In honor of World Mental Health, please enjoy a guest post brought to you by Johnzelle Anderson, therapist, and writer with a passion for helping young people through life’s challenges. Johnzelle will identify some areas of life that deplete our energy and how we can protect it in a world that’s always on the go.
I hate to say it, but I am a party pooper. Not for your parties, my own. Social anxiety affects many facets of my life; it does not take a break on my birthday.
“I appreciate you, my love. I appreciate that you allow your texts to go unanswered for weeks at a time. I appreciate you giving me space when I feel the walls are closing in on me. I appreciate you forcing your way into my mind when I have been quiet for too long. And I appreciate your reassuring hand when my thoughts tell me to push you away and my actions carry out this order accordingly.”
“Have you ever been depressed?” 32,000 feet in the air, my mom turned to me, clear-eyed and interested, and asked me this question.
I thought to myself she doesn’t know? Well, of course, she doesn’t. I don’t exactly broadcast my mental health the way I should. Staring out the plane window, I took a deep breath and responded plainly with “yes.”
In the seventh installment of Awkward, Anxious, and Average, Jayla is dreading celebrating the New Year.
Everyday noises can send a searing pain through my head and neck, increase my anxiety, or make me incredibly irritable. It is not a fun experience. I knew going to this concert would be a challenge but my excitement and forgetfulness overshadowed my need to be prepared.
On this day last year, I was in a car accident. Just thinking about it now makes my head hurt. Despite all that, I did gain some valuable perspective that day.
