Hey guys! As most of you probably know already, my name is Ryan. I’m 20 years old and for as long as I can remember I have suffered from anxiety – mainly regarding social interaction. So in this post I’d like to share with you some of the common day to day things that people with anxiety deal with, and how I personally have managed to overcome some of those difficulties.
If you had of met me 2 years ago, you would never believe that I could be as happy and successful as I am today. 2 years ago, I had very few friends, was single, could not get a job – mainly due to nerves and fear. I could barely even look a person in the eye, let alone talk to them. I was a complete wreck and was also dealing with depression. I used to drink most nights because it made me feel slightly better and helped me to stop thinking about all of my problems. I had no idea what to do with my life. Sometimes I couldn’t even leave the house due to fear and anxiousness.
Today, I have an awesome job, loads of friends, an amazing girlfriend, my own place, a car and plenty of confidence! I’m currently working as a Health & Safety officer – which requires me to talk to and deal with quite a few people every day, including talking over the phone – which previously was something that I simply could not do. So how did I go from having my life completely run by my anxiety, to being a perfectly happy and capable member of society? Read on and I’ll tell you a bit more about my story but first, for those who don’t quite understand, I’d like to give a brief overview of what Anxiety actually IS and some of the things people dealing with anxiety go through.
