Finding Bravery in Anxiety

My panic attacks got so bad sophomore year I couldn't walk into lecture halls without

tunneling. I thought I was broken until I watched my roommate have a

breakdown over organic chemistry. We started breathing exercises. Counting four on

the inhale and eight on the exhale rewired my stress. I downloaded apps,

but the real game changer was finally admitting I needed actual help. Campus counseling had

a waitlist of two hundred students. Two hundred. I realized it wasn't just me.

Anxiety is a systemic response to an impossible environment. Raising my hand was the bravest

act.