So I have pretty bad anxiety at times, particularly around things where I think I’m going to get in trouble. But I’m also pretty involved in various advocacy and civic movements where sometimes I have public facing roles that subject me to public scrutiny.

I can handle the public criticisms, but I get really scared when people accuse me of rule breaking.

An opponent to something I’m working on just threatened that something I wrote online could be grounds for defamation per a lawyer. Everyone I’ve talked to says it’s a scare tactic and they have no grounds. I deleted the online comment and haven’t heard anything since, but it’s sent me into a spiral.

I’ve barely been able to sleep, anxious over a potential future thing that probably won’t happen but I can’t get it out of my head even though it’s irrational. 

Anyone else suffer anxiety while balancing a public role where you may be subject to criticism or scrutiny? I know what I’m doing at the end of the day aligns with my values which is why I do it, but sometimes it really is hard and I want to retreat under. rock and give up.