To the girl that doesn’t raise her hand in school, I see you.

You know the answer, but you can't bring yourself to lift that hand up because—

What if you are wrong?

What if everyone laughs?

What if you sound stupid?

The “what ifs” fill your every thought preventing you from even trying.

You are facing your fears every day, so you are brave.

To the boy that won’t go to the school dance, I see you.

I know you are too afraid of what people think to let yourself have fun.

And gosh you don’t want to get dressed up and have everyone ooh and aah over you. Being the center of attention is not your thing.

This fear of judgment is so strong that you'd rather not go — so you don’t.

You are facing your fears every day, so you are brave.

To the mom worried about everything, I see you.

What if you’re doing it all wrong?

What if there’s something not right with your baby?

Is it bad he didn’t reach that milestone yet?

Are you a good enough mom for her?

Is every mother doing it better?

You are facing your fears every day, so you are brave.

To everyone out there facing anxiety, I see you.

But you can only rationalize with your anxiety so much before it’s time to make a change.

So, raise your hand to medication.

Because there’s no shame in needing medication to manage your mental health —

and life doesn’t have to be one gut-wrenching anxiety problem after another.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId

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