Ciao lovelies! Today’s post is another REAL TALK post,
meaning it includes anecdotes, and some content not suitable for
younger readers (possibly, depending on your sensitivities.) Today’s REAL TALK
is about living with Anxiety.
I wanna start by throwing out some general statements to
outline the general idea here. Anxiety is a real problem. Many children, teens
and adults in America face it, in fact, 5.7 % of adults in the USA have severe
generalized anxiety, 25.1 % of teens 13-18 have anxiety that lingers through
their lifetime, and 28.8 % of adults have any kind of anxiety, with the average
age of onset being a mere eleven years old. (source-https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-adults.shtml thank you to the anon in the comments for finding the better link!
). Anxiety is a horribly prevalent disease, bordering on an epidemic. Yet many
don’t talk about this subject, dismissing it as “just nerves” and the like. But
Anxiety can really control and ruin your life. There are many different types
of Anxiety, the most common being generalized and social.
I, myself, have Anxiety, and it is a constant challenge to
overcome it to do the things I love.
I love to go to conventions and cosplay, but at first, my Social
Anxiety made it impossible. I would have
Anxiety and Panic attacks when going to conventions. I couldn’t go into the
crowded dealers rooms and I certainly couldn’t ask my favorite cosplayers for a
photo. My first few conventions were no fun because of my Anxiety.
But I wanted to enjoy my conventions. So I pushed myself
into the situations that scared me. I even got to the point where I could host
a panel!
Am I saying that you should force yourself into
uncomfortable situations to overcome your Anxiety? NO. Anxiety attacks are
horrible experiences that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The feeling of
your chest tightening, the fight-or-flight response making your body shaky, the
confusing and vulnerable headspace...It's awful.
No, to be honest, I don’t really know a healthy way to “overcome”
Anxiety disorders. I know ways to help cope, however.
I personally prefer physical coping mechanisms. Things like
fidget toys occupy my hands when they anxiously want to fidget, breathing techniques
can help calm my chest, and even chewing gum can help curb anxious feelings.
When all else fails, I allot myself the time required to
come down from an Anxiety Attack.
I also utilize ASMR videos
to help with night time Anxiety, and insomnia and nightmares from Anxiety.
I think that everyone is different when it comes to what
helps with Anxiety. There is not one universal method. But I encourage you to
try out different methods! It may surprise you what works for you!
Here are some other techniques I’ve seen to cope with
Anxiety and symptoms:
-Aroma Therapy: apparently, scents like lavender and citrus
have been said to calm the mind. (Sources- http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/best-essential-oils-anxiety-depression/
-Herbal Tea: Teas like Chamomile and rose can help with Anxiety
symptoms.
-Watching Slime Videos: Many people have said slime videos
help with their anxiety. I have covered the rise of the “Slime Trend” before, but never really included any
videos, so watch the video below to see if slime videos work for you!
-Coloring Books: Coloring books like these adult coloring books have surged into popularity as a tool for anxiety sufferers.
Please just know that you are not alone. Remember, 28% of
American adults have some form of Anxiety. Talking about Anxiety and other mental
difficulties has become much more socially acceptable now, so never feel afraid
to talk about it.
Here are some more resources for Anxiety Sufferers:
Thank you all for reading, I’ll see you in my next post!
Stay strong and remember to love yourself!
18 Comments
Anxiety is not an epidemic.
ReplyDeleteFirst, you need to look up what the word "epidemic" means. Considering anxiety is not a contagious disease, but rather a disorder, it does not spread from one individual to another, and only about 1.5% of the US population has anxiety (personally I would estimate that number to be closer to 2%, but that's just an opinion).
How do you estimate that it's only 1.5-2%? Please cite your source. I'm actually going to side with the blog writer on this one until proven otherwise. She actually used a validated source so I'm surprised.
DeleteTo blog writer - I think this link would work better because it leads to the statistics you're talking about instead of a general information page: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-adults.shtml
Thank you for the new link! I will include it in the post as soon as I'm out of class and can get to my computer.
DeleteIt is an epidemic. ...u foolish blog responder....look around. Just because it's not written in stone by percentages doesn't mean it's not around u. Wake up and leave ur safe keyboard for a moment. I'm sick of negative people responding to blogs like these. People who criticize and hate on others repeatedly have some serious issues within. Maybe use all ur energy that u spend cutting others down and try to have the courage to leave ur keyboard and get the psychological help u seriously need. It just baffles me that miserable people love to try to spread misery and condemn others for ideas and actions that they them self could not have the courage to even try. I love this blog and encourage people that produce blogs and have the courage to share their creative ideas with others. It takes hard work and courage to share ur ideas and thoughts to help others. ...something the naysayers will never understand.
