Mental Health · Porch Conversations
The Day After
By Uncle Longbeard
2026-06-22
Your brain is lying to you. The only thing you're missing is life.
The day after Father's Day hit me like a ton of fucking bricks. Woke up and was decent, despite not being able to sleep until 4. But as the day progressed, I found my anxiety getting higher and higher, and my fuse shorter and shorter.
Finally broke down and took half a Xanax. It helped take the edge off, but that's it. That wasn't the point the day turned around. The point where it did is when I decided that my anxiety could fuck all the way off — not just a little bit, the whole way.
Forced myself out of the house to go get dinner with Mom and my son. Then, instead of coming home, I went to Walmart with them. Had a blast, despite being anxious as fuck. And I am so glad I did.
If you're reading this, and your anxiety is crippling — your brain is lying to you. The only thing you're missing is life.
Time is what our anxiety is costing us. And that, my friends, is far too steep of a price for me. It's an uphill battle, but so far, the rewards have far outweighed the stress.