You may think that a teenage girl is content and happy just by looking at her. It may seem like she doesn’t have any problems nor care in the world. She has the perfect family, the perfect grades, the perfect friends... the perfect life. When you really get to know that girl, suddenly her world doesn’t seem so bright and perfect anymore. You notice that the girl is pushing their dilemmas and emotions as far away as possible, avoiding them, hoping they will soon disappear. About four times a year that girl has a really bad week, the pain and problems do not disappear and eventually it all catches up with her. Even though everybody sees her as the happiest girl on earth, her world is falling apart. Or, at least that is how it feels for someone with anxiety. This not only happens to this particular girl but to  40 million adults in the USA, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (AgendaStevePaikin).

Anxiety is a disorder that comes with extreme uneasiness, apprehension, nervousness, and worries; this may later cause compulsive behavior or panic attacks. Every case of Anxiety is different, each person has their own triggers and ways to deal with this disorder. It is something will never go away it will always be there (John). There are three different types of anxiety: General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder. The three of them share the same basic nervousness and uneasiness but they all have different symptoms and different ways to solve it.  General Anxiety Disorder consists of having constant extreme worrying and stress about some aspects of life like work, relationships, financial problems etc. Some symptoms are having sleeping problems, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, headache, sweating, and imagining impossible outcomes for situations. The second type is Panic Disorder where fear and uncertainty comes frequently and without a reasonable cause. The symptoms show having frequent panic attacks without a valid situation, worrying of when the next panic attack will happen, and acting different because of the panic attacks, for example avoiding certain places or people. The third and last variation of this disorder is Social Anxiety, 6.8% of the United State’s population suffer from this.  Social Anxiety is having constant fear about social situations where there has to be interaction with other people, it is the fear of being judged and negatively classified by others (AgendaStevePaikin).

This disorder haunts teens and adults all over the world. Zoe Elizabeth Sugg, or better known as Zoella, a british fashion and beauty guru that has her blog and youtube channel suffers deeply from it. Social Anxiety Disorder has been apart of her since she was 14 years old. Zoella thought she had everything under control, what to avoid, what situation would trigger her anxiety and everything she was missing out on because of it. Until she was 23 that her career had just started getting huge and she was meeting a lot of new people that appeared to have their life together. The youtuber had set expectations for herself that were unreachable. Little things she used to do with no problem suddenly became scary and alarming to do them by herself, like going to london on a train, or going to the supermarket, or going for a run outside. The scary part for Zoe was the fact that people would recognize her and stop her for a picture or autograph. Finally in 2014 she decided to get help and tackle this horrible disorder once in for all, Zoella went in every week to therapy with a psychologist. Even though she already knew the basic stuff of having anxiety, she learned that this disorder had nothing to do with an outside force it is something that she was causing unconsciously. Zoe knew that for her anxiety to simmer down she had to work hard, to push herself but with limits, to reward herself for every positive step she took toward mastering her disorder, and to be patient since she knew that it was a lengthy and hard process. It took her about 2 years, but now she is the happiest she has ever been in a lot of time and everyone around her has noticed this, even her fans. After all those dreadful moments and therapy sessions, she learned that “Anxiety is not your life and it’s not who you are, it’s just a small part of you that doesn’t have to be so loud.” (Sugg) And she proved us just that.

Even though all people have different cases of anxiety and it is something that will never go away there is ways to mild it down to make it easier to deal with on a daily basis. If a panic attack is happening, stopping everything and breathing is crucial along with doing something that relaxes the mind and body. For example going out for a run, taking a bubble bath, eating a favorite food, watching a movie, taking a nap etc. Creating a list of fears and anxiety triggers will help control better the panic attacks by avoiding certain stuff and situations.  Researching and knowing more about the fears that causes this disorders makes it more easier to avoid, because having a background knowledge creates deeper understanding about the topic. Making certain bad decision in life may trigger anxiety quite easily, so it is important to consider all the consequences out there. It takes time to figure this disorder out. Time will help teach some tips and tricks that will help in the day to day routine. (YourTango Experts)

Anxiety is not easy to deal with; it is really complicated and tough to treat when you are stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts. Treating this disorder is a matter of having enough dedication and perseverance to manage it. It is also important to be around the right people who will be able to understand you and help lead you to the right direction. There is no problem in asking for help, after all, everybody needs it.