The Anxiety Epidemic

Mental health issues are one of the biggest epidemics.



Statistics from 2015 show that approximately 40 million American’s struggle with an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is the #1 mental health problem among American women.

Anxiety is the #2 mental health problem among American men, second only to alcohol and drug abuse.

17% of the population of the United States have suffered from panic attacks, phobias, or other anxiety disorders in the past year (that is 50 million people).

Nearly 25% of the adult population will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some time during their life.

Only a small proportion of these people receive treatment despite panic and anxiety having reached an epidemic proportion.

Anxiety is a real problem, and not one we understand sufficiently or have put enough research into understanding or resolving (among many other mental health issues). People who suffer from anxiety may seem like completely normal, outgoing people. Anxiety does not fit the stereotypes.

The stigma around mental health issues needs to be lifted and people need to focus on solutions that work.

a reply to: ExNihiloRed

The stigma around mental health issues needs to be lifted and people need to focus on solutions that work.

Howabout derailing the terror train of propaganda on TV?

When someone(s) gets shot or a bomb goes of killing civilians somewhere they splash it over and over, as long as a gun or Islam can be blamed, they never shut up . How fearful does all that make everyone?

After that they can stop the endless wars overseas and the endless debt at home. They can stop stealing peoples land, polluting the environment, our water, air, food… stop sending jobs overseas, pay a decent wage so people can pay their bills…

geez, its easy really.

When I'm anxious I like to relax with some trustworthy people and some green tobacco.

That makes us feel better so we can be efficient despite circumstances that cause anxiety.

Circumstances that may be carefully organized through television, public education, censored world wide web, war, and other means of cheating others to the top.

Red: pill
Green: tobacco

Ummmm.....it's not a disorder if everyone has it. Anxiety is a survival instinct. Stop scaring the piss out of people constantly and leave them alone and people might just stop being so anxious.

Maybe if we ate real food, we wouldn't need those meds.

You can't change a diet this much in a couple of generations, it takes many generations to smoothly change a diet without complications. The chemicals they add doesn't help at all.

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
Ummmm.....it's not a disorder if everyone has it. Anxiety is a survival instinct. Stop scaring the piss out of people constantly and leave them alone and people might just stop being so anxious.

It's the new norm.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Maybe if we ate real food, we wouldn't need those meds.

You can't change a diet this much in a couple of generations, it takes many generations to smoothly change a diet without complications. The chemicals they add doesn't help at all.

I completely agree

Anxiety In Your Head Could Come From Your Gut - ABC News
How Your Gut Bacteria May Be Making You Feel Anxious
Anxiety and depression caused by stress linked to gut bacteria

This reinforces my theory that the US is devolving into a nation of weak minded and weak bodied pu##ies.

Everyone has some excuse or some "condition" oh my parents beat me, I was neglected, I was bullied, I was oppressed, I'm allergic to this I have a hormonal imbalance blah blah blah.

Everyone get a trophy, thanks for participating. Everyone is a special snowflake. Here's your "safe space". Here take these pills or get this treatment.

And people seem to brag about this stuff, like it's the cool thing to be a genetic weak link.

It's mind bottling.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: ExNihiloRed

The stigma around mental health issues needs to be lifted and people need to focus on solutions that work.

Howabout derailing the terror train of propaganda on TV?

When someone(s) gets shot or a bomb goes of killing civilians somewhere they splash it over and over, as long as a gun or Islam can be blamed, they never shut up . How fearful does all that make everyone?

After that they can stop the endless wars overseas and the endless debt at home. They can stop stealing peoples land, polluting the environment, our water, air, food… stop sending jobs overseas, pay a decent wage so people can pay their bills…

geez, its easy really.

I guess this is one form of anxiety, but a bit more specific than the generalized anxiety disorder I am referencing.

originally posted by: watchitburn
This reinforces my theory that the US is devolving into a nation of weak minded and weak bodied pu##ies.

Everyone has some excuse or some "condition" oh my parents beat me, I was neglected, I was bullied, I was oppressed, I'm allergic to this I have a hormonal imbalance blah blah blah.

And people seem to brag about this stuff, like it's the cool thing to be a genetic weak link.

It's mind bottling.

I misread your post and starred it by accident.

Your post is exactly the problem. I suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder that developed a few years ago and can be debilitating at times. Your ignorance is part of the problem. I am actually rather successful and capable. I don't talk to people about my issues or brag about it. It is an internal torment that I have to live with and I don't burden other people with it. If I could make it go away I would in a second. It is not something I want.

Your post is like saying those people with cancer are such weak #heads we should just euthanize them.

a reply to: ExNihiloRed

Yep. Nailed it.

Just like i mentioned in the recent thread about Cannabis.


Ps: there is also a mental disorder called stupidity as im sure youre aware Great thread.

originally posted by: watchitburn
This reinforces my theory that the US is devolving into a nation of weak minded and weak bodied pu##ies.

