Anxious But Thankful

As Mental Health Awareness Week draws to a close and Thanksgiving dawns on us, I have been thinking quite a bit about both my anxiety/panic disorder and what I'm thankful for.

It's hard to be thankful for something that negatively effects me every day of my life. Why would anyone really be thankful of that?

However, there are things that I'm thankful for that revolve around my anxiety disorder.

I am thankful that I have a husband who will sit up with me at 1am while I pace around the house, rambling about silly worries if I wake up in the middle of a panic attack. I am thankful that I have sisters who will drop anything they're doing to help me work through a panic attack on the phone or in person. I am thankful that I have friends at work who will stand and stare out the window with me when I start to feel anxious at work. I am thankful that I have family and friends around me who have supported me through my darkest and worst moments and positively encouraged me to seek the help I need.

Mental Illness Awareness - what does it mean to me? It means being aware that mental illness likely effects people you know and you don't even know it. It means being aware and willing to help those around you if and when they need it. It means being aware that someone may need help with a mental illness before even they're aware they need help with a mental illness. It also means being aware of mental illness and removing your stigma around mental illness.

Be aware. And be thankful. I am.