The ANXIETY MONSTER

Do you know that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach right before a root canal . . . or upon finding an envelope in the mail with the words "jury summons" . . . or lying in a cubicle in pre op waiting for a "procedure" . . . or walking through the front door on the very first day of a new job? Of course you do. We have all experienced ANXIETY for a variety of reasons. The usual outcome is that the feeling goes away after a reasonable amount of time and your body returns to its relaxed senses.

Now imagine that same feeling of dread encasing your physical and mental self like an unwanted, unneeded, heavy cloak--24/7. It doesn't go away. It is paralyzing, consuming, enslaving, isolating. Not fun. Not wanted. Not needed. I call it the ANXIETY MONSTER.

Unfortunately, that MONSTER currently has its grips on me. Many people don't understand because they luckily don't have an ANXIETY disorder. And that lack of understanding is detrimental to me because my well-meaning friends sometimes corner me into situations that allow this MONSTER to take over.

My question is how much life will these episodes take out of me? And am I ever going to be safe from this ANXIETY MONSTER, or is it going to haunt me forever? My remedy . . . take one day at a time, and remember that this, too, shall pass . . . until the next time.

For now I am focusing only on today, and I know that in a few weeks I will feel contented and safe again.