Image: Maddie Claflin is a fourth-year strategic communications major at the Hubbard School. Some of her hobbies include skiing, traveling, and listening to music. (Photo courtesy of Maddie Claflin)
Maddie Claflin is a fourth-year student majoring in strategic communications. She lives with generalized anxiety disorder and depression.
I was a freshman in high school when I got diagnosed with anxiety, but then later on in high school it led to my depression, so I’m not sure exactly when that was — probably when I was 17.
For me, especially in the winter, it can be so hard… I feel like I get a lot worse in the winter just because it’s cold. And it makes me not want to get up and go to school or get my work done. I think a lot of times, too, I can get really anxious about normal things that other people probably find easy. In class I will worry for days about standing up and presenting, even though it may not look like it on the outside, but for me I get so nervous about that.
When it comes to making friends and social situations, I can definitely talk myself out of doing things that normal people would just be able to not even think about. I get so anxious about going to things or I feel like I don’t get a lot of work done because of my depression, but then socially I get really nervous for a lot of things.
Journaling helps me a lot, like a lot, but also I’m just a very creative person. Working out helps me a lot, or taking a walk, and honestly just getting some kind of sunlight, because I think that is so hard for me in the winter… and then, just talking to my friends and family.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview conducted by Eitan Grad.