Recently, I was in the midst of a conversation with a
friend on a completely unrelated topic, when something struck me – people who
suffer from anxiety are some of the bravest people in the world.
Why this thought popped into my head when we were
discussing something else entirely, I have no idea, but I digress; the point
is, I do believe exactly that!
Why?
Because people who suffer from anxiety face their biggest
fears daily.
Think about it. When someone is afraid of heights and
they decide to face that fear by going skydiving, what happens? We all applaud
them for their bravery.
Or when someone confronts an attacker in a dangerous
robbery. Aren’t we amazed at how incredibly brave that person is?
Well, a person with anxiety does those things every day.
Anxiety is their skydiving.
Anxiety is their dangerous attacker.
If you are someone who has never experienced anxiety (and
I’m not talking about being nervous, or having butterflies in your tummy), I
mean real anxiety, you are probably thinking ‘Yeah sure, okay!’ But if you are
an anxiety sufferer, you will know exactly where I’m coming from with this
train of thought.
The thing is, when you suffer anxiety, no one pats you on
the back and says, ‘Hey, you’re brave. Good job!’ Instead, people say, ‘Umm,
get over it!’ That’s the difference.
I’m not saying every person with anxiety should get some
sort of parade. I’m just providing some food for thought and a reminder that
compassion goes a long way.
What are your thoughts? Do you suffer anxiety and have to fight your fears every day? Also, what helps you to cope? For me, spending time with animals and looking after my plant-kids has a calming effect. I’d love to hear what works for you x