We have all been there. Feeling alone with the negative voice inside our heads. Your problems appear insurmountable and piled high. You are stressing and perhaps having panic attacks almost daily. You are trying natural remedies or medicating to ease the ruminating thoughts. The isolation can feel permanent and so you close off even more and disengage with your environment. But the more you do this, the worse you feel. So what is the answer?? What can you do to unstick yourself from the goo in the swamp of your problems and insecurities?

I was in that position very recently. It is not easy facing that hard fact. Some people spend most of their lives denying it and putting on a brave face until it no longer can be ignored or brushed aside. It rears its ugly head and tries to consume anything in its path. You may have some social supports that help you, but ultimately this is something you must change within yourself. But what most people forget is that this battle is not fought alone.

The stats may work to convince you of the fact that people do not suffer these disorders completely alone. According to statistics obtained by the ADAA (the Anxiety and Depression Association of America) through the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are the number one type of mental illness in the U.S., with a reported 40 million American adults that are affected. That is quite a significant proportion of Americans who have anxiety related disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 25% of teens aged 13-18 suffer from anxiety disorders, with around 6% being considered severe cases of anxiety disorders. An estimated 7% of U.S. adults suffer from what are considered depressive episodes by the DSM-IV which was reported in 2014 and included on the NIMH website.

So where does that leave us? Many of us suffer from these disorders in silence. But not me. I have been in therapy for many years and recently spent time in a psych ward to overcome my anxiety and depressive disorders. What I have gleaned from it all is that it is important that you open up to the idea of seeking help and not isolating yourself. Find calming techniques like meditation or yoga, reach out to that acquaintance you were afraid to approach again, take calculated risks and do it in the name of your mental health. Do everything you can to live a happy and fulfilling life. You may come to the same realization that each and every human being deserves to love and be loved and feel safe. But most importantly, get the help you need for you and for you only.

Visit the following links to view the charts and information related to anxiety and depressive disorders:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/file_148010.pdf http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/file_148008.pdfhttp://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/major-depression-among-adults.shtml