racing.
If your brain were a horse it would win EVERY damn race; it never slows down.
5. And you're always second-guessing yourself.
Should I have said that? Done that? THOUGHT that?!
6. Seriously you question EVERYTHING.
Literally every person, passion, interest, hate, love, animal, object, activity… if it exists, you worry about it and what it all MEANS.
7. You have zero ability to switch off.
Your brain is always going, overanalyzing and overthinking everything.
8. Feel like watching a funny movie? NOPE.
Sorry your brain wants you to worry about whether you’re destined to be forever alone.
9. Want to catch up on some sleep? NOPE.
HAHA what are you thinking, this is your brain’s prime time to annoy you.
10. Having an interesting conversation with a friend? NOPE.
Oops your brain would rather show you something embarrassing you did 10 years ago, suspending your ability to form a coherent sentence.
11. You get anxiety about anxiety.
Anything could be a potential trigger, so you spend your whole life on high alert guarding against anxiety spikes. Unfortunately, this means you spend a lot of time being anxious about being anxious.
12. You are never really ~in the moment~.
It’s hard to appreciate life right now when you’re always stressing about things that have happened in the past or that might happen in the future.
13. Trying to make a decision is excruciatingly painful.
WHAT IF YOU MAKE THE WRONG ONE?!?!?
14. And even when you make a decision you immediately worry if it was the right one.
I just don’t even know any more.
15. It takes forever for you to do anything because you’re frequently lost inside your own head.
Also you have to triple-check that the door is locked/the iron is off/the dog has been fed.
16. You're exhausted. All. The. Time.
Physically, mentally, emotionally. Anxiety is tiring yo.
17. You find yourself in the bizarre situation of not being able to trust your own brain.
Is that a true thought, or just the anxiety talking? BRAIN STOP TRYING TO TRICK ME.
18. Then you're faced with the difficult prospect of trying to combat your anxiety with the very thing that is causing it.
Oh hello BRAIN we meet again.
19. Well-meaning people try to help, but sometimes make it worse.
Yeah I know that thing I'm worrying about is not worth worrying about but knowing that does not stop my brain from worrying about it.
20. People who DON'T mean well make it a lot worse.
No, I’m not self-centred or lazy, thanks, I actually just have crippling anxiety.
21. You really worry about being a burden on the people you love.
You can barely stand yourself sometimes, so how can they put up with you?!
(That's your brain lying to you again.)
22. You want nothing more than to just stop worrying but you literally can't.
Is there an off switch on this thing?
23. You know there are things that could help your anxiety, but you feel anxious about trying them.
Meditation? My brain will be too loud and I won’t have anything to distract from the noise! Exercise? Everyone will be looking at me and judging me! Arrrrgghhhaahgahahgah…
24. Finally, there's the relief of being able to talk to someone about your worries and knowing they totally understand.
And you're not alone.