Discussion: What Does Reading Mean to You?

Book Discussion Question: 

What is reading to you?

It's kind of a strange question, I know and honestly, this is going to be a really personal post. To me, reading is more than just being entertained. To me, reading is my escape. I wouldn't call it my escape from reality, but rather the fake reality I create in my head.  Reading is in a lot of ways what keeps me sane. 

I have anxiety and a lot of the time I don't know how to deal with it. It's overwhelming and causes me insomnia. If we're being honest it's generally over the dumbest things in my life like wording something strangely or tripping while walking. It's rarely over anything big. When I get into these moments where I'm anxious about every little detail in my life I have to find a way to cope. It can be really hard to cope with it. That's where reading comes into play. I love to escape into the lives of the characters I read. It's nice to be able to completely dissolve into whatever I'm reading, allowing myself to forget about whatever had me so worked up minutes before. 

I've also noticed that these are the times I tend to gravitate towards series that I love and need to finish. It's easier to let go when it involves books and characters I'm really familiar with. There's a certain feeling of relief when you don't have to get acquainted with new characters. 

I feel like one of those drug-free commercials that would ask what someone's anti-drug is. I guess instead of Reading  is my anti-drug its Reading is my anti-depressant. I am just a ray of sunshine tonight. Sheesh.

Anyways, I guess a better way to word my discussion question is "Is reading more to you than just reading and entertainment, and if so please elaborate."

As always, if you comment I'll appreciate it and try to respond back.