Poem-Anxiety Is My Faithful Shadow That Never Leaves Me- Response Brenda Arledge’s Word Prompt Week 39-Anxiety

Author:
VIDYA D SAGAR
Updated:
Nov 28, 2021 1:15 PM EST

Anxiety can be quite debilitating
Liza Summer on Pexels

What is Anxiety

A little anxiousness before starting something new is normal. When one experiences continuous stress or fear and when it impacts daily activities, it is termed as Anxiety disorder by the medical fraternity. When anxiety is unrecognized and untreated, it is dangerous as it can lead to depression and affect the physical and mental health of the person. It can affect every aspect of one’s life and impact productivity and realization of the full potential of the person.

Word Prompts Help Creativity-Week-39-Anxiety

Our dear friend and poet gave us the word prompt ‘Anxiety’ this week. It seemed easy for me since I have been a victim of anxiety for a long time and I know the feeling. So, I decided to write on the same. John and Umesh have already submitted their inspiring responses. I hope my hubber friends and Brenda like my response too, the poem based on my actual experience.

When Anxiety Strikes the Young

In the fast paced, hectic life that people lead nowadays, trying to be achievers, anxiety has become a way of life. The sad part is that it is affecting the health of people at a very young. We see youngsters landing up with disorders like diabetes, hypertension and also cardiac problems because of stress and anxiety.

A overall lifestyle change is the need of the hour for the young professionals today. Especially the working mothers who juggle between work and home duties and struggle to maintain the work-life balance, are at highest risk of developing anxiety disorders. They often forget to take care of their own health while striving to care for the family. They end up becoming victims of stress and anxiety and the other complications associated with the disorder.

Anxiety is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.

— Jodi Picoult

My Experience

I have suffered from anxiety for a long time. The workplace stress and taking care of the family as a working mother I started experiencing anxiety symptoms. This was compounded by the fact that I was a perfectionist at work, tended towards OCD when it came to hygiene at home. Late working hours, lack of sleep, no proper diet, addiction to caffeine and a sedentary lifestyle all resulted in this syndrome, which later led to hypertension. But yoga and meditation and lifestyle changes helped me manage this disorder to a great extent.

poem-anxiety-is-my-faithful-shadow-that-never-leaves-me-response-brenda-arledges-word-prompt-week-39-anxiety — Liza Summer on Pexels

When you’re feeling anxious, remember that you’re still you. You are not your anxiety.

— Deanne Repich

Summary of the Poem

This poem is about how a person who is a victim of anxiety feels. She feels that anxiety is like a shadow that never leaves her and she feels trapped like a bird in a cage. She experiences the symptoms of anxiety very acutely and feels it is the end for her. When everything seems to be going fine, anxiety lifts its unpleasant head and she is again gripped with fear. As a result, she is not able to find peace or happiness.

But she resolves that she will not let this anxiety take control of her life, and rob her of her joy. She knows that she is brave and will survive this impediment like she has survived other situations in life. She knows that her mind is her biggest enemy and when she stops listening to the lies that anxiety tells to her mind, she will break free from the prison called anxiety and regain her joy of life.