What I see when I look at my daily schedule is a full day with a helping of fun, a dash of not so fun, a handful of hard and a sprinkle of stress. However, to others that sprinkle of stress can look like a 10 pound bag of sugar ready to crush them.
This week we learned about the pathways in the brain that make these strong associations with stress, and actually it has a lot to do with making memories.
Johannas Reul published a paper in 2014 about the epigenetics and signaling pathways in stressful events. He found that stressful events can lead down two different pathways. One side of the pathway being activated by corticosterone and one by glutamate, and both ending in transcription of genes that handle stress. The findings conclude that stress may lead to stronger memories and so a higher prevalence of anxiety.
Researchers are also learning that anxiety disorders run in families, and that they have a biological basis, much like allergies or diabetes and other disorders. Anxiety disorders may develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
The Stigma
A study performed in 2009 found that stigma surrounding mental health disorders significantly decreases willingness to seek treatment.
Why would people choose to suffer in silence when many can access treatment? Thanks to the stigma surrounding mental health, many people find it difficult—and even shameful—to acknowledge that they have a problems with their mental health. Although these stigmas prevail, overcoming them is not only possible but also critical to recovering from anxiety and mental health disorders.
One way to do this is to combat mental health myths with facts. People with high levels of anxiety are often told to ‘toughen up’ because their psychological condition is viewed as a character flaw instead of a mental health problem that deserves professional attention. Some of these myths are debunked in a great article on Everydayhealth.com, with a link attached so you can understand some of the facts and begin turn the stigma around.
Whether you suffer from mental health problems or not, being an advocate for those with anxiety disorders in your workplace and communities can make a big difference in combating anxiety stigma. This is why I created this anagram about what I think people with anxiety disorders should really be thought of as.
Breaking free from mental health stigma is the first step to managing your anxiety. Exploring therapy, finding a community of people with similar experiences, and speaking with an anxiety specialist and/or doctor can help shake some of the entrenched shame that results from social and self-inflicted stigma.
The Stigma Surrounding Anxiety