ReplyDeleteYou need help. How does this go from 'it is an epidemic' to a rant about haters. Like, you sound troubled.
DeleteTake it from someone who works in a mental Hospital, anxiety is not an epidemic, whiny ass bitches in 2016 is an epidemic. We live in a world where addressing a stranger as their anatomical gender addresses them and is a cause for outrage. People are too weak and whiny nowadays. That's the real epidemic. Try working in the psych hospital that I do for a week and see how you feel. Get some meds, anon.
https://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
DeleteCorrection, 1.5% is adults alone.
Literally all you have to do is Google "percentage of adults with anxiety" and it's right there.
Same for the definition of "epidemic" before you think you can throw something in my face, when I am not wrong.
I was simply correcting the writer, not attacking anyone. Chill out Kenzie, uh, I mean, anon...
I love how you say I'm ridiculous for assuming that all the anons are the same person, yet you instantly assume when someone disagrees with you that they are me. Lol. Also, I got my stats from the government, probably based on the census. I must remind you that stats can differ due to source, wording of questions, willingness of participants, etc etc etc.....
DeleteBefore talking about statistics maybe you should take a class of statistics or, you know, have some kind of credit before speaking about statistics.
DeleteIt's pretty solid that you have more than 1 anon, as I am definitely not the same person as any of the posts above, but it's kind of fishy that you seem to only get comments defending you with the odd excepetion. That's why people assume it's you WKing yourself.
-I'm currently enrolled in a statistics class in my university
Delete-All that means to me is that a majority of you dislike my work, with a small proportion that either is neutral or in favor
-What on earth does WK mean?
Oh sorry, I misread. I actually get a majority of comments disagreeing with me and my work, and a small amount that agree or defend me in any way. I just go through and clean up when harassment or inappropriate comments occur. But check the post "Dear High School Seniors" and you'll see that a majority disagree with me.
DeleteSame anon as the one who posted correct link: I think that criticizing the blog writer for the statistics is really nit-picky, especially since she used a validated source. I'm not trying to white knight, but I think your feedback is justified. I'm also the same anon who worked as a healthcare professional (not the nurse anon) and have taken statistics before.
ReplyDeleteTypo: Sorry, I think you feedback is NOT justified. (Long day)
Delete(Also, my comment above was directed at anon who posted at 1:15PM)
"probably based on the census"
ReplyDeleteIn other words, you don't even know where all of your "facts" are coming form.
"in fact, 5.7 % of adults in the USA have severe generalized anxiety"
"Remember, 28% of American adults have some form of Anxiety"
Which is it, 5.7% or 28%?
Which is it, severe, or generalized?
Definition of "epidemic": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidemic
"the rapid spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time, usually two weeks or less."
And no, I'm not saying the one "anon" who defended you was you for the fact that they defended you, but rather because they sounded EXACTLY like you, not only regarding the way "they" typed, but what "they" chose to say. It's not hard to put together deary.
DeleteGeneralized Anxiety is a type of Anxiety that can be severe.
DeleteSo, that means, both statistics I posted are true.
5.7% of Adults have Generalized Anxiety which is a type of anxiety, and it is classed as severe for that 5.7%. AND, 28% of American adults have ANY type of Anxiety, severe or not.
Source- The DSM5 has this listed as a type of anxiety. You could easily google "DSM5 Generalized Anxiety Disorder" but I've done it for you. Here is a link to the symptoms as defined by the DSM5 on the ADAA website, since one of you sourced ADAA for your stats before- https://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/symptoms
DeleteTo the anon who replied at 6:52PM: I'm a little insulted that you think my writing style is similar to that of this blog's writer (it's generally better).
DeleteI'm also the same anon who doesn't use curse words in the comments.
There are different forms of anxiety. Honestly, I don't hold back when I disagree with terrible content, but when you're talking facts, that can't be disputed. Pick something else to be mean about because the National Institute of Mental Health is a reliable source compared to other ".com" sites I've seen her share (see 5 healthy habits post).
Thank you for your unbiased opinion. I'm happy to see someone who's truly neutral and understands that facts are facts. I did make a honest effort in this post to cite only reputable sources.
DeleteType your thoughts here!