while she coped with these new changes, osuna had to rely on others to help her get through the day and fight back against her symptoms.
“my partner had to help me leave the house just to go to the grocery store or just around the block. i couldn’t be left alone because i was afraid. without her help, i don’t know how things would have turned out, to be honest.”
the symptoms of panic disorder and agoraphobia took total control of osuna’s life, and while she contended with those, she also had to add some more new worries to the mix.
“i was afraid i was going to lose my job. in this industry, if you can’t do your job, they’ll replace you.” she was lucky enough to work with people who understood anxiety, its challenges, and just how important it is to take care of the work-family you cultivate.
“they were very understanding, and i was very honest, so i didn’t lose my job. they had either gone through something, a mental health condition, as well, so they gave me every accommodation needed to keep my job when i was figuring out how to take care of myself.”
arming yourself against anxiety
osuna spent the better part of the last two years struggling with her anxiety, fighting back against it any way she knew how, and learning how to live again in a post-panic state.