Anxiety Dog

We call Eddie our little toddler for many reasons:

• He can be destructive (fortunately he usually keeps this to his own toys)
• He's not always good at communicating, despite being fairly vocal
• He's freaking adorable
• He's the closest we're planning on getting to actual children.

Having anxiety is one thing, but caring for someone with anxiety is another. Having anxiety while caring for someone with anxiety can either be great, or a train wreck.

I use my anxiety to understand Eddie's, and use his expressions of anxiety to understand my own. It's like our own funhouse mirror.

Eddie didn't meet many other people or dogs before we got him, so he gets nervous doing so now. He also knows he's a big dog and kind of scary looking, so if he growls and lunges, others tend to back off. I, on the other hand, have met people and dogs before, with mixed results. So I also try to protect myself, but I am not an imposing person, so I protect myself by pretending to be confident and "normal" and hoping they'll like me enough to not tease me.

When Eddie does have to meet someone, I give him cookies to turn it into a positive experience. Likewise, to motivate myself to do a difficult task, I reward myself with chocolate.

Eddie is a smart dog, and wants to make us happy. Yes, he's a bit agressive at times, and no, that's not polite behaviour, but we're working on it.

I am a smart human being that wants to function well in society. Yes, I have difficulty breathing sometimes, and yes, it does make people around me uncomfortable when I cry, but I'm working on it.

Relatable song: Workin' on It ~ Andy Grammer