Allow me to introduce myself,
My name is Dana Muwwakkil, and I am a writer.
Writing is a natural instinct that was inherited to me from my mama.
It is also a therapeutic way for me to process whatever is inside of me that I cannot express any other way.
Writing is my first love.
My identity does not end there. I am
a wife and mother.
an introvert.
a proud black woman.
a lover of dark chocolate and coffee
a poet
a humanitarian
a plant mama
a movie reviewer
a feminist
I am also an adult living with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). When I was given this diagnosis in 2016, I didn't understand the weight of it. This mental illness has been silently sitting on my shoulder for over ten years but it's become a major part of my life since the diagnosis, specifically after the birth of my youngest daughter who is almost two.
I spent a lot of time hiding this mental illness from family and friends, but it was such a burden for me. To be honest, I was ashamed of what I was going through. It wasn't until a friend I went to high school with posted on Facebook about her struggles with postpartum depression, did it occur to me that my peers could and were facing mental health battles of their own. Seeing my friend bravely tell her story inspired me to share mine. Little by little I have been opening up, not only to my family and friends but to the world online, where I've been found so much support.
In my book The Anxiety Diaries, I am letting readers into my life as a mother and wife and struggling writer, and my anxiety demands to be dealt with as well, which causes so much stress of my marriage, my self worth and affects my everyday life.
Thank you, for visiting my site and if you are an anxiety sufferer as well, know that you are not alone. If you ever want to chat, drop me a line sometime.
Take care tribe!
Peace &Love
Dana Muwwakkil
Your friendly neighborhood scribe