As it's Mental Health Awareness week I wanted to do a week of posts based around anxiety. In the UK 1 in 6 young people suffer from anxiety, whether that comes in the form of OCD, worry, stress, panic attacks, shyness or social anxiety. This means that up to 5 people in a class are sufferers (stats from Anxiety UK). I myself sufferer from anxiety I know first hand what it's like to have so much going on in your head but not being able to express to people how you feel or why you feel that way. From this I thought I'd share the things I'd like my people/friends/family to know about my anxiety:

- I never know when anxiety is going to hit me, so when it does I just need you to be supportive.

- I don't mean to or actually realise that I'm isolating myself from everything and everyone. 

- Don't always trust me when I tell you 'I'm fine'. There is so much going on in my mind that I don't know how to express in words. 

- Just having you there to remind me to breathe is all the support I need when I'm having an anxiety attack. 

- Everything might seem perfect to you, but I'm just waiting for the worst to happen

- I'm not ignoring you, there's just so much going on in my head I can't keep up with everything going on in my head. 

- Everything in my head can change in a matter of seconds. 

- Don't shut me out, please.

- I need you to reach out to me, because I still care but I sometimes need reminding that you do to.

- I want to talk to you, I just don't want to admit to you that my life is a mess. 

- Don't take it personally when I don't want to make plans, normal everyday things are a huge deal to me

- I need you to understand that sometimes I need to be left alone, it's not that I want to be left alone. 

- I do want to go out, but my safe place is at home and anxiety lives outside that comfort zone. 

- I really am sorry. Sorry that my anxiety affects you, sorry for all the things I've missed out on or backed out of. 

- Please, just don't give up on me.

I really hope this helps some of you that suffer with anxiety. Or, maybe you're reading because your friend suffers, try giving them a text and just let them know you're there...it makes all the difference.