Let's Play the Anxiety Game!

First scenario:
You have put off preparing for French class because reviewing tenses and verb conjugations reminds you that you will be required to talk. It is now two hours before class and you need to get this done. Unfortunately, your racing heart prevents you from concentrating. (Your heart is racing because you went to another class this morning and the class, of course, contained people. You left to "get a drink of water" after fifteen minutes because you couldn't handle it, and when you came back you discovered that you had just missed an entire page of notes. This did not help matters.)

Do you:
a) stare at the email telling you what you need to review and will yourself to open your textbook?
b) curl up on your bed, eat a handful of Reese's Pieces, and hope this clears up in the next three minutes?
c) write a blog post to distract yourself and/or inject some humor into the situation?

* * *

If you chose A:
The words blur in front of your eyes and even though you're still looking right at the screen, you're pretty sure you have no idea what you just read. You do not open your textbook. What is wrong with you? [Panic increases]

If you chose B:
This isn't working. This isn't working. And oh look, now you're eating your feelings, apparently. You can't afford to do this right now. You're running out of time. Oh god, how long is it going to be like this? Are you seriously going to freak out every time you have to leave your dorm room? How are you going to do anything? How are you going to be any good to anyone? [Panic increases]

If you chose C:
You format the post like a choose-your-own adventure sort of thing, and it works as a distraction for a little while. [Panic decreases] Until, that is, you realize that you've spent fifteen minutes writing the post instead of studying and that you have to go order some pizzas for the choir picnic in a few minutes, which means that now you're going to be woefully under-prepared for class. And also the choir picnic will involve interacting with people and probably participating in ice-breakers, which seem to be tailor-made to trigger social anxiety. At this point your hands are shaking so badly you can barely type. [Panic increases] [PANIC INCREASES]


Second scenario:
You are--

You know what? I don't want to play this game anymore. Stop it just stop it I am so tired of this.