When I started driving at the age of 16, I was free to go do what I wanted to do and I had my very own car to get there but I had one thing holding me back….fear. It got so bad the only time I would drive in my car by myself was to drive myself to school and back. I couldn’t go to the store by myself. I would ask nearby friends to take rides with me whether I wanted to go to the store, the park, or anywhere else! When I first moved in with my now husband at the age of 19, I still wasn’t doing anything by myself except going to school. He went out of town for a week and I ate off fast food and anything I could find at the Walgreens around the corner even though I didn’t like going there alone either. I refused to go to the grocery store by myself.
Now, I still get fearful of going to new places by myself. When I interviewed at my now job at a hospital I made my now husband come with me so I wouldn’t get lost. I still want a friend to come with me when I go somewhere new. I am doing better than how I was doing in my teen years but I still get anxiety going to new places.
Usually my posts are about how to overcome this, and how to get through this but I have no advice on this subject. I don’t know if I will ever get over this and it is one of the hardest realities about living with generalized anxiety disorder.
Thanks for reading,
Heather
