Quote Originally Posted by Kris View Post
I have a very strong feeling and conviction that it's very possible that most of my anxieties when it comes to dealing with people and school has to do with my history of bullying and ADHD, and I'm also one of those people that don't believe bullying ends by the time high school ends.
I was just thinking tonight that driving — in the Northeast anyway — is like high school all over again. (The bullies may or may not be the same people; all I can see are SUVs, BMWs and modded Hondas.) But somehow I did a better job of shrugging it off back then. I guess having a 75 mph hunk of steel at my command makes me more inclined to fight back. I end up being more dangerous than they are.

And I'm not trying to even say I should blame it all on my past, but it still seems to be a huge factor when it comes to thoughts and emotions of fear, insecurity, and sadness. I've sometimes found myself expecting to be attacked when there was no real reason for it. (As I've mentioned about being paranoid time and time again.)
Fear is exactly my problem on the road. Prozac makes me more-or-less unperturbable, which is why I'm inclined to put up with the downsides … to a point.

I don't know if a history of being bullied is a prerequisite for anxiety as an adult. But it probably sets up a pattern for how we respond to it.