Tag: anxiety

Stepping into Unknown Kathy Ha anxiety

Stepping into the Unknown

By Kathy Ha | Featured Contributor


Overthinking and overanalyzing is a common problem with anxiety sufferers. The mind likes to run in endless loops of worthless conjecture, questioning, dissecting and criticizing every decision and response. It becomes a hardwired obsessive behavior that leaves the person physically exhausted and emotionally drained. Without intervention and retraining of the mind, life can feel like an insurmountable hurdle.

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coping with anxiety and depression mental health story

Battling Anxiety & Depression: Abigail’s Story

By Abigail A. | Featured Contributor


Anxiety. One word, four syllables—but carries such a heavy load for millions of people across the globe. Anxiety is defined as ā€œan emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes.ā€ As a young girl, I have always known that something didn’t feel quite right when: a) I felt faint whenever it came to public speaking, b) I hated the thought of confrontation, and c) I always felt nervous when it came to being around a group of people, etc. I never knew what it was until 20 something years later when my doctor diagnosed me with generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder, aka GAD & SAD. I finally had a name for what I was feeling all these years as a child/teenager and into adulthood. Numerous factors contributed to me developing anxiety. However, in my early twenties, I battled severe depression, and If I ever lost all hope in life, it was those 5 years because those were my darkest mental days. As the saying goes, I wish that on no one because it was a very scary place to be in.

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kathy ha anxiety poem

Anxiety & Me [a poem]

By Kathy Ha | Featured Contributor


Does it ever end?
I’m tired of the inner turmoil
I’m tired of being anxious
the rollercoaster ride of emotions
swirling and churning within
old scars reopen
past nightmares haunt
doubt invades, fear paralyses
silent screams that no one hears
I keep building my wall
uninviting, tall and proud
but the faƧade is brittle
weathered by the years
I’m lost in despair
unsure of who I am
uncertain of how to change
afraid of the road ahead

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lance merrick anxiety poem

I’m Calming Myself Down [a poem]

By Lance Merrick | Featured Contributor


Author’s Note: This poem is a mindfulness exercise that I use to help calm anxiety.

***

Feeling the room surround me
Testing each of my senses
Tasting sweet peppermint candy
Touching my feet to the ground
Seeing blue skies out my window
Hearing passing cars,
the bathroom fan,
My deep breathes and
the crunch of peppermint candy.

It takes about an hour to come around.
I’m calming myself down.

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