It is okay to embrace your anxiety.
It is okay to be open about your mental health.
No, you are not crazy.
No, you should not feel like you can't talk about it.
There seems to be a stigma around the phrase "mental health" these days. My question is: why? My theory is that our generation is much more open about everything going on in our lives than past generations have been, therefore more cases of anxiety and depression have been reported and the older generations look at us as if we are weak for admitting that we are struggling. This isn't proven, it's just a theory that I was recently introduced to and thought it related nicely to our society today. But isn't the first step to recovery admitting that there is a problem? So why are people so against talking about what is wrong with them and seeking help?
Anxiety is a real problem that 30 percent of Americans suffer from. In fact, globally, one in thirteen people suffer from anxiety. I personally suffer from anxiety and have for most of my teenage life. I was medically diagnosed when I was about fifteen years old, but I dealt with it on my own long before then. My biggest advice to anyone who suspects that they are having issues with anxiety is to go to a doctor or counselor, just talk to anyone who will listen. Talking about your anxiety and being very open about how you're feeling will help you in ways you will never understand. You may feel silly or vulnerable when telling someone, "hey I'm feeling really anxious right now, I think I'm going to sit this one out", but once you do your life will become much easier. From one anxious person to another, trust me.
Let's talk about why you have anxiety to begin with. People that don't understand may try to tell you that you are crazy, making things up, or that you need to just get over it. All of these things are not true. When your brain doesn't produce enough GABA and Serotonin (the things that tell your brain to "slow down") your stress hormone level becomes elevated. This is all just a fancy way to say that your brain is trying to do way too many things at once. You are literally just over thinking. This paired with everyday stress can be a devastating thing to your mental health. Outside stressors also play a huge part in your mental health. You can suffer from anxiety and not have an attack for months at a time until something super stressful happens and you can have something called a flare up.
I suggested going to a doctor, however, this does not mean you should immediately get on medication. The FDA has just recently done a study and officially labeled all anxiety and depression medication "Schedule IV" which from my understanding translates to being "highly addictive". Many people have great success with anxiety medication but my story is a bit different. I was briefly on a medication called Lexapro. I didn't feel that the medication helped me, instead it made me feel out of touch with myself. I felt as if I was walking around like a zombie and wasn't actually in my own body. My best friend also went on anxiety medication about the same time that I did and she is still currently on medication. She feels that it works very well for her and helps her keep her anxiety down to a manageable level. If you have tried every natural way to help your anxiety and not found a way to cope with it, then maybe you should try medication but I would not suggest jumping straight to that option.
I have found many ways to help me naturally keep my anxiety levels down without having to rely on medication. These wont work for everyone but they help me so I figured that I could share them for all of my anxious people out there to try. When I am on the brink of an anxiety attack I count my pulse. By this I mean that I put two fingers on my wrist until I find my pulse and try to count the beat up to 100. This may sound strange to some people but I find it very distracting and it will completely help me get my mind off of whatever is inducing my attack. Taking ten deep, slow breaths in and out can also calm you down and distract your body from a panic attack. If I am just having a particularly anxious day I try to relax myself by listening to music, putting on a facemask and taking a hot bath, or even meditating. If you aren't at home and don't have access to these things then try coloring, doodling, or braiding your hair (if you have long enough hair to braid). Stay away from things that can affect your body negatively. By this I mean something as extreme as self harm, or something as small as chewing on your finger nails. Find what works for you and use it, nothing is too silly. If it helps then it helps!
If you take anything away from this article take this: You are not crazy for having anxiety. When you learn to embrace it and love yourself, your life will become much easier.
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