Yup. Wusses. You want some anxiety try living in the middle of a civil war where guerrilla warfare is standard practice.

a reply to: watchitburn Back in the 90's, I knew an older woman who worked and supported herself and lived a normal life. Out of nowhere she thought she was having a heart attack. She had a panick attack and was in no way proud or bragged about it. I'm guessing from her age, she was born in the late 50's.
The OP is right about there needing to be more research and understanding about this sort of thing.
I have had panic attacks and I never talk about it to anyone accept my doctor. I never even bring it up while having one. No one wants this to happen to them and it sucks.
Instead of clumping everyone together and putting people down, we could actually try to figure the issue out.
I take a non-addictive anti anxiety medication as needed and I certainly don't tell people(in real outside life) about my problems. The only reason I'm sharing here is because it's anonymous and might help folks.

a reply to: watchitburn

And people seem to brag about this stuff, like it's the cool thing to be a genetic weak link.

Yeah I hear people brag all the time about how they were severely abused sexually,physically and emotionally by people they trusted. Whether it be friends or family, it's absolutely the best thing ever.

I hear neurological disorders like dementia is the new cool.

Your lack of empathy is seriously F***ing disturbing...

originally posted by: peppycat
a reply to: watchitburn Back in the 90's, I knew an older woman who worked and supported herself and lived a normal life. Out of nowhere she thought she was having a heart attack. She had a panick attack and was in no way proud or bragged about it. I'm guessing from her age, she was born in the late 50's.
The OP is right about there needing to be more research and understanding about this sort of thing.
I have had panic attacks and I never talk about it to anyone accept my doctor. I never even bring it up while having one. No one wants this to happen to them and it sucks.
Instead of clumping everyone together and putting people down, we could actually try to figure the issue out.
I take a non-addictive anti anxiety medication as needed and I certainly don't tell people(in real outside life) about my problems. The only reason I'm sharing here is because it's anonymous and might help folks.

Thank you for your candor. I agree with your sentiments.

a reply to: schuyler

Yup. Wusses. You want some anxiety try living in the middle of a civil war where guerrilla warfare is standard practice.

That works. Proof is how the kids who came back from VietNam pushed for keeping their weed afterwards.
Only they started to get a little bit efficient at times with all the protesting and activism.

a reply to: ExNihiloRed Thank you for the OP. It helps to know that people are not alone when it comes to anxiety issues.

originally posted by: wisvol
a reply to: schuyler

Yup. Wusses. You want some anxiety try living in the middle of a civil war where guerrilla warfare is standard practice.

That works. Proof is how the kids who came back from VietNam pushed for keeping their weed afterwards.
Only they started to get a little bit efficient at times with all the protesting and activism.

I wasn't thinking so much of paid soldiers assigned to wreak mayhem on the populace, but the populace themselves that bore the brunt of said mayhem. And not just Vietnam. Being alive during the American Civil War, especially in a place like Missouri (Read about it: I would rather have been in Virginia), had to have evoked some "anxiety." Compared to being in a situation like that the current crop of anxiety-prone people makes you wonder why so little sets them off. The 'drama' they endure is incomparable to that suffered by people who lived constantly in fear of their lives.

And you can go ahead and claim that's not "empathetic," but I would maintain an excess of empathy is helping to perpetuate the problem and amounts to being co-dependent. In the case of the drug companies who are selling "solutions" to this "problem," I would also suggest they are making a tidy sum promoting such diagnoses.

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: wisvol
a reply to: schuyler

Yup. Wusses. You want some anxiety try living in the middle of a civil war where guerrilla warfare is standard practice.

That works. Proof is how the kids who came back from VietNam pushed for keeping their weed afterwards.
Only they started to get a little bit efficient at times with all the protesting and activism.

I wasn't thinking so much of paid soldiers assigned to wreak mayhem on the populace, but the populace themselves that bore the brunt of said mayhem. And not just Vietnam. Being alive during the American Civil War, especially in a place like Missouri (Read about it: I would rather have been in Virginia), had to have evoked some "anxiety." Compared to being in a situation like that the current crop of anxiety-prone people makes you wonder why so little sets them off. The 'drama' they endure is incomparable to that suffered by people who lived constantly in fear of their lives.

And you can go ahead and claim that's not "empathetic," but I would maintain an excess of empathy is helping to perpetuate the problem and amounts to being co-dependent. In the case of the drug companies who are selling "solutions" to this "problem," I would also suggest they are making a tidy sum promoting such diagnoses.

I do not find it helpful to the debate to point to people who may have it worse as a reason why something is not a problem. Slippery slope. I am also looking for real solutions, not just the peddling of prescription drugs that serve to mask the problem more than fix it.

a reply to: ExNihiloRed

I was considering doing a forum like this aswell,

This epidemic wasnt around 100 years ago,

"1 in 5 teens clinically depressed"... smh

Speaking of diet, when did this whole "no tolerance to gluten" crap come about?

The human race is going soft.