Personal Narrative: My Level Of Anxiety

Every person has some level of anxiety. It’s responsible for the fight-or-flight reflex, an inner voice used to calculate risk and an essential factor that keeps us alive. My anxiety has always been an overwhelming force in my life but primarily as a nagging voice in my head threatening severe consequences for all of my actions.

In kindergarten I would count my delicate footsteps on the school sidewalk, only allowing two steps per concrete slab. If I stepped three times in one square, I would burst into wailing tears and have to restart. In middle school I would unconsciously hold my breath and clench my teeth during timed tests, my sweaty palms barely able to grip the pencil. In high school when I started driving myself to school on my own, I would circle the block two times to make sure I closed the garage door, once to check I had closed it, and twice to check that I hadn’t tricked myself the first time I checked. …show more content…
I became consumed by my anxiety which grew into depression. I had no peace of mind and my stomach was always in knots. I was simply going through the motions mindlessly, stopped eating and began to distance myself from my friends and family. I carried a lot of guilt because my life was great, my grades were exceptional and I was so loved but I was miserable despite it