My anxiety

Hello, this blog post is about something that I have struggled with for quite awhile, anxiety. For most of my life I would consider myself an anxious person. For me I realized I might have anxiety about three years ago, but it got worse once I entered college. I was not having a good time my first quarter in college, I was in a new place with new people, which isn't easy for an introvert like me. I was sitting in my room stressing about school and where I was going in life and all of a sudden it felt like the walls around me were getting closer trying to suffocate me and my breathing was harder. I shuddered and shook everywhere in my body. It was a terrifying experience. I had no idea what or why my body was doing this to me. Until I looked up what had happened to me and the word anxiety came up.
It all made sense. Throughout my childhood I had a crippling fear of going out to large events or meeting new people because I would get sweaty and my mind would collapse to the point where I would just sit and be quiet because I was afraid. My sister the extrovert thought it was odd, but I just thought this was me being introverted. I would have weeks where I couldn't sleep because my mind would wander, but I didn't think much of it. Whenever I enter a crowded grocery store my mind would become fuddled and rush me to the emptiest place possible while my family would look at me bewildered.
When I had this realization that put my feelings and actions into perspective, I immediately went to my parents whom I had thought would be supportive. It was quite the opposite. As I told them my experience with what I thought was a panic attack, they stared at like I had told them I wanna wear clown shoes for the rest of my life. They replied that it's simply a phase, and you'll get over it. I was shocked but not. My parents are both immigrants from a place and family that doesn't consider mental illness a illness. But I myself hadn't considered anxiety a mental illness until that moment. But why do people feel this way when you talk about a mental illness? I was simply expressing how I felt, not trying to create a label around me. So this week I want to emphasize that mental illness should not have a stigma, period. i just want to be heard and understand not judged. With that said, I am not angry at my parents, I understand and I hope I can change their thought on the subject. That's all.
Love,
Average Being