FYI – This is a short piece I had written for something else, but it wasn’t used so I thought I would share it on the blog instead. Hope you find it useful!

I have lived with anxiety for as long as I can remember, in fact I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t having anxiety induced moments. It’s a part of me, it’s in my being like a disgruntled customer complaining down the phone – I can’t make it shift no matter how hard I try. Even so I have learnt to live with my doubting mind, my fear of social situations and my absolute hate of all eyes on me scenarios. I have learnt for the most part to live through the tough times because they will pass and I will survive, but more than that I have accepted myself for who I am anxiety and all.

However whilst for the most part I have found a way of accepting my situation, it’s not always my perceptions that are the problem; it’s everyone else’s. Some people choose to avoid my mental health issues and shut me down like they can’t see the enormous elephant in the room. Whereas others hone in on them determined they know better than I do about my own mind and feelings. At times I falter caving into everyone else’s demands on how I should be in life whilst making myself suffer in the process, but there are times when I also have the strength to stay true to myself; I’m the person who knows me better than anyone else after all.

The truth is that whilst mental health is more at the forefront in society than ever before, there are still people who struggle with the concept. Anxiety shouldn’t be an elephant in the room, a secret hidden behind closed doors or a monster under the bed. It is a mental health condition yes, but it is also a liveable condition that with a little bit of learning can be understood by others.

The biggest tip I would give in getting other people to understand your mental health, is to open up the dialogue and get them to ask. Misconceptions stem from a lack of knowledge on a subject so share your experiences and let people into your world for them to truly understand it. Even if people still walk away none the wiser it doesn’t matter because you have still spoken your truth and with mental health that can only be beneficial; as they say it is good to talk.