Thread by @ashly_burch

I have an anxiety disorder, which manifests in a lot of ways. But a central component is that I am very hard on myself. A lot. (thread ⬇️)

Ie: if I was smarter, (x) would've happened instead of (y). If I was a better person, I wouldn't have done (z). I'm constantly measuring myself. And when I've decided I don't pass muster, I feel pain. Self hatred. Shame.

This line of thinking basically funnels into only one possible acceptable path: be perfect. If you're perfect - the anxiety seems to say - I'll leave you alone.

Of course, the trouble is that I am not perfect. Being perfect is famously impossible, but that doesn't really matter to my anxiety. Because somewhere along the way, I received the message that it's not okay to make mistakes. Or to fail. Or even just be bad at something.

I'm sure there are many reasons why I ended up with this particular mental cocktail. But the reasons don't matter. The feeling matters. The way I treat myself matters. And right now, I am not treating myself well. That needs to change.

I'm posting this because I know that many of you struggle with anxiety. Any time I've talked about my experience, so many folks have shared their own similar challenges. So here's to all of us:

You are allowed to make mistakes.
You are allowed to be imperfect.
You are allowed to fail.

You deserve to get help.
You deserve to feel loved.
You deserve to feel better.

Go get 'em, tiger. I'm happy you're here.