all things mental health and more importantly what it takes to become mentally healthy.

Now on today's episode, I'm going to be talking about something that I feel as a therapist

is so important and that's that we all understand the subtle but powerful separation in our

words and how we speak. Now, have you ever found yourself saying, I feel anxious or I have anxiety?

Now, on the face of it, these phrases seem to convey the same thing. But if we take a step back and

reflect, we can see that they paint very different pictures of our mental health. We're here to

explore the linguistic subtleties of these everyday expressions and delve into how they might influence our perception and our experience of mental health.

So buckle in. We're in for an interesting journey.

So let's start by breaking down these two statements. I feel anxious. Now this tells others we're in a state

of anxiety at the present moment, like catching a cold or tripping over the cats. It's a temporary state.

It's unpleasant, but it isn't forever. It's a visitor, not a permanent resident. Now contrasts this with I have anxiety. Now here we're suggesting

a degree of ownership, like owning a pet or a favourite mug. We have something that is persistently with

us. Now the phrase implies a more enduring chronic state, an anxiety disorder.

And while it doesn't mean we're continuously in the grip of anxiety,

it does suggest that anxiety is a frequent visitor popping in uninvited when we least expect it.

So where does this anxiety go when we're not feeling it?

Well, if we say, I feel anxious, it's like a cloud passing over the sun.

It obscures the light for a while, but then it drifts away. We might feel relieved, lighter and freer.

Now, in the case of I have anxiety, it's not about the anxiety disappearing, but about it lying dormant.

Think of it as a curled up cat in the corner.

It's there, but it's not causing trouble.

And it could spring into action at any moment.

...