Anxiety

[Unregistered]

I'm 17 and have had really bad anxiety for probably the past 5-6 years. I never told anybody and I just became very anti social. This caused me to lose a lot of my fun, comforting, outgoing personality.
I've actually just begun to come out of my shell a little bit. I don't get as nervous talking and I actually like to hang out with my friends again. I am also a more positive and funny person.
The one thing I've always hated about my personality is how laid back I am and I don't know why I feel this way. I think I get frustrated because I try to show how excited or happy or mad or sad I am about something but my anxiety holds my emotions back and I just look like I don't care. Its my anxiety that makes me laid back not because I actually feel that way. I hate when people notice how laid back I am because I'm actually not on the inside.
I don't know if I just WANT to be a outgoing person or if that's who I actually am except with anxiety. All I know is I don't like being laid back and I want to be able to express myself without feeling weird or annoying.
I just don't know what to do to help this..... I've been working on this for like 3 years and it's really hard and annoying because for some people it's come natural to just express how you feel through actions or words but it's hard for me because I don't want people to think I'm weird in a bad way....

[2NDFLOOR]

Thank you for reaching out to 2NDFLOOR. Dealing with anxiety alone can be very difficult, and it also can be hard to talk about. That may be where you want to start first. Talk to people about your anxiety. Maybe start with one person that you really trust and try to open up to them about it. You would be surprised how many people truly do suffer with some sort of anxiety. Do you feel comfortable talking to your parents, a family member, or maybe particular friends? This is a great way to start expressing your feelings. It will take time to feel comfortable but the more you talk about it the easier it will become. You could also try journaling how you are feeling. Sometimes writing it down allows us to process this information and figure out how we are feeling about something and let's us better express these feelings. When you begin to openly express how you are feeling at first you may have to push yourself to say something. If your upset let yourself feel upset and try to say one statement even if it's just "guys it may not look like it but I'm feeling upset". It might feel awkward at first but with time become more natural. If none of these sound like options that you feel comfortable with you could always try speaking to a counselor on a weekly basis. This could help you to express your feelings more regularly so you aren't holding them in and also work on some coping skills to help you handle your anxiety. If you want to talk more give 2NDFLOOR Youth Helpline a call 24/7 or text us daily 4PM-8PM at 888-222-2228.