I have written about this before; I have clinical anxiety that is managed with medication and CBT, but it’s still there. It doesn’t go away, and it’s part of who I am.

I had a conversation recently that reminded me why I post about this.

Because people look at me and don’t see it. They see someone who runs a business, chairs sessions, hosts a podcast, and gets things done. All of that is true, but so is the anxiety. Both things can – and do – exist at the same time.

The person I spoke with was carrying something, and I won’t share what. But I left the conversation thinking about how many people we interact with every day who are managing something we’d never guess.

I can still catastrophise – a minor problem can become a full crisis in my head in about thirty seconds. However, medication and therapy give me tools to interrupt that. They don’t make me a different person.

If you follow my posts, you probably know me in some way. You probably think you know how I’m doing, and I am fine, genuinely. But I want you to hold a bit of space for the idea that the people around you, including the capable, busy, apparently sorted ones, might be carrying more than they’re showing.

Not because they’re hiding it, but just because that’s how it works.