Santa can't help anybody "overcome" anxiety
Lately I’ve been reading a lot about “overcoming anxiety.” I’m here to say something loud and clear and I want people to know the truth. I’ve suffered from anxiety my entire life, and in 50-some years, one thing I know to be true is that there is no overcoming anxiety.
A Santa who will take away anxiety is just not real.
I have the feeling that my fellow sufferers already know this and will back me up. Because if you’ve grappled with anxiety your entire life like I have, you know there’s just no curing it. Maybe it’s the rest of the world who thinks we need to “overcome it.” So let me tell you – to find some peace with lifelong anxiety, we have to accept that it’s here and it’s not going anywhere.
However, that doesn’t mean there’s no hope.
Today, I know from experience that we can manage anxiety. It is absolutely possible. I speak after decades of trying to overcome it, manage it, make it go away. I’ve tried a lot of methods to deal with anxiety: drinking, stealing, music, exercise, meditation, moving, starting businesses, helping others, running away, fixing and building, driving fast vehicles. Finally, today, I have found the key that works for me.
Proper medication was the lynch pin.
I add in daily hiking, time with family, eating well and doing things I enjoy. I drink a whole lot less alcohol. I make sure I get proper sleep. I focus on the positive and gratitude.
With proper medication as the key, and all the other ingredients, my anxiety is properly managed today.
But let me tell you – it’s still here. It comes and goes throughout a day. Some days are easier than others. Most nights are pretty good – which is a miracle for me, after struggling with sleep for decades.
Maybe who I really want to tell are the friends and family and co-workers of people who suffer anxiety: Anxiety doesn’t go away. It can be triggered. It’s a constant companion for us. It’s with us all the time. Keep that in mind, especially at this time of year, when all the holiday events can weigh on all of us. If we’re having a particularly bad time, it may very well be because we’re battling anxiety within our skin and bones. It’s a battle no one should have to wage alone.
Next up: I'll give my top list of ways to handle holiday events if you struggle with anxiety.