Let’s talk about Mental Health

“It has controlled my life since I was 9 in almost every way. In the limit, it freezes me, so the only way I figured to prevent that from happening was, and still is, to prepare myself before any situation that may disturb me. In my experience, I believe, it emerges from the need of control. Every small detail has to be in order so I can feel relaxed and safe, hence I spend a lot of time alone. Not because I want to, but because I need to. It’s a self-journey to regain confidence and comfort with disturbing situations”. This is the testimony of José, but this is the story of 284 million people all over world who suffer from anxiety. 

Anxiety is a mental condition, that represents the brain’s natural response to stress. It can be manifested in various ways, ones more severe than others. It is called ordinary anxiety if it does not interfere with an individual’s daily life. Everyone can have episodes of anxiety due to different events, such as a work interview or an important assignment, and it has a temporary effect. However, if these events happen frequently and the symptoms are not temporary, but continuum, then it might indicate anxiety disorder. 

Anxiety disorder is manifested in an increased level comparing to ordinary anxiety episodes. It represents a mental illness that affects between 2.5% and 7% of the world’s population, more common in women (4.7%) than in men (2.8%). Although it has been around for a while, “not until the 20^th century did anxiety emerge as an explicit and pervasive problem” (Charles D. Spielberger) caused by genetic and environmental factors. Nonetheless, previous studies, from around 1928 and 1931, refer anxiety as “equal to (…) fear and phobia combined”. In fact, this disorder is not only a reflection of stress, but also an individual’s feeling of fear and powerless over living. As José stresses, his everyday life is influenced by the debilitating capacity of anxiety. It enables him to do things he enjoys in life and “relationships become harder”. He starts to feel he fails “as a friend, a son, or a boyfriend”. Also, anxiety may worsen as a stressful event approaches, “I cannot go to places or events where I don’t feel that I am going to be relaxed. I hate to feel pressure and when I start to deny invitations to hang out and close myself to the world, my friends pressure me the most. They don’t want to lose me or watch me suffer, but there is really not much they can do to help”.

On the other hand, anxiety might not only be a trigger to depression, but also triggered by it. One can influence the other and both can act together. However, suffering from depression, does not mean suffering from anxiety, they are two different kind of mental illnesses.

There are more than 264 million people in the world experiencing depression. Rose is one of them. “It’s like having a tiny voice inside my head constantly telling me that I am not good enough; that I will never be good enough. There is always someone who does it better, who wears it better, who looks better. I am an ant in a world of giants. I used to look myself in the mirror and cry. Sometimes I cried because I didn’t like what I see, other times I didn’t even know why I was crying. I was always angry, I was always sad, I was always tired, but I found it difficult to fall asleep”. Depression is connected with the oscillation of moods and emotions of an individual. One can be immediately linked to sadness and frustration, due to a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors. Studies show that at least 1 in every 6 adults have experienced depression in their lifetime and, like anxiety, it is more common in women (4.1%) than in men (2.7%). Traumatic experiences may also be behind depressive episodes. “You enter in a loop of endless sadness and you cannot explain when and why it started; you are only aware that it did”, she describes.

Although depression is a mental issue, it may also scatter to the domains of physical health. Angelina Jolie, one of the most worldwide famous actresses, opened up about a period of depression she went through at the age of 14, “Having cut myself and feeling the pain, feeling some kind of release, was somehow therapeutic to me”. Many describe this kind of self-harming as something that “is intended to overlap the phycological pain”. Moreover, the significant loss of motivation and interests that this disease invoke might lead to isolation and, therefore, procrastination and lack of exercise developing obesity. In contrast, many individuals, especially women, who develop their depression by having low self-esteem, caused by the beauty patterns society creates, might as well suffer from illnesses as bulimia and anorexia. Demi Lovato, a well-known singer, fought against eating disorders due to her depression. She develops this subject in a documentary released in 2017 called Simply Complicated, mentioning how she found refuge in drug addiction. This is a problem she still faces today. 

Actually, individuals who suffer from either anxiety or depression, globally the most prevalent mental disorders, are more likely to fall into addiction. Therefore, many are the cases of abusing drugs, alcohol or smoking. One might believe that these are ways to escape the reality they are living under. However, the truth is, as José expressed, “I sacrificed my physical health in favor of my mental health and both ended up more damaged”.

Mental health has this power of being invisible, making it difficult to be spotted by the naked eye. Unfortunately, between 76% and 85% of people receive no treatment for their disorder and approximately 800 000 people die from suicide every year. This is the second leading cause of death from teenagers and young adults between 15 to 29 years old. “It’s the fear factor, when you are so afraid of dying that you don’t want to live anymore”, explains Rose.

If you have experienced any of these symptoms, talk to someone who has your best interests at heart. Either a parent or a friend. There is no shame in asking for help. Psychiatrists and psychologists exist for a reason and are two of the most crucial doctors in the world. In Jose experience, “it takes time, patience and training to overcome this disease, but it is almost impossible to conquer it alone”.