Letters to the Editor
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I'm only 20, but I see a version myself in your letter.
Dear Daughter,
Your letter made my heart pound. The thing that struck me most about it was not what you wrote but the tone in which it was written. About a year ago, I was diagnosed with OCD. And, finally, things make sense. When I am in my most anxious and obsessive phases, I write— and think— like your letter: frenzied, chaotic, and jumpy. There are so many overwhelming things to think about, and I can't think about a single one of them. Everything is just too much.
I'm not saying that you have OCD or an anxiety disorder, but it is clear that you are overwhelmed. When I'm in the depths of that type of thought pattern, I can't think straight. Only time gets me out. Know that time will get you out. Have confidence that things will get better if you are patient. And being patient makes good things come quicker.
In the meantime, know that the way that you are seeing the world is valid and very real. But there are infinite realities, and everyone's is valid. Just because other people don't fret to the degree you do doesn't mean that fretting isn't reasonable. It is. Don't let anyone tell you that your fears are unreasonable, because they aren't. It's just that, when you're in a better state, you'll be able to think about them less. That is how it is for me: my worldviews change.
Good luck.