Why are there so many people with "anxiety" these days? Serious question.

[Anonymous]

I echo many of the responses here:
exposure to a constant media onslaught of all the bad things that are happening around the world, as well as exposure to seeing how the ultra rich live and being able to compare your life with theirs;
the plethora of choices and information that overload us on a minute by minute basis, the expansion of our superficial social connections and shrinking of deeper meaningful connections;
The fact that the US has longer working hours, less vacation, less maternity leave, family support, than almost all other developed nations;
And for women, living in the aftermath of the feminist movement, in which they are now criticized for any decision they make, whether they choose a career or be a homemaker, or if they try to do it all;
Lack of exposure to nature and it's inherent slower pace of life and simplicity;

And finally, (surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet) the overall movement of our country away from religion as a grounding foundation in which to live out our lives, and instead looking toward science for answers. However science can only go so far, and the number of poorly done studies and biased studies far outweigh the good, and usually science cannot give you the deeper purpose of our lives- something that we all ultimately need and seek out in order to live contented life.

[Anonymous]

I had anxiety as a child (in the 1970s) too--the treatment: my mom telling me " you do not have anxiety."

Mine has spiraled out of control since moving to the DC area; the traffic, congestion, the cost of the living, and number of self-entitled people are not helping. It is everywhere, but living conditions here make it worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cry it out sleeping technique.

We have a winner!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some examples I'm thinking of how modern parenting is intense:

Raising young kids away from extended families, thus having to always seek out new trusted babysitters.

Then infant sleep...baby only falls asleep in clear death traps (like on her tummy) but you can't let that happen so you stay awake monitoring.

Car seats/boosters beyond age of 2. Makes logistics of traveling by air, or carpooling more complicated than it once was.

Leaving kids in the car for quick errands...my mom did it all time when we were young. Cracked the windows and left the radio on.

Then they get to school and it's homework starting in K, testing starting in 3d grade. The classroom isn't really set up for all learners, so advocating for your kid becomes a full-time gig.

All this happening at the same time more mothers remain in the workforce and but our country has failed to enact any meaningful accommodations for working families.

Great post. These restrictions turn everything into an issue. Well, I need to run a few errands but getting kids into and out of the car multiple times will cause meltdowns so I can't...and then there's no family nearby so no one can help when we have busy work weeks and need to get child to sports practice. Then you stress about what childcare option is best, is my child actually learning in elementary school and how much do I have to do at home when all he wants to do is play...it's a million little things all the time. And the judgements from others!

And frankly, social media and web forums like this where people feel free to criticize you because you are just a bunch of words on a computer screen and not a human. The value in terms of advice here is dubious at his point since 99% of threads devolve into a screaming match about whose opinions are best.

This forum is so interesting and I mean in a 'bug under a microscope' way. You can practically feel the contempt for others through the keyboard. I have never met so many arrogant people as I have in this area. People here actually think they are better than others. It's kind of sad, actually.

It's not just DC. It's everywhere. People from all over comment on this board. It's a myth that people from other regions of the country are somehow nicer. They are not. They just fake it to your face more.

No. It's really not everywhere. I spend a lot of time other places in the US and trust me when I tell you this area has a special kind of asshole.

Go to Bethesda Farmer's Market on a Sunday. I've never seen so many self-absorbed people in my life.

I lived in DC for 10 years and have since moved away. I know from DC area assholes, trust me. And they are special to be sure, but my point is that every area has these people. There are as many rich, entitled bitches in my hometown as there are anywhere else. And they are not nicer. In fact, my hometown is rather parochial and people don't generally move more than 10 minutes from where they grew up. If they don't already know you, they don't need to. So as I said, they are nice to your face but in reality they could give two shits about you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some examples I'm thinking of how modern parenting is intense:

Raising young kids away from extended families, thus having to always seek out new trusted babysitters.

Then infant sleep...baby only falls asleep in clear death traps (like on her tummy) but you can't let that happen so you stay awake monitoring.

Car seats/boosters beyond age of 2. Makes logistics of traveling by air, or carpooling more complicated than it once was.

Leaving kids in the car for quick errands...my mom did it all time when we were young. Cracked the windows and left the radio on.

Then they get to school and it's homework starting in K, testing starting in 3d grade. The classroom isn't really set up for all learners, so advocating for your kid becomes a full-time gig.

All this happening at the same time more mothers remain in the workforce and but our country has failed to enact any meaningful accommodations for working families.

Great post. These restrictions turn everything into an issue. Well, I need to run a few errands but getting kids into and out of the car multiple times will cause meltdowns so I can't...and then there's no family nearby so no one can help when we have busy work weeks and need to get child to sports practice. Then you stress about what childcare option is best, is my child actually learning in elementary school and how much do I have to do at home when all he wants to do is play...it's a million little things all the time. And the judgements from others!

