This I Believe Script

I used to believe anxiety is the enemy.

If you ask any of my close friends and family, they’ll tell you that I am a worrier. I worry if my hair is frizzy
after practice all the way up to what will happen after I die. I even get anxiety about having anxiety! I
know…You may be rolling your eyes right now thinking,

“What does this college girl have to complain about,”

And I agree. I am privileged to having a loving, supportive family, a hot meal at the end of a long day,
and a roof over my head to keep me warm during the bitter Pennsylvania winters. I’m not complaining.
I’m just a girl who is terrified of the uncertainty that comes with life itself.

It was in high school when I first realized that something was off. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong
with me, but I knew that having intense butterflies in my stomach immediately after waking up and
feeling my heart pound like a bass drum in my chest were not normal. Every day started with a stormy
sky and sunshine did not follow the rain. I tried everything imaginable to make me feel better. I silently
yelled at myself saying things like,

“You’re better than this!” and “Stop being so weak!”

to try to force myself to feel okay. Around others I pretended that I was happy. I told nobody about the
emotions that were controlling my daily life. Little did I know that I was making a terrible mistake.
Pretending stops working when you leave preschool. Not only was I becoming ashamed of my anxiety, I
was giving it the fuel it needed to spiral out of control.

Finally, after months of no sleep, trouble eating, and days filled with panic I decided to meet with
someone who could teach me how to handle my anxiety. It took months of hard work, but I learned to
fight and take control of my life. Hours of self-reflection taught me how to be compassionate. Not just
having compassion for others but also for myself. I now have the tools to confront it head on. I’ve
learned how to live with my anxiety and have discovered that I am resilient, I am strong, and I am
worthy. Today, I don’t believe that anxiety is the enemy. I believe that the minute it hits, you have to
fight, no matter how long the battle, because giving up and letting the stormy skies consume you is the
true enemy.