I was called "queerbait" and frequently beaten bloody.

I had concrete reasons for being anxious as a teen. I was a skinny, squeaky, highly reactive kid, a favorite chew toy for all the schoolyard bullies.

Quitting high school made all that anxiety go away and this was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life.

But wow, did I get a lot of flack from some adults who probably remembered high school as a positive thing for one reason or another, who couldn't stop telling me I'd regret it. I never have, not for an instant. Fortunately there were a few adults in my life who supported that decision. The principal of my high school, who also signed off on this, probably just wanted me gone. This was before any kid could take the GED.

I was good at taking tests so I went straight on to college. College was a wonderful place. No more physical violence, no more so-called adults telling me I could solve all my problems simply by "being a man."

"Being a man" wasn't in the cards for me then, not for a few years at least. In my 23rd year I probably went a little overboard with that manly stuff, but that's another misadventure...

Anxiety arises from feelings of helplessness. Our society is really good at making people feel helpless and anxious. Hell, look at any television advertisement -- first they make you anxious and then they try to sell you something.

I think the U.S.A. is lacking in ways for misfit teens to feel empowered, and that's by design.

I opened this tweet and what the hell, the first reply I see is dissing Greta Thunberg claiming she fell for the "Climate hysteria" because she didn't like school...