And frankly, social media and web forums like this where people feel free to criticize you because you are just a bunch of words on a computer screen and not a human. The value in terms of advice here is dubious at his point since 99% of threads devolve into a screaming match about whose opinions are best.

This forum is so interesting and I mean in a 'bug under a microscope' way. You can practically feel the contempt for others through the keyboard. I have never met so many arrogant people as I have in this area. People here actually think they are better than others. It's kind of sad, actually.

It's not just DC. It's everywhere. People from all over comment on this board. It's a myth that people from other regions of the country are somehow nicer. They are not. They just fake it to your face more.

No. It's really not everywhere. I spend a lot of time other places in the US and trust me when I tell you this area has a special kind of asshole.

Go to Bethesda Farmer's Market on a Sunday. I've never seen so many self-absorbed people in my life.

I lived in DC for 10 years and have since moved away. I know from DC area assholes, trust me. And they are special to be sure, but my point is that every area has these people. There are as many rich, entitled bitches in my hometown as there are anywhere else. And they are not nicer. In fact, my hometown is rather parochial and people don't generally move more than 10 minutes from where they grew up. If they don't already know you, they don't need to. So as I said, they are nice to your face but in reality they could give two shits about you.

You can't avoid the assholes here. You can elsewhere. Assholes make up the majority of people here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many people now with "anxiety" or who are prone to panic attacks. No judgment at all I am just curious as to why. Environmental factors? Cultural and/or societal? Is it a broader scope for diagnosing now or just more people are being diagnosed? It really just seems in the past decade that more and more people have these crippling anxieties. You see more social anxiety as well. Not saying no one had this before, it just seems like so many now. Makes me wonder why.

OP, maybe first, before wondering why more people have anxiety and panic attacks, establish whether it's actually true that more people have anxiety and panic attacks.

Uh... She said right in the op that it seemed to her more people were and then asked if it was just more people reporting it/being diagnosed. What is wrong with that? I agree. I think it is because more people are getting help and there is a wider scale to diagnose anxiety now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can't avoid the assholes here. You can elsewhere. Assholes make up the majority of people here.

Most people in the DC area do not live near the Bethesda farmer's market. Maybe you should get out more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many people now with "anxiety" or who are prone to panic attacks. No judgment at all I am just curious as to why. Environmental factors? Cultural and/or societal? Is it a broader scope for diagnosing now or just more people are being diagnosed? It really just seems in the past decade that more and more people have these crippling anxieties. You see more social anxiety as well. Not saying no one had this before, it just seems like so many now. Makes me wonder why.

OP, maybe first, before wondering why more people have anxiety and panic attacks, establish whether it's actually true that more people have anxiety and panic attacks.

Uh... She said right in the op that it seemed to her more people were and then asked if it was just more people reporting it/being diagnosed. What is wrong with that? I agree. I think it is because more people are getting help and there is a wider scale to diagnose anxiety now.

What is wrong with it? The bolded part. Lots of things seem to me to be so. That doesn't mean that they actually are so.

[Anonymous]

It's probably similar to autism. What used to be just "weird" is now diagnosed and treated. I don't think that's a bad thing. 50 years ago, someone with agoraphobia was just a Boo Radley, neighborhood weirdo. Now they can get meds and live life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are so many people now with "anxiety" or who are prone to panic attacks. No judgment at all I am just curious as to why. Environmental factors? Cultural and/or societal? Is it a broader scope for diagnosing now or just more people are being diagnosed? It really just seems in the past decade that more and more people have these crippling anxieties. You see more social anxiety as well. Not saying no one had this before, it just seems like so many now. Makes me wonder why.

First. I am not certain there are more, just a greater openness about the issue of mental health, depression and anxiety and a willingness to be treated for it. Also, there are people that are under stress that really isn't systemic anxiety that needs meds but doctors give them anyway.

My period of anxiety/panic attacks came as a result of an untreated condition that had gone untreated for many years. If fact it was so bad they also 'temporarily' diagnosed me as bi-polar II. Once I treated the foundation of my illness I moved off the anxiety meds, don't have bi-polar swings, still have situational depression like we all do but don't suffer from the depths of mental illness I once did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many people now with "anxiety" or who are prone to panic attacks. No judgment at all I am just curious as to why. Environmental factors? Cultural and/or societal? Is it a broader scope for diagnosing now or just more people are being diagnosed? It really just seems in the past decade that more and more people have these crippling anxieties. You see more social anxiety as well. Not saying no one had this before, it just seems like so many now. Makes me wonder why.

