Do you ever find your heart throbbing in your chest for the most unexpected moments? The air you breath seems like molasses, voices right next to you might sound a mile away. There is no reason. There is no rhythm. You feel trapped in your own body, unable to speak. This is anxiety: a crippling, debilitating feeling that, if you let it, will control your life.
Psychology Today says that 49 percent of Americans have a history of anxiety or depression and a study from The Nuffield Foundation reveals that the number of adolescents suffering from anxiety and depression has doubled in the past 30 years, from one teenager out of every 30 to two teenagers out of every 30.
What is the reason for this change? Is it the immense pressure every student feels to receive straight A’s and get accepted to university? This bit of truth doesn’t matter as much as the truth of what is happening within the minds of these teenagers. Anxiety is a complex mental disorder that cannot be fully controlled on a chemical level, by the person or by medication; however, on the surface level, it does not, by any means, have to control the way you live your life.
People suffering from depression or anxiety are asked this question at least once in their lives: “Why can’t you just snap out of it?” This is a gross misunderstanding of the person and the disorder. No matter how hard people try to “snap out of it,”anxiety is a persistent irritation that is always there, just underneath the surface.
Much like addiction itself, anxiety is something rooted at the chemical level in our brains. It is also much influenced by the environment that surrounds us. Since we cannot control our environment, and we cannot control our anxiety, what can we control? We can use anxiety to better navigate life. Everyone is unique, therefore, everybody’s anxiety is different. The more society talks about anxiety, the less it will feel like a forbidden secret to those who suffer. The more society talks about anxiety, the less people will feel like they cannot cry out for help.
Anxiety doesn’t have to be hidden inside, and it certainly doesn’t have to hold sway over your life. You don’t have to suffer alone. If you suffer from anxiety, talk to someone to whom you feel close, or call the Crisis Call Center at 800-273-8255, open 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
