I recently read a FemPositive item from November 2018 about anxiety and the forms it can take.  And while she doesn’t mention all types of mental health issues, they’re certainly included.  I didn’t do the same as her, but I understand her words.

I had my own nervous tics when I was younger.  My hands suffered endless knuckle cracking and nailbiting, but the skin stayed intact.  It was my lips and inner cheeks that suffere, biting and pulling skin to the point of bleeding.  I now only bite my cheeks when nervous.

I have friends with bipolar and other issues, and their compulsive behaviours are obvious even to the untrained eye.  One of my coworkers (not a friend) has an obsessive habit of clicking her pens, 10-20 times per minute.  All day.  Every day.

Woman’s Facebook Post Shows That Anxiety Is So Much More Than An Inability To Relax

The conversations around mental health, fortunately, are becoming more open in today’s society. People are getting more comfortable to talk about their mental health problems and issues, although not everyone experiences them the same. This difference in people’s experiences doesn’t discredit anyone’s pain and struggle in life.

For some people anxiety manifests with panic attacks and hyperventilation, for others, it is simply the inability to relax. For others, all the symptoms are more severe.

Facebook user Megan Lynne Ferrero decided to openly share her experience with anxiety and it went viral because of so many people related to her story.

Ferrero posted a photo of what her hands look like after biting her nails due to anxiety.