Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with your daily life that just the thought of sitting down with a good book at the end of the day keeps you going?
Books have a calming effect. In recent years they have made a positive impact on me.
I am one of the fifteen-million
Americans living with Social Anxiety. It is a chronic
mental health condition in which social interactions cause irrational anxiety.
It is a fear of being judged by others in a public place. It is a constant battle
with yourself when you’re having a conversation with another person. You are
under constant panic when trying to figure out what to say and what not to say.
Your heart beat quickens, palms begin to sweat as you try to carry a simple conversation.
This is only one example of my daily struggle. There are dozens of other fears
including approaching a cashier, a sales person, a coworker and
even as close as a family member.
This has been a struggle for me since
childhood and it goes beyond shyness. It was a struggle my entire life and as
an adult it has become that much more difficult to interact with others. It’s
extremely difficult to explain what this disorder has done to me and continues to
do.
Books have been my safe haven, my escape
from this reality, if only for a moment. They calm me when anxiety overwhelms me. In books I've found myself. I am part of each of the
ones I've read. They transport me to places I would otherwise never see. I
have met characters I can relate to and others that I wish I could be. If you
are a reader, you know exactly what I mean. You don't necessarily have to suffer from anxiety to enjoy the effects of reading. For an anxious person, however, they are a pleasant escape.
Reality bites! How lucky am I to be able
to pick up a book and instantly feel calm? It almost makes me feel invincible. Books have helped me not only to escape reality
for a moment but also how to communicate efficiently with others. Perhaps
communicating using book quotes isn’t the most conventional way, but it's a
start! I don't see myself not reading. Like Social Anxiety, books are also a
part of me.
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