I tell people, anxiety is no joke. You give it an inch, and it will ALWAYS take a mile.
If you really want to read about anxiety from strictly a medical perspective, there are so many resources online. Today, my article is more from my perspective as a doctor, a human, a been-there-done-that, a friend and a survivor all combined in one.
Real struggles and real advice.
I’m telling you this upfront so you won’t be too shocked when you read on and my message doesn’t sound too “doctor-like.”
What is Anxiety?
When we say someone is anxious, usually we mean that they are fearful or always worried and fretting. This may range from mild, low-level worrying to severe panic attacks and phobias. It can range from not being a big deal for you to being unable to function or work!
Let me explain a little more…
Anxiety can get so bad that a person is afraid to get out of their house, not wanting to see people, always fretting and worrying about tomorrow.
Some people worry about being sick and make a big deal about the most minute thing. Some worry excessively about what others think about them. For some, if they even see a picture of a snake, they are literally bawling. These are phobias.
Others have full-blown panic attacks with heart racing, hands sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath, etcetera. It looks like a heart attack!
Yet others have mild non-specific symptoms – indigestion, headache problems, feeling tense and on edge all the time, can’t relax, can’t concentrate, feeling like you can’t get ahead. Typically, you’re gloomy and sound sad and pessimistic most times. Anxiety drains your energy and may even drain those around you.
Nowadays, there are many fancy names for all the different subtypes of anxiety disorders, but they all have the same premise – you are worrying about something and worrying real bad.
ANXIETY ON ANY LEVEL IS A HORRIBLE DISEASE
I, for one, hate it.
I could spend all day explaining the real roots of anxiety, but I would have to tell you that off air! LOL
Is it ever normal?
Of course, anxiety is a normal part of feeling and emotion.
If you’re about to do an exam, a driver’s test, a visa interview, it’s normal to feel a little anxious; that’s part of the body’s stress response.
But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a lifestyle of anxiety that you just can’t shake.
You wake up feeling stressed and worried in the morning, and you go to bed and hardly fall asleep every night. You wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep—your mind racing with thoughts.
I always tell people – anxiety is greedy.
Anxiety says, “Beg yuh $10,” and you give the $10, then Anxiety says, “Give me $50, then $100. Then $1000. Then…” More and more; it can never be quenched.
That’s why most people end up on medications or wind up very miserable. Anxiety doesn’t leave on its own. It doesn’t!
You have to do something about it.
Medications help the symptoms, but the cause…it’s like having a toothache – you take two Panadols and forget about the pain for a while until six hours later, it’s back again.
And nobody is immune from anxiety.
Rich and poor, young and old – all can fall prey. Once there is life, there is always something to worry about.
· No money, too much money. You hear about these celebrities on valium and Xanax (anxiety medicines).
· No friends, too many friends
· Too slim, too fat
· No job, stressful job
· Men fret about providing for household and family.
· Women fret about their family being provided for.
· Youth fret about their future prospects in this country.
· Elders fret about getting sick and their care and the afterlife.
I could go on and on, but I know you get the point.
Even you, Doc?!!!
I suffered pretty bad anxiety after the ordeal of my father’s hospitalisation and death a few years ago. I was always fearful, angry, and worried. I kept worrying if I would die early, too, and who would be there for my children as a mother. Every little lump or pain in my breasts, I panicked. It was horrible, man! I had nightmares so that when I awoke, I was still drained. I wondered if I had even slept. LOL!
That’s a glimpse of one person’s anxiety – it’s post-traumatic anxiety/stress. Mine.
Yes, I already told you. No one is immune to it, not even the good doctor!
Harsh Impact, too
Anxiety can have such a devastating impact on relationships, on your children, your spouse, your friends, your workplace. It did with me. Thank God for a supportive family that put up with me.
It can have a devastating impact on your health – High blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, nerve pains, and depression have all been linked to chronic or long-term anxiety disorder.
Medicating yourself with the wrong stuff
Have you turned to your own remedies as medicine?
· Cigarettes
· Weed
· Alcohol
· Food
· Spending too much money
· Partying like there’s no tomorrow
· Workaholic
Does it run in families?
You already know the answer. Yes, it does. Just like bad temper and depression do.
So, what are you going to do to break the cycle?
Now we know why the Almighty commands us in His Word: “Don’t be anxious.”
Don’t means don’t!
Even if you don’t believe in the Bible, you have to agree with that one, nuh true?
Next time I write, I will go into some very practical steps you can take to treat anxiety and how you can know when it’s time to see a counsellor or even your doctor for medical help.
God bless.
Serving God and the elderly are two of Dr. Jennice’s passions. A house call doctor and health educator, she has been a Christian from her youth.
