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Ciara De Rosa
Ms. Hoogewerf
Writing for College Success
9 December 2015
Surpassing Anxiety
Anxiety overwhelms. Its like snow. One drift of it across the patio on a winter
day is conventional, but in sheets, it can envelop and isolate. Tormented by the feeling of
fear, ones heart rate may increase and stomach may churn. Anxiety can deluge the mind
on occasion, but the disorder comes with its consistency in life, particularly when least
expected in normal circumstances. Anxiety is a mental disorder that causes penetrating
fear, panic attacks, and ongoing feelings of worry, uneasiness, and malaise. When faced
with such a thing, it seems impossible to indicate whether its through conscious thought
or over-analysis. Although it usually appears insurmountable, anxiety can be dealt with
and sometimes even prevented. I overcame anxiety through an accumulation of steps
including realizing, contemplating, talking, and sharing, and its not as difficult as it first
deemed.
Firstly, I realized I had anxiety. Stopping it before it began harming my wellbeing
was vital, although easier said than done. For example, I did not realize it was something
I was associated with until it hit me full force. Every moment of every day was encased
in some form of worry or negative emotion, and without the proper mental or chemical
treatment (depending on the person), anxiety can be dangerous. Also, with anxiety,
depression commonly follows. I lost focus on school, connections with friends and
family, and also any form of appetite. Regretfully, the danger that lingered wasnt all too

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far behind, and before its halt, it reigned. When my worries invariably proved irrational
and bothersome, forcing disruption in my everyday routine, I began to consider what
anxiety meant to me. From there, I decided that my anxiety was something that could
potentially hurt me, and I immediately took action.
Realizing what it was that caused my anxiety was another of the few fundamental
things that made growth possible. To get past the cycle of internal dispute and
apprehension, I had to first indicate what was driving me mad. Personally, the fear of the
inevitable infiltrated my every feeling. I constantly found myself thinking about the
mysteries of death, afterlife, and future conflicts. I worried about everything but the
present. Recognizing this and the potential risks the stress could cause to my health aided
me in pinpointing where my feelings lie, why, and how to stop it.
I find comfort in communication with others. Regardless of the thing affecting
me and how someone could help, something to me is better than nothing. As the
human race, we fear solitude, and to comfort myself was the least I could do with every
horrifying thought and breathless moment that overcame me when I was anxious. It was
also best for me to talk to someone about how the disorder was affecting me, particularly
when it became serious. I understood that talking about my anxiety will help me, and
living with progressing anxiety could be detrimental to my mental and, eventually,
physical health.
Once I talked to someone who was knowledgeable in the concept of anxiety and
what it could mean to me (my parents), they helped guide me down the right path. I
listened. My anxietys catchword was helplessness, and talking to someone lead to the
help that I originally deemed myself unworthy of. My parents guided me through self-

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growth, and taught me that my mind was only playing tricks on my nervous system. My
stomach only hurt because my stress levels fluctuated and my thoughts only became
bothersome because my anxiety hurt me. My parents suggested first that I try breathing
exercises and talking myself out of it. Then, as both have been diagnosed with clinical
anxiety, they decided it might be best to take me to a psychiatrist who would help me
more than I could help myself. He was a nice man who agreed it would be beneficial for
me to take a small dosage of Sertraline, a pill that I took for a short time, and with its
added assistance, I was able to overcome my anxiety!
Lastly, after overcoming my own experience with the disorder, I shared. I shared
my story with others because it not only strengthened my independence mentally, but I
was an advocate for healthy thinking and happy living. Psychologically, when speaking
as if the feelings are a thing of the past, they usually become just that. Helping others
who felt the way I once did healed my mindset and waved away the terror brought on by
my anxiousness.
Anxiety is perplexing, and its qualities are deliberately crippling. Overcoming
through excavation into myself made it possible for me to spare my mind the excess pain.
I expected Id never feel normal again and that things would never be okay. Realizing I
had anxiety was the first step, then the rest came easy. I slowly but surely conquered the
somber thoughts of devastation and desolation, and it came through a series of simple
steps. Anxiety seemed insurmountable when faced with it, but as I started down the road
to ruling my mind once again, I never looked back.