What I learned about anxiety
Published: 2022-05-31 02:20:05

Last year I spoke at work about what I've learned about anxiety and I'd like to share with you how I've advanced with this journey of therapy and medication.  First of all I want to tell you that I am not a mental health professional and what I share here is my experience and my hacks to survive.  

I am also encouraged to do this article because I see that many people say they have anxiety but sometimes it is not true. They use it as a fashion. Having anxiety is horrible.

But let's get right to the point:

3 years ago I started living with roommates. Those who have lived with roommates know that sometimes it is difficult. At that time I tried to have a lot of control over the house cleaning, laundry, organization and so on. There were times when I felt rushed.

And well, then came the pandemic and my desire to control things was even greater, plus the people I lived with were paranoid about COVID-19 and they only talked about how many people died a day. At that time I was already taking therapy and I was getting better, but my fear of going out was increasing, and I was cleaning and disinfecting. I was completely locked up for many months.

## What does anxiety feel like?

- Headache
- Tingling in hands and body
- Despair
- Anxiety
- Excessive worry

Worry was constant in me and I made small problems very big. Every thing made me desperate, I felt rushed at all times even if there was no one to rush me.

What situations happened?

- I cried every day for no reason.
- I started having suicidal thoughts.
- I had no energy, no energy to do anything.
- I began to isolate myself completely, I rarely went out with my friends.

When these situations began to be more recurrent, I understood that what was happening was no longer in my control and that I needed more help. My therapist always told me "If you want I recommend a psychiatrist". I always ignored her, until one day she spoke to me clearly and told me "The episodes will not decrease. On the contrary, they will increase".

##How did I make the decision to go to a psychiatrist?

What was happening was no longer in my control. I needed more help.

And since then I started a psychiatric treatment that has allowed me to regulate my thoughts and be better every day. Of course, there are difficult days, while others are great. 

During the process I have had a great support network of friends, family, my work team and people from tech communities. Taking care of my mental health has not been easy. 

## What has changed?

I stopped participating in events, volunteering and talks. I know that today my mental health needs all my energy and I have to be here for me. Today, Super Gabs can't handle it all, and it's okay to let go.

If you made it to the end of the article, I want to share with you some of the tasks I do to get better.

When I feel overwhelmed by an issue at home, work, payments or some activity that is important I write them in my reminders or in a to-do list in Notion. This allows my mind to be more free.

I love to write. I keep my therapy journal where I write down how I feel. This has helped me a lot because I have identified when a situation bothers me because it is repeating itself in my notes.

- Taking therapy.
- Following my psychiatric treatment.
- Meditating.
- Doing activities that make me feel good, such as walking, dancing, listening to music, and cooking.

Finally, I want to tell you that you are not alone. There are thousands of people like us who are struggling to be well. If you need to talk to someone, write to me.

A :gift:

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