I’ve had bouts of anxiety and depression since my teens. I’m what’s called a functioning depressive which means that most of the time you’d never know.
Since breaking my spine, you can add in panic attacks relating to any and every thing medically related including just sitting in the waiting room of the vet. This is not necessarily the classic hyperventilating. Mostly it is waves of increasing anxiety and fear. It can make me impatient (okay smart arses, more so 😂), unable to focus properly on what you’re saying to me, and irrational. A bit like PMT on steroids.
If you see me self neglecting or self harming with food then I’m already in depressive crisis. If I appear hyperactive and a little manic, my anxiety is spiralling. After a bout of that, I crash and go to ground. A bad attack, say from dental treatment, leaves me depleted for days.
That friend who’s the life and soul of the party might be breaking inside. The one who’s thoughtful and quiet might be scared. It’s not about doing things for them or fixing them, it’s simply looking them in the eye and asking “are you okay?” and making sure “fine” really is fine.
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