You're Looking At The Problem

 Generalized Anxiety Disorder (or GAD) is marked by excessive, exaggerated anxiety and worry about everyday life events for no obvious reason. People with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder tend to always expect disaster and can't stop worrying about health, money, family, work, or school.  It is especially true that the level of worry is out of all proportion to the events or circumstances.  It is especially insidious that often there is no obvious reason for the anxiety.

It's amazing to me to watch the expression on the faces of people when I try to explain this mild mental illness that plagues me.  It is a real thing.  I am not making it up.  It is an official medical/psychological condition.  It's hard to try make people understand how miserable it is to know that what you're thinking and feeling is illogical and illusory but still be powerless - or at least unable - to stop it.  I say:"It's like trying to reason with your two-year old about the plausibility of a monster being in the closet or to explain to your dog that she should just relax - it's only thunder."

I wonder what an anxiety-free life would feel like?  It must be incredible to not feel a nagging sense of dread about everything.  I can't imagine what this might feel like.

The woman who led the meeting this morning talked about sponsorship and what a weird concept it can sound like to a newcomer.  "What's my copay?" she wanted to ask the woman she asked.  "Where's the instruction sheet and my obligations list?"  I think my copay is too high.  That's why I'm not getting too many new sponsees.  When someone asks I usually say: "You can't afford me.  But there are some lower priced sponsors.  Let me introduce you around."  Relax.  Just pick someone.  You're not getting married.  You're not signing a legal contract.  Sponsors lose sponsees and sponsees drift away all the time, for all kinds of reasons.  I've never been offended in the least when a sponsee quits calling me.  I wish them the best of luck and I thank them for putting some faith in me because it's an honor to be asked.

What are you going to do about it?  That's a great response when someone is bitching about something.

A bumper sticker I saw recently: "You're Looking At The Problem."