Earlier this week, I wrote about how Panic About Anxiety was chosen as ‘Blog of the Week’ on PA Live!, a lifestyle program local to northeastern Pennsylvania and broadcast on WBRE-TV.

And now, you don’t just have to take my word for it — I’ve got video proof! Check it out here.

I sincerely hope that it brings a few folks within the viewing area to my blog — especially my posts about my own struggle with anxiety might help someone to feel a little bit less alone.

This is probably the right time to tell you a story about one of my last grad school classes: Intercultural Communication. After a semester of learning about various cultural traditions and value orientations, my professor took a few minutes at the end of our very last class to discuss something personal: living in the moment.

It was May, and graduation was right around the corner. The class was filled with undergraduate seniors and second-year grad students — most of whom were about to be finished with school forever.

His speech went a little something like this:

I’m one of those oddballs who looked forward to the opportunity to raise my hand in class & ask questions.

I could have used a good hug on the night of my own first panic attack, so I was ready to dole out dozens, if needed, for her. If I couldn’t give hugs, I could at least lend an ear and some advice.

When practical, I prefer listening to my body (by napping) over fighting against my body (by stuffing it with caffeine until I feel energized again).

We might seem fortunate, us young folks, because we’re swimming in expensive and glamorous digital gadgetry. But we’re missing something big. Something my parents’ generation enjoyed as a whole.

No matter what your major, you’re going to find yourself staring at a blank Word document someday soon. And the blank Word document will stare right back at you, disdainfully, waiting for you to finally sputter out a few words.

The cost of Paxil CR multiplied. And I don’t mean by 2x, by 5x, or even by 10x. The cost multiplied by 12x. The cost of a year’s worth of Paxil CR suddenly became the cost of a single month’s worth of pills.

I was a junior in college, panic was making a daily appearance, and I was relying on Xanax for each attack. So, when my doctor prescribed Paxil, I accepted it with open arms. But in the long run, all I got was a big hug from Big Pharma.

Nearly 80 percent of all prescriptions for antidepressants are written by non-psychiatrist providers. Like my general practitioner, circa 2005, who appeared to be watching an invisible coin toss in the ceiling when deciding which antidepressant to prescribe for my panic attacks.

College: cheap fiberboard shelves, neon clothes hangers, drawstring laundry bags, and extra-long bed sheets. And futons — crisp and clean futons that, by the end of the school year, will reek of days-old beer and mildew. Oh, and stress. And anxiety. And panic.