Falling in love with my GAD diagnosis

And the pills that help me manage it

Generalized Anxiety Disorder sounds scary. I mean, anything with the word “disorder” attached to it feels like pretty unwelcome news.

To me, it’s a name to a problem, a plan, and a solution. But, it wasn’t always that way.

Everyone suffers from anxiety at some point or another, life events like a tough stint at work, moving, the loss of a loved one, COVID… can trigger anxiety and depression.

The problem is when it enters the realm of illness.

As my therapist so elegantly explained, feelings of anxiety are normal under certain circumstances. For some people, these feelings can stick around for much longer after they begin. And that’s when your brain stops being able to capture all that wonderful serotonin no matter how much you work out, how many hugs you receive, or how much chocolate you eat.

After our first 4 sessions, she gave me an initial diagnosis and referred me to a psychiatrist to confirm. I did my absolute best to deny any type of mental “disorder.”

“What if I’m just dramatic?”

“I’m away from my family and I miss them. Isn’t it normal that I’m a little sad?”

“Couldn’t it just be my personality?”