When I wake in the morning the bricklayer sits impatiently beside my bed, tapping his watch. He follows me to the shower and begins laying his bricks. Throughout the day his wall grows heavier and higher atop my shoulders and head, laying flat any cowlicks or comforts. Some days I grow stronger under the weight and some days I crumble. The bricklayer is my constant companion. At night I sprinkle the magic antidotal dust down my throat. His slow surrender affords me the weightlessness of sleep. But, when I wake in the morning the bricklayer sits impatiently beside my bed, tapping his watch. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 40 million Americans over the age of 18 are affected by anxiety — roughly 18 percent of the nation’s population.

Women are twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder than their male counterparts. 

A woman's chance of developing an anxiety disorder doubles again if she grew up in an impoverished household.