The strongest People Are People with Anxiety

As an anxious child, adolescent, young adult, and adult/parent, I know what it means to be consumed with ever spinning thoughts, my fears, my worries. I know what it feels like to not be able to catch my breath because I am so scared. I’m scared that I can’t, that I won’t be able to, that I’ll fall, or I’ll stumble, or I’ll make a fool of myself. I personalize… a lot. I believe that the reason people might be upset is because of something I’ve done or said. I worry that I may have hurt someone’s feelings, or even worse, that I’ve done something to jeopardize our friendship. I know I’m not alone, and after reading this blog by Holly Riordan, I know there are more people in my anxious clan. But we wouldn’t know it because we are embarrassed by our anxiety. We are ashamed of our spiraling thoughts. So, we get up, get out and do. Please know that if you are anxious, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with you. You came into the world wired with an extra sensitivity gene. You have a high level of awareness of your feelings and the feelings of those around you. This may feel like a curse, but it can be a blessing. You may be one of the few people who look at another and understand that she is scared too. You can be a source of support and comfort to another. And here it is… read and know you are AWESOME, my fellow anxious friend. The Strongest People are People with Anxiety by Holly Riordan They are strong because they’re in a constant battle with their anxiety. It’s telling them that they can’t. Tat they should speak up. That they shouldn’t get out of bed. Some days, they listen to everything that voice tells them. But other days, they find the power to ignore. They find the strength to leave their room. To socialize. To smile. They are strong because they show up even when they are shaking. They speak even when it’s with a quiet voice. They keep breathing, even when those breaths are shaky. It would be easy for them to cancel plans with their friends, turn down dates, skip class, call in sic – and sometimes, they do. Sometimes, the idea of being around people is too much for them to handle. But most of the time, they do what they have to do. They switch off their alarm. They shower. They get dressed. and then they get stuff done. Of course, they are distracted throughout the day. The tiniest thing can send their mind spinning. A text from someone they didn’t expect to hear from. An email they aren’t quite sure how to answer. A strange look from one of their coworkers or crushes. They suffer from constant self consciousness, but they push past it. They ignore the way they think everyone is looking at them, judging them, and they force themselves to be productive. They force themselves to focus on what’s important. They refuse to let anxiety control their life. They won’t let the dark thoughts eclipse the positive ones. They’re motivated to be the best person they can be. At times, the anxiety makes them feel weak Lesser. Like they don’t deserve to be in the same room as people that can talk to strangers as if they’ve known each other for years. But even though they feel inferior, that’s far from the truth. They are warriors. Why can’t they see that? They try so hard. They put in so much effort. And they have gotten so far. Some people rarely venture outside of their comfort zone – but they are outside of their comfort zone every day. They’re either worried about what to say or what to wear or where to park They are never relaxed. They are always on edge. That’s why they’re always learning. Always growing. Every second of every day. Sure, there are times when they suffer from setbacks. When they stay in their pajamas and put off showering. But there are other times when they find the courage to speak their mind. When they surprise themselves with how brave they can be. They probably don’t realize it yet, but people with anxiety are the strongest people in the world, because they never have a minute of peace. Because they’re always struggling – and they’re always winning.

"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Julie C.
"Dr. Matheis has a remarkable ability to understand the unique needs of her patients and address them constructively. She builds strong, meaningful relationships with patients and their families, encouraging trust and collaboration. When working with my son who struggles with autism-related anxiety, she created an environment in which he was able to calm down and open up to her in ways I had not seen before. She was able to reach him and helped him work through his crisis/problem. Most importantly, she empowered him to move forward."
- N.L.
"Dr. Matheis is amazing. She has tremendous resources and loads of energy. She is not willing to accept anything less than the most effective results for her clients. She made me feel as if my son was her top priority throughout the entire process. I would, without reservation, give her my highest recommendations.  Thank you, Dr. Matheis!"
- Anonymous
"Dr. Matheis has an amazing ability to read kids and connect with them. She has been an invaluable resource for our family over the past several years and has helped us with everything from educational consulting, to uncovering diagnoses as well as family therapy. Working with Dr. Matheis never feels clinical and most importantly, our children love and trust her. We can not thank you enough Dr. Liz!"
- Anonymous
"My teenage son had been seeing Dr. Matheis through his senior year of high school, as he was only diagnosed with ADHD at 16 years old.  Dr. Matheis came highly recommended from our pediatrician and she has done wonders for our son as well as our family, navigating new ways for him to deal with his diagnosis without the use of medication.  She taught him ways to organize himself and even when something did not work for him, she patiently continued teaching him new ways to keep himself on track.  She has also helped us as parents to understand how his mind works so that we did not continue to blame his lack of focus on him, rather on his unique way of thinking.  Thank you Dr. Matheis!!!!"
- LG
"Dr. Liz is the best! Our family was directed to her by our Pediatrician to assist with figuring out severe mood changes, severe anxiety, strange new fears and food aversion that had come onto one of our children literally overnight. After just a couple of visits, she suggested that the issues may actually be rooted in a physical issue and suggested we immediately take our child to be swabbed for strep, because Dr. Liz suspected PANDAS (a pediatric autoimmune disorder brought on by strep). The same Pediatrician that suggested Dr. Liz would not do the swab (they do not believe in PANDAS and we no longer go there) but I took my child to my doctor who did the swab and it was positive for strep. When our child went on antibiotics, within 24 hours all symptoms went away and our child was back :-) Dr. Liz then recommended a PANDAS specialist who helped us and our child is in complete remission and is happy and healthy. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Liz for her knowledge of all things, even the most remote and unusual and for helping us so much! Thank you!"
- Anonymous
"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Anonymous
"Thank you, Dr. Liz. Although we have told you countless times, it will never feel enough. You have listened when J could barely speak and continued to listen when he was sad, angry and confused. You've challenged him and directed us in our roles as parents. You've helped J face his fears while the list evolved and changed, and yet you've stayed committed to 'the course.' We pray that your children realize that time away from them is spent helping children learn and that vulnerability is a sign of strength and bravery."
- June I
"My son was admitted to an Ivy League school when only 2 years ago, you assessed him and saw his struggles, his Dyslexia. We are grateful that he no longer has to carry that deep feeling of inadequacy or shame that must have kept him so self conscious and from reaching his potential. He has the PERFECT program for him. He has A's in high math and economics. He became a Merit Scholar, a Boys State legislature, the HEAD captain of the football team and help a job ALL while studying and managing his classes and disability. I am PROUD of you, a young doctor, who knows and sees the vulnerability of children and helps them recognize "it's NO big deal" God bless."
- Anonymous

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