#ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike is trending on Twitter, and it’s scary spot on
About 40 million adults in the U.S. will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Which is why so many people are sharing their experiences with anxiety on Twitter using the hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike. They want to break down the stigma around this mental illness, because there’s nothing shameful or weak about living with anxiety.
It all started when Sarah Fader, a 37-year-old New Yorker who founded the mental health nonprofit Stigma Fighters, tweeted about the anxiety of waiting for someone’s text message response (which is something we can all relate to). She added on #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike, and it’s blown up from there.
People from all over the world are chiming in to talk about their anxiety. false
my brain: worry about it
me: worry about what??
my brain: worry about everything for no reason at all#ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike— kayden (@kaydengail) March 27, 2017
Having the weight of world on your chest, knowing you cant control everything but feeling guilty for not being able to #WhatAnxietyFeelsLike
— coquito spice (@amysaysgrr) April 5, 2017
I'm nauseated, my chest hurts, it's hard to breathe, my heart is racing, but I have to go to class #whatanxietyfeelslike
— julia, keeper of plants and carbs (@canuplsnot2day) April 5, 2017
It’s so refreshing to see people open up, because it makes other people who suffer from anxiety more likely to talk about their own experiences.
Fader is a mother of two who has been dealing with anxiety since she was 15 years old. She encouraged all of her followers to use #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike in an attempt to reduce the taboo around mental illnesses like anxiety.
Considering 18 percent of the American population suffers from anxiety, these small gestures of solidarity go a long way. No hashtag will ever cure us of our mental illness, but seeing that there are others out there who go through a lot of the same emotions and encounters makes us feel a hell of a lot less alone. And that’s something worth celebrating
If you struggle with anxiety, join in and use the hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike!
