Losing Control

For the past two years I have really been struggling with anxiety and start to freak out whenever I feel like I am “out of control” in certain situations. It all started two years ago when I got into a horrible car accident. Normally I am pretty easy going and I take whatever comes my way. I would say I’m pretty laid back. However, it wasn’t until this car wreck that I started to notice a change in myself. I have never been through anything like this car wreck and it got to the point where in the middle of it happened I thought that I was going to die. I couldn’t help this feeling but I legitimately thought that it was the end and all I could think about is how is this happening. The car was out of control hydroplaning before it crashed. I didn’t realize it would affect me the way it did. Ever since then, I have to be in control of everything and I have been getting more and more anxious about random things that have never bothered me before.

There are a couple things I have realized this year that have helped me overcome this feeling. You definitely have to tell people how you feel and what is going on in your life- I didn’t tell people for a while how I felt about the accident and then it got to a point where I would bring it up later and I started tearing up every time I talked about it. It is best to get it out in the open and let others know what you are dealing with. It is a huge help! I also relied more on faith, family, and friends. Really count on and trust these people in your life. It is surprising how I can feel so out of control and then either read the Bible or call my parents and tell them what’s going on and instantly feel more relaxed and calm. So many people have anxiety and there are so many outlets to help. I am also a huge runner partly because of the work out, but mostly because it is how I de-stress. That time is where everything calms down and I feel much more in control of my life. Just remember- take control of your life! It is not what happens to you in life, but how you handle what happens. You can handle it any way you want to - it is your life!