Party Anxiety

[Editor’s Note: Everyone has mental health experiences on the spectrum between thriving and struggling. Perhaps you (or a friend) are in a season where you need extra mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical support. In this #mentalhealth series, we want to balance personal experience/story with input from mental health and medical professionals. We want to also explore, “How does our faith in Jesus relate to our mental health?” Our desire is to support you as you work towards mental well-being. 

If you are considering hurting yourself or someone else, or you know someone who is, please contact a mental health emergency hotline. If you need urgent counselling support, Kids Help Phone is also available for young adults up to age 29 for phone calls, Facebook Messenger, or texting conversations.]

Listen to David recite “Party Anxiety”: 

In a 
room
full of
engagement
and
excitement
I decided
to stand 
in the
corner
because
it seemed
most
comfortable 
at
the
time.

I
begin
to
look
around in a
worrisome
manner
searching for
a familiar
face,
one
that
calms
me
down
but
it
seems
somewhat
impossible
even
though
I
didn’t 
come
here
alone.

I decide
to close
my
eyes
to
slow
down
the
heaviness
of
Social 
Stimulation.

In 
this
absence
I
am
reminded
of 
my
identity
as
I
think
about
My Father
in Heaven
who
extends
loving
arms as an
invitation into a
place of
peace
instead of
fear.

This
reassures
and
comforts 
me. 

I
now
feel
present.

This article was written as part of the Writing Mentorship with our P2C-Students Editorial team.

Did you enjoy this article? We encourage you to check out more articles in our #mentalhealth series.