Introduction to Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez, Author of 'Treating Anxiety'

My name is Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez and I am very excited to join HealthyPlace and co-author the Treating Anxiety blog. I have been dealing with chronic anxiety since I was very young, and for many years I struggled with relating to others around me ("What Is Social Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia?"). I constantly worried about things that others didn’t seem to be worried about. But that is just one way anxiety manifested in me.

Anxiety and Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez

I started having repeated headaches when I was in middle school, and the doctors could not find anything wrong with me. As I got older, I became even more aware of the physical symptoms that I would experience along with my constant sense of dread, worry, and nervousness.

After high school, I went straight to college; however, the pressure of succeeding in school combined with the transition into adulthood became too overwhelming. I made some poor choices and graduated a couple of years later than expected. I married young and divorced after having my first and only child. As a single mom, I started graduate school, which was one of the most challenging experiences for my anxiety. I did not realize how challenging and taxing this was on my mind and body until, after I had graduated, I ended up in the emergency room multiple times due to the symptoms I was experiencing ("Recognizing the Signs of Anxiety"). It was at this point that I was determined to find a way to treat my anxiety and cope. While I still experience anxiety symptoms, I have found ways to live a happy and healthy life through education, experience, and support.

Goals for 'Treating Anxiety' by Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez

Learn more about where Rizza Bermio-Gonzalez wants to take "Treating Anxiety" in this video:

I look forward to writing for HealthyPlace and the Treating Anxiety blog. It is my hope that this blog will be a way to share with others our experiences and ways to address and cope with anxiety. It is my hope that you will find this is a safe place to share your thoughts, fears, and struggles. Through our support of one another, we can all find our way to peace.