MONDAY, OCT 16, 2017
THEDAYUSA.COM
The age of anxiety: A growing ‘modern plague’
Why do so many of us feel like
we cannot cope? Nearly onethird of Americans are affected
by an “epidemic” that is
sweeping through rich countries
and haunting the lives of young
people.
Breaking free: Psychologists say sufferers should try to break the “vicious cycle” of anxiety.
Jake was a high achiever, a member of his high
school’s cross-country running team and Model
United Nations participant. Then in his junior
year, as his mother put it, he “ran 150 miles
per hour into a brick wall.”
Suddenly going to school felt like an
impossible undertaking, and that nothing he
did was good enough. As he told The New York
Times: “All of a sudden I couldn’t do anything …
I was so afraid.”
Jake is not alone — According to estimates
by the National Institute of Mental Health
anxiety affects nearly one-third of all
Americans, making it the most common
mental health disorder. And anxiety has now
overtaken depression as the most common
reason why college students seek counseling.
For outsiders, it can be difficult to
understand what makes anxiety so much
worse than normal feelings of worry. “Anxiety is
easy to dismiss or overlook, partially because
everyone has it to some degree,” Philip Kendall
of Philadelphia’s Temple University explained
Q&A
Q: What do we know?
A: The number of people affected by anxiety
worldwide is increasing. Last year Cambridge
University released a report that found women
are twice as likely as men to suffer from
to The New York Times.
Evolutionarily, anxiety has helped us to
identify and avoid dangerous situations. But
now it all comes down to how the feelings are
experienced: Nerves about an exam that
motivate you to revise are normal; panic
attacks that stop you from sitting it are not.
There can be other symptoms — shortness
of breath, palpitations, insomnia — but a good
rule is that if your everyday life is being
affected, something is wrong.
What is making young people so anxious?
Scientists do not know for sure, but there are
plenty of theories. Psychologist Pieter Kruger
and psychiatrist Stephanie Eken both blame
social media for instilling a permanent sense of
FOMO and distorting expectations of reality.
Psychologist Barry Schwartz blames the
“paradox of choice”: In a world where
supermarkets sell 200 types of milk, people
are paralyzed by their own freedom.
Meanwhile, author Julie Lythcott-Haims blames
“helicopter parents” for “robbing kids of the
chance” to grow up.
anxiety, and that under-35s are also more
likely to be affected, particularly in developed
countries. It concluded that globally, around 4
percent of the population has an anxiety
disorder.
anxiety rates. Experts attribute the increase to
multiple factors. It is also not always obvious
when someone is suffering from an anxiety
disorder. Many look calm and successful on
the outside, but are suffering on the inside.
That is why it is important to talk about anxiety,
and begin chipping away at the stigma
attached to it.
Q: What do we not know?
A: What exactly is causing this increase in
Worried sick
Clearly modern life is to blame, say some.
Despite the luxury that surrounds many young
people in rich countries, they are far more
likely to be anxious than their counterparts in
developing nations. Some psychologists have
nicknamed the phenomenon “affluenza”:
Money does not buy happiness. In fact, it
seems to do the opposite.
That is not entirely true, say others.
Everyone is prone to anxiety and other mental
health issues — it is just that developing
nations have other problems to focus on, and
different ways of understanding mental health.
Anxiety was not caused by wealth; but by
getting rid of disease and hunger, it has been
allowed to surface. Now that it is out in the
open, we can face it head-on.
YOU DECIDE
ACTIVITIES
1. Is anxiety a “luxury” of the modern age?
2. What is causing young people to feel so
stressed and anxious?
1. The “vicious cycle” illustrated above can
cause anxiety to escalate quickly, so sufferers
are often advised to find a way to break it. At
which point is this easiest? Discuss your ideas
with a partner. If you can, write three practical
tips.
SOME PEOPLE SAY...
“There is no difference between mental and
physical illness.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
2. Use these tips, and your own research, to
produce a short video or article that advises
young people on how to cope with anxiety.
WORD WATCH
Overtaken depression – According to the
Association for University and College
Counseling Center Directors’ 2016 annual
report.
Philip Kendall –
BECOME AN EXPERT
Notes
Kendall is the director of the Child and
Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic at
Philadelphia’s Temple University.
Panic attacks – Sudden feelings of acute
anxiety that you cannot control — it may feel
like having a heart attack or being unable to
breathe.
FOMO – Fear of missing out.
Helicopter parents – Overprotective parents,
nicknamed because they are “hovering” over
their children instead of letting them learn for
themselves.
Read this article on thedayusa.com for links to recommended videos and further reading.