I know it's been a pretty long time since I've last been active on here, but this is a pretty important issue that not a lot of people tend to talk about seriously. The main reason why I'm writing this at kind of an awkward time is that my anxiety is currently skyrocketing due to school and stuff like that. Don't worry, I'm doing alright.

The average kind of anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. I usually struggle with this myself and trust me, it's not something to joke or mess around with. Some people struggle with this to a level higher than most, and they may need to take medication for it. A lot of my friends do, and it's fortunate that I don't.

Anxiety can also come as a disorder, too. No, it is not something to judge other people by, since it is not their fault. Maybe they had to experience a painful or emotional trauma. Maybe they had a rough childhood. Maybe they don't have a healthy home life. An anxiety disorder is characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with someone's daily activities.

There's actually several kinds of anxiety disorders. Some you hear often and probably have to a mild level (others serious), some that definitely have to be taken seriously.

There's GAD, or generalized anxiety disorder, which is when a person feels anxious on most days, worrying about lots of different things, for a period of six months or more. I'm sure a lot of people struggle with this.

Then there's social anxiety, which is definitely a common one. It's when a person has an intense fear of being criticized, embarrassed or humiliated, even in everyday situations, such as speaking publicly, eating in public, being assertive at work/school or making small talk. There was a time in my younger life when I was struggling with this.

Phobias are definitely a type of anxiety as well. It's when a person feels very fearful about a particular object or situation and may go to great lengths to avoid it, for example, having an injection or travelling on a plane. There are many different types of phobias, like arachnophobia (which is what I have and hate with a burning passion).

I really hate spiders...

Panic disorders are a big one too. It's usually when a person has panic attacks, which are intense, overwhelming and often uncontrollable feelings of anxiety combined with a range of physical symptoms. Someone having a panic attack experiences shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and excessive perspiration. Sometimes, people experiencing a panic attack think they are having a heart attack or are about to die. If a person has recurrent panic attacks or persistently fears to have one for more than a month, they're said to have panic disorder.

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) is a type of anxiety too, and it's definitely one that's not taken that seriously. Here's the true definition of it: It's when a person has ongoing unwanted/intrusive thoughts and fears that cause anxiety. Although the person may acknowledge these thoughts as silly, they often try to relieve their anxiety by carrying out certain behaviours or rituals. For example, a fear of germs and contamination can lead to constant washing of hands and clothes.

Lastly, and the most painful and mentally scarring of all of the ones on the list, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This can happen after a person experiences a traumatic event (e.g. war, assault, accident, disaster). Symptoms can include difficulty relaxing, upsetting dreams or flashbacks of the event, and avoidance of anything related to the event. PTSD is diagnosed when a person has symptoms for at least a month.

Sometimes, people with anxiety may want to be left alone a lot of the time. But, there are also people that would appreciate a simple "Hey, how are you today?" or "Is there something you want to talk about?" Anything like that may increase their mood a little.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. Later!