At some point I couldn't leave my house, couldn't be left alone at any moment, cried compulsively all day, couldn't eat, couldn't listen to music, watch TV, read, brush my teeth, eat or take off my pyjamas. I was dizzy the whole time and my vision was blurred. I had hot flashes, a rapid heartbeat, tingles all over my body and intense headaches all the time. All my days were spent thinking about death and the absurdity of all of reality. I had to quit college for a year because of anxiety. And there are people out there who have experienced a lot worse than I did, people whose pain I can't even imagine... And some people still say stuff like "oh you only have anxiety", "why didn't you just try harder?", "anxiety is not that bad to have" and my absolute most hated "anxiety is not an illness". I'm sorry for coming off bitter, but I just can't with  those sayings anymore. They're hurtful and fake. I'm done listening to people dismiss this struggle.