Blog Launch September 8th!

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About a month after Kate Spade passed, I was sitting with my nephew coloring at the kitchen counter. This was at a particularly low time in my life where I was severely depressed & struggling with a significant loss. It’s hard to admit, but I didn’t want to live. I lost the zeal for life I once had because I lost hope & a sense of purpose when I had lost someone a few months prior. Somehow the topic of Kate Spade's death came up and someone said, "How did they miss that?" (referring to any "warning" signs) and I thought to myself - "I'm sitting right here. Hiding in plain sight and you don't see me." This got me thinking: 

 🔼 How easy it is to fool even those who live with you & who are closest to you 
🔼 I didn't display any warning signs. Did people know I was "sad?" Sure but there was a lot more they didn't know because I didn't share it. 
🔼 Those with the brightest smiles & loudest laughs could be using that as a mask to hide their true emotions 
🔼 Don't ever assume you know how a person is really feeling - but be observant and ask questions. Keep asking questions and listen to what is being said AND not said.

 Ultimately, this was the moment that became the basis for @anxiety.unmasked because I realized that I could be looked at and no one would "see" through the masks I was wearing to hide my mental & emotional struggles. 

 If I was feeling like this...then there must be others who are feeling this way. And I was right. The more people I spoke to the more I realized that there is no ONE face to what anxiety & depression look like. Has anyone ever said to you, "Wow, I never would have guessed you have [insert illness here]. You hide it so well." If yes, then this is where you need to be. 
I've spent the last 8 months interviewing and speaking to REAL people who live with anxiety every day. I wanted their stories, their experiences & their expertise. These brave men & women shared their struggles with me so that I could share them with you in hopes that you see you are not alone. My hope, too, is that those who do not struggle with anxiety develop an awareness that just because you can't "see" the illness doesn't mean it isn't REAL. 
On September 8th, we remove the masks.

 xoxo,
Anxiety Unmasked

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