OP, maybe first, before wondering why more people have anxiety and panic attacks, establish whether it's actually true that more people have anxiety and panic attacks.

Uh... She said right in the op that it seemed to her more people were and then asked if it was just more people reporting it/being diagnosed. What is wrong with that? I agree. I think it is because more people are getting help and there is a wider scale to diagnose anxiety now.

What is wrong with it? The bolded part. Lots of things seem to me to be so. That doesn't mean that they actually are so.

Again so maybe that is why she asked for others opinions on the matter. What is your issue with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many people now with "anxiety" or who are prone to panic attacks. No judgment at all I am just curious as to why. Environmental factors? Cultural and/or societal? Is it a broader scope for diagnosing now or just more people are being diagnosed? It really just seems in the past decade that more and more people have these crippling anxieties. You see more social anxiety as well. Not saying no one had this before, it just seems like so many now. Makes me wonder why.

OP, maybe first, before wondering why more people have anxiety and panic attacks, establish whether it's actually true that more people have anxiety and panic attacks.

Uh... She said right in the op that it seemed to her more people were and then asked if it was just more people reporting it/being diagnosed. What is wrong with that? I agree. I think it is because more people are getting help and there is a wider scale to diagnose anxiety now.

What is wrong with it? The bolded part. Lots of things seem to me to be so. That doesn't mean that they actually are so.

Are you seriously trying to say that there are not more people diagnosed and being treated for anxiety now than say 20 or 30 years ago? Evidence right in this thread points to why.

[Anonymous]

I agree with people up thread. Constantly knowing everything bad going on via 24 hour sensational news stations. The idea there's no one way to do things anymore but now there are RIGHT WAYS and WRONG WAYS. When we all stayed home and raised our kids the same, the pressure to do it "best" was off; for that matter, society becoming more kid centric contributes because you are acutely aware someone thinks you're a terrible parent and are raising kids who will become awful adults.

The Internet has been both a boon and a hindrance to the human experience. We know everything about everybody and it overloads us while simultaneously making us suspicious of what people know about US. There is a huge lack of privacy anymore- anyone can find out anything about you with incentive and time. It's somewhat terrifying.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the rates of alcoholism and other addictions have changed among the middle and upper middle classes who can afford regular access to therapy and medications. I would guess there are some people who have been diagnosed with anxiety and take meds for it today but thirty years ago would have been a self-medicating addict.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some examples I'm thinking of how modern parenting is intense:

Raising young kids away from extended families, thus having to always seek out new trusted babysitters.

Then infant sleep...baby only falls asleep in clear death traps (like on her tummy) but you can't let that happen so you stay awake monitoring.

Car seats/boosters beyond age of 2. Makes logistics of traveling by air, or carpooling more complicated than it once was.

Leaving kids in the car for quick errands...my mom did it all time when we were young. Cracked the windows and left the radio on.

Then they get to school and it's homework starting in K, testing starting in 3d grade. The classroom isn't really set up for all learners, so advocating for your kid becomes a full-time gig.

All this happening at the same time more mothers remain in the workforce and but our country has failed to enact any meaningful accommodations for working families.

Great post. These restrictions turn everything into an issue. Well, I need to run a few errands but getting kids into and out of the car multiple times will cause meltdowns so I can't...and then there's no family nearby so no one can help when we have busy work weeks and need to get child to sports practice. Then you stress about what childcare option is best, is my child actually learning in elementary school and how much do I have to do at home when all he wants to do is play...it's a million little things all the time. And the judgements from others!

And frankly, social media and web forums like this where people feel free to criticize you because you are just a bunch of words on a computer screen and not a human. The value in terms of advice here is dubious at his point since 99% of threads devolve into a screaming match about whose opinions are best.

This forum is so interesting and I mean in a 'bug under a microscope' way. You can practically feel the contempt for others through the keyboard. I have never met so many arrogant people as I have in this area. People here actually think they are better than others. It's kind of sad, actually.

It's not just DC. It's everywhere. People from all over comment on this board. It's a myth that people from other regions of the country are somehow nicer. They are not. They just fake it to your face more.

No. It's really not everywhere. I spend a lot of time other places in the US and trust me when I tell you this area has a special kind of asshole.

Go to Bethesda Farmer's Market on a Sunday. I've never seen so many self-absorbed people in my life.

I grew up in the DC area. I recently moved away to a more rural area.
I can say that not everyone everywhere is as arrogant and unfriendly as the people in the DC area.
The place I live now is incredibly friendly. The people are helpful. The clerks in businesses are genuinely nice. The waitresses are awesome.
People here are just plain happier. They are not wealthy. In fact, some are very poor (and not “poor” by DCUM standards). But, they are kind, helpful, friendly, and genuine.
Such a difference.