where I have awakened because of extremely loud, menacing noises that feel like someone is in my house. That's after a trip to the ER on Monday where I was anxious enough to get chest pain and shortness of breath evaluated for a heart attack. It was not.

I have a follow up appointment with my primary doc tomorrow. I'm now pretty much convinced that I have a chronic level of anxiety that's high enough to generate symptoms that could be a heart attack, especially for us women who often don't have the crushing chest pain that many men have.

I've had anxiety since 2016. Between politics and my personal life, it's been awful for years. But in the last couple of months, since Dobbs, the 4th of July parade shooting, other shootings-- both national and local-- the Jan 6 hearings, and endless COVID, I have never felt such despair for the country.

This morning I have decided to make a plan to attempt to control this anxiety, which is rooted in fear of the future which is mostly beyond my control. So far I have made a number of decisions to change my normal daily routine.

We'll see how it goes.

Good luck with facing your anxiety.