"Dear 1 in 5,
I won't lie to you. This week has been one of those weeks where my smile stayed hidden. Those anxious ruminating thoughts of self loathing appeared, wrapping their hands around my throat. Disgust for myself seeped from my pores, puddling around me, daring anyone to come close and soak it up. You see, anxiety has a way of ripping my joy from my body, clouding my eyes and my heart from a whole world of things including gratefulness and humility.
When anxiety has me, I am not ME. I live in a panicked world of self pity, with no peripheral vision. But would you believe me if I told you that the darkness lifts? Our minds are powerful — we don't always have control, but we can always choose to fight that chemistry.
Maybe that means considering medication. Maybe it means exploring therapy. Maybe it means reading inspirational messages and leaning on our friends and family. We are more than our mental hurdles, and we CAN thrive."
