Obsessive Compulsive Anxiety

Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder run in my family and I have been dealing with these since I was young. It started with separation anxiety that left me terrified to be alone. I worked through that as I got older with the support of my family, but new, more severe symptoms began to pop up. I felt like irrational compulsions and fears controlled my life and I didn’t know how to control them or what to do. I pushed myself so hard in school and my fears stressed me out until I felt like shutting down. I thought I was going to go crazy. I can’t say that I got over my problems or was “cured” in any way, but I learned to manage it, and I think it has taught me valuable lessons and these experiences have made me a stronger person. I learned
relaxation and coping skills that I can apply when I have to deal with the normal stress that comes from high school. Overcoming really hard trials has given me courage to overcome the more difficult trials that I know I will have to face one day and given me a more optimistic outlook on life and the future. I am still working through some of these difficulties and I know that I always will be, but I am confident that I can do it with continued support from family and close friends.