Hi Everyone,

This is my first blog post. I am a 31 year old man and have struggled with anxiety for most of my life. I have only recently truly begun to recognize and accept this.

On the exterior many folks do not see me as an anxious person. I am actually considered pretty mild mannered, calm, and diplomatic to friends, family, and colleagues.

On the inside, I am riddled with worry and anxiety on a regular basis. I worry about performance at work, public speaking, personal health, the well being of family members, etc. I am often awkward and nervous in social situations as well.

I think I've done a good job masking my issues throughout my life and muscling through the fear, but this can become exhausting. And all it takes is one occasional break in my exterior image to kickoff a spiral of worry.

I know that sleep and exercise can help and I do my best to self regulate.As others have mentioned in these posts, it can be difficult to speak about these challenges with loved ones.

My goal of this blog is to maintain a somewhat public journal of how things are going with me, and perhaps I will engage in conversation with others who can relate.