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How Anxiety Has Made Me a Better Person

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Fairfield chapter.

Growing up, I was always a neurotic child. I was attached to my mother’s hip and hesitated when interacting with other kids. During my freshman year of high school, I was having panic attacks on a regular basis. However, during my sophomore year, I finally started attending therapy for my disorder. I had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Essentially, anxiety could be long-term and more distressing for me.

Since I have been treated, I am now doing well as a first-year student in college. Since we are ~finally~ getting to a point where people feel comfortable being open about their mental illnesses, I thought that I should provide my outlook as well. While having an anxiety disorder can absolutely suck on some days, I think it has made me a better person for the following reasons:

1) Independence

Believe it or not, I think battling anxiety or other mental illnesses can make you more independent. During my time with anxiety, I have learned how to ask for help when necessary (because it is important to get help when you need it) which has let me gain the skills I need to battle it on my own. Through certain coping mechanisms, I have learned how to take care of myself. And ultimately, I had to want to work at it on my own.

2) Empathy

I felt that I was empathetic before, but when I found out my diagnosis, it made me understand other people more. Anxiety has made me more aware of what my friends could be going through. I try to be there for them as I would want them to be there for me.

3) Self-Care

Before knowing about anxiety, I didn’t take the whole “self-care” or “self-love” thing very seriously. Now that I have been doing well and recovering, I can safely say that all of you should take time for yourselves every once in a while.

4) Prioritizing

Sometimes, it takes the rougher times for you to know what is ~really~ important to you. Because of my anxiety, I have found things that I love and have secured what I believe in.

5) Becoming an Advocate

While writing something like this isn’t the easiest thing to do, I have made it a priority to make mental health a conversation. Getting through anxiety has made me want to help other people.

Ladies, take care of yourselves and remember: you may deal with a mental illness but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.

 

Meghan Cusack

Fairfield '21

Meghan is currently a student here at Fairfield University. She's from Branford, CT and is an English major with a concentration in Professional Writing. She also has two minors in Spanish and Public Relations. Meghan also enjoys reading, drawing, eating lots of chocolate, and spending time with her cat Charming. 
Alexis DiZenzo is a motivated Connecticut native. She attends Fairfield University where she is majoring in digital journalism and minoring in marketing. She is currently co-campus corespondent of Fairfield's Her Campus chapter. Along with managing Her Campus Fairfield, Alexis has interned with The Secured Lender Magazine, and NBC Sports. She is a contributing writer for Elite Daily as well as Thought Catalog. In the early stages of her college career, Alexis has taken the initiative to reach far among the stars and achieve goals early on. She has a great sense of editing, writing, publishing, marketing and leadership as well as strong interpersonal skills. (And a fun-loving, outgoing personality!) Alexis' favorite book (and movie) is The Great Gatsby, she lives by the words of Carrie Bradshaw and you could definitely find her on a beach, soaking up the sun. Instagram @alexisdizenzo www.alexisfdizenzo.com