Anxiety. Far more prevalent today? Overused term?

[Miljah]

I barely open any thread on MN now concerning an issue someone has where they haven't used the word 'anxiety'.

I think of anxiety being a (diagnosed) disproportionate fear reaction that overwhelms your life like the Generalised Anxiety Disorder described on the NHS website.

Of course, I know that more or less everyone has the odd moment of fear- it's a useful thing, adrenaline kicks in, your fight/flight reaction; that helps you overcome whatever it is that initiated your fear reaction.

But I suspect we are trivialising the medical condition of GAD, as described in the link, by chucking the term 'anxiety' around so freely.

I was just reading about a young adult, first year uni, who phoned her mum at 4.30am because she thought she could smell burning; mother found the number of the Halls security and mum called it herself. And it was duly sorted out.

But people who asked why the DD hadn't begun to deal with it locally herself was met with 'Oh, daughter has anxiety'.... is that anxiety or lack of gumption?

Are we infantalising our youngsters by excusing such behaviour by labelling it 'anxiety'?

I think that chat sites like mumsnet are very helpful in a lot of ways, for supporting people who otherwise feel they are alone. But there can be a negative effect too, in the sense of either normalising extreme behaviour, or 'diagnosing' perfectly normal behaviour.

So, for example, there is thread after thread where people normalise very extreme hygiene practices as being 'basic cleanliness' and then people read it and think 'see, I was right, it is normal to change clothes twice a day, anything less is disgusting'. And similarly if people describe something like being nervous about making a presentation, which almost everyone is nervous about, as being a symptom of anxiety, then others think 'ah, other people don't feel like this, it's because I have anxiety'

Dobbins my OP is in support of your situation! Other teachers have already said that 'anxiety' is being bandied around as a 'don't fancy that' catchall. It dilutes and trivialises real, diagnosed anxiety.

I'm sorry your child's teacher doesn't get it.

@Miljah but not answering the door if you're not expecting anyone is what is advised by the police where I live. So it's just a sensible thing to do. And not answering an unknown number saves being pestered by people trying to flog me kitchens, boilers, telling me I had a car accident etc. Just a sensible thing to do.

I have adulted, perfectly well, for over 30 years.

I am a stoic - I have moved countries with a 6 week old baby, banished a burglar from my bedroom and then gone back to bed etc etc.

I am currently suffering from - diagnosed - moderate anxiety. I am lucky in that I am not so severely affected that I am unable to work or unable to leave my house.

I am not well, and not like my normal self. Like pneumonia, or a broken pelvis, it is incapacitating. Unlike pneumonia, or a broken pelvis, its existence and its affect on me is disputed. Yet I am clearly as 'unwell' - as in, as far from my normal - as I would be if I was in bed with a physical illness.

Gagabinks

I heard on the radio during the summer a girl describing her mental health problems which she later referred to as 'exam-induced anxiety'.

Wtf? EVERYONE IN THE FRICKING WORLD SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME has been anxious about taking exams! That's not a mental health problem - that's a healthy emotional reaction to a high-stakes task!

(I am, by the way, a teacher, and the illness is almost entirely as a result of my job. While the anxiety = 'a bit nervous' thing in my pupils can be occasionally irritating, I am also aware that to my colleagues, my current state is equally irritating asd they have the same stresses and strains as me to a large extent, but are not currently as ill as i am)

Regarding not answering the phone to an unknown number, it's not that the caller may be a salesman, etc, , no; it's actually 'I might have to talk to someone I don't know, someone I haven't had a chance to curate my response to'. I find that scary, therefore I'm anxious.

Yes, I do get the not answering the door (I guess) but how on earth do you get your Amazon deliveries???!

Dobbins my OP is in support of your situation!

No, it really isn't. Because you don't believe the young person's anxiety in your OP is genuine. You assume there's no diagnosis there, just a fussy mum who had raised a child without sufficient gumption.

You're far from alone, It's a very common point of view.

Anxiety is a thing. But it doesn't need to stop you living your life. I have suffered from pretty severe anxiety over specific things for years. I think it helps if you (one) can see it as normal, rather than a scary thing that stops you from functioning.

In other words = Anxiety is Normal.

As a pp said, I always heard “suffers with nerves” growing up. My late nanna was one who was described like this and yes, if she was here now it would be classed as “anxiety”

It's interesting that the assumption seems to be that it's somehow trendy nowadays to wrongly claim that you have anxiety, or that people are simply less resilient, rather than considering the possibility that the enormous changes to society and lifestyles over the last couple of decades might be the bigger factor. Compare 24 hours in the life of an average teenager now Vs the 1990's. Everything is immortalised online; every tiny mistake and embarrassing moment. If you have bullies, they can reach you online in the privacy of your own bedroom. Most of us spend more time online than actually interacting with real life people in the flesh. Our social needs are not being met by our lifestyles. We spend less time in the outdoors. We get less exercise. Working hours are crazy and the cost of living is just unmanageable for so many people.

When you're judging someone for using the word anxiety because you think that what they are experiencing is within normal stress limits, you actually don't know that to be the case. You're making a judgement. There are very few people whose private medical history you will be aware of. Only my husband knows about my diagnoses and medication/therapies. I suppose I trust that any of the friends I have had discussions with are taking my words at face value and not privately assuming that I'm weak or jumping on a bandwagon because I haven't shown them my prescriptions. The fact that more people suffer from anxiety is not proof that they are making it up.

I do agree that the term 'anxiety' is becoming used in an inappropriate manner, not just on mumsnet but in society in general. I was hospitalised a couple of years ago with a suspected stroke. Started with pins and needles on waking followed by an increasing inability to walk and blood pressure reading over 200 (top reading). It was eventually diagnosed as an anxiety attack, I never thought anxiety could cause such severe physical symptoms, so when I see 'anxiety' used so lightly on forums such as this I really worry about the detrimental effect this is having on those who really suffer from what can be a debilitating condition.

I'd like to know more about the university support package that would have been in place to deal with a 4.30am panic over the burning smell.

Dobbins IMO a young adult whose first response to smelling burning in her Halls of Residence is to call mum at 4.30am either had such severe anxiety she shouldn't be unsupported at uni (if she were diagnosed, support could, and would have been put in place), or she needs to adult-up.

@Miljah ha! I very rarely use Amazon but don't get them or anything else delivered here. Sometimes stuff delivered by Royal Mail comes but always when I'm at work so it goes to the sorting office.

But what exactly is that support?

@Miljah also I have no problems talking to strangers. I love a good chat on the bus or in a queue. Luckily I live somewhere where strangers still talk to each other.

I developed anxiety in my early twenties, over 25 years ago now. Panic attacks came out of the blue, I couldn't sleep, eat or function, I really genuinely thought I was going mad.

Back then it wasn't a "thing" I had no idea that panic attacks existed, no-one I knew had anxiety, I hadn't heard of it and I was too ashamed and scared to admit to how I was feeling, even my closest family didn't know anything about it until years later.

I do think the term can be used lightly nowadays, however I also think it's great that people are more open about it now. I'm much better then I ever was and I can openly talk about it now without worrying I'll end up sectioned.

My ds is now unfortunately having issues with anxiety, looking back I think he is very similar to how I was as a child, I had to just get on with it though, there was no special treatment/counselling etc. While I feel sad and guilty that he may have inherited this from me I also am grateful that he can be open about how he feels and there is now help out there for him- there really wasn't anything when I was struggling.

I agree.

I think mental health is like an immune system; it needs to survive minor insults to develop healthily. So if you never have to JFDI and sit exams, or make phone calls or what have you, when you’re faced with an unavoidable situation, you cant cope. Whereas if you have a bank of JFDI even minor things to draw on, it’s easier to know that it will all be fine. So helicopter parents, and a life that can be done at the swipe of an app with no effort, for example, don’t help to develop healthy mental behaviours.

I have PTSD and live daily with anxiety.
I had it before it became a fashion accessory.
Unfortunately.

I can understand what you're saying OP, but anxiety genuinely is more of an issue these days. Many people are socially isolated, and times can be hard generally.

I agree OP. I remember when people would say they were depressed. They weren't, they were feeling down etc.

I sit on PIP appeals and the amount of people who claim anxiety is shocking. When you ask what kind of situations it's the kind where most people might feel a bit unsure. But that's not anxiety. An anxiety disorder can warp everyday tasks. Not just going to parties, important events (exams as another poster said!) I myself had post natal anxiety. It was off the scale. The first anxiety attack I had I actually thought I was going to die with how I felt physically! An ambulance was called etc!!! I do get anxious when I have to go somewhere new alone etc but that's not anxiety. It doesn't