It might seem strange to write a thank you note to a pill, but here I am, pouring out my gratitude for the quiet revolution you've brought to my life. You may be small, but your impact has been nothing short of life-changing.
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| Photo: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash |
Before you, my world was a low-grade hum of anxiety all the time. It didn't always peak like this—a full-bore panic attack—but there was this undercurrent of worry that colored everything. Simple tasks became mountains; conversations were a minefield, and the future loomed ahead like this big, black storm cloud. My mind, once curious and creative, turned into nothing but a futile battlefield hit on every side with intrusive thoughts and what-ifs.
Then you came along. Not a magic cure, not some switch clicked onto instant calm. Subtle, gentle as a hand reaching in to quieten the storm. The world didn't lose its challenges, yet suddenly I had the space and room to face them. A softening in the incessant chatter that's in my head is replaced by clarity.
Thanks for helping me take back my mornings. No longer do I hate the day, waking up with a tummy ache of worry, already forming knots. You helped set me on my way toward the sunrise and an open mind, ready to figure out anything that might come my way.
Thank you for letting me reestablish connections with people. What once seemed like tightropes above a bottomless pit of anxiety are now opportunities for genuine connection. Now, I can listen and be present in conversations without the constant voice in my head that apparently critiques every word.
You have returned creativity to me. Now, no longer obsessed with the rocking, my brain started firing again. Ideas come now, no longer bound by crippling anxiety. I can paint, write, or just plain daydream without that incessant, nagging feeling of impending doom about me.
You've been the quiet ally in my journey of learning how to be kinder to myself. Previously, I was my own worst critic; putting myself down for feeling anxious used to be what I did incessantly. Your help enabled me to begin to understand that anxiety is a part of me, not a flaw. You've let me move toward my mental health with much more acceptance and understanding.
Of course, our relationship isn't perfect. There are days when even your calming presence feels like a whisper against a raging storm. But even those days are different now. I know there's a tool in my arsenal, a helping hand, to guide me through those toughest days.
This process with you has taught me so much. It showed me where to ask for help, the essence of self-care, and just how resilient a human spirit can really be. You've been a fellow traveler, a support system, and that quiet cheerleader in the background.
Thanks for reminding me I am not in this fight independently. Thanks for showing me that sometimes it takes the slightest nudge to affect the greatest changes. Thanks, little pill, for bringing me back into myself—a self I had almost forgotten lived under the weight of anxiety.
P.S. This is not the end of a story, but that is, just an outset of a journey toward a calmer, more fulfilling life. You are part of that journey, and I'm so grateful to have you along with me.