how has your anxiety helped you?

[SakuraFett]

So I hate my anxiety. I think of it as my nemesis, the bane of my existence, my number one enemy and I'm tired of thinking that way. It is completely exhausting fighting with it all the time, fighting with the illogical and hyper vigilant side of my brain. Quite often I see the excellent advice to not fight negative thoughts or emotions and to simply observe them or let them go, just let them wash over you. Just like the undertow it gets worse the harder you struggle against it.
So I've decided I want to think of ways my anxiety has helped me. And I would also like to hear from my fellow sufferers as to how they think their anxiety has helped them. For me I believe it has helped largely in two ways that come immediately to mind; first it has helped with my critical thinking, I am able to see many possible outcomes of events/actions and come to my own conclusion as to the most likely thing that will happen/reason something has happened, also my hyper awareness of my surroundings has given me great attention to detail which is a big plus at my current job. I can spot little things very quickly that most people would miss. I can also catch errors in paperwork saving myself and others the hassle that comes with letting someone in qc find the errors.
So if anyone would like to try and make their anxiety their friend or at least find ways that is has been helpful please respond. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read!

[nobot87]

It's helped me not see death so negatively. It's also encouraged me to live a more healthier lifestyle.

[Joe.]

Because of anxiety I see myself as being wiser, matured as a person. Also before anxiety really hit me I wouldn't live that healthily, I'd hate exercise, but now I love it because of how I feel afterwards.
Anxiety is a learning process, like anything in life, it has a lot to teach you, and once learned you'll see the anxiety disappear I think

[superchick22684]

Not to copy Joe. but I believe anxiety has also allowed me to see myself as wiser and more mature. I developed anxiety when I was away from home at college so I had to take responsibility for what was going on making sure that I was eating right, sleeping enough, taking meds on time and keeping appointments with my therapist and pdoc. I suppose you could say anxiety taught me to take more responsibility for my life considering the time period that it hit.
I think anxiety has also taught me that I'm a lot mentally stronger than I thought I was. When I developed anxiety I had the tendency to feel sorry for myself most days. I'm not saying that's completely gone but as the years have passed I've gained strength. While some things haven't changed in my life my anxiety has changed in some ways for the better.

[aml0017]

I feel my anxiety has forced me to become more self aware, in a positive way. In coping with anxiety, I have been forced to confront my low self worth, my vicious inner critic. Every time I come out of a bad period of anxiety, I do feel stronger. I no longer fear the anxiety itself, but I can approach it more objectively now, as one would a purely physical illness. It makes me want to have a full life in spite of the anxiety. I am still working on it, waiting for the epiphany that will change my life. But as they say, it is the journey that counts.

But it still sucks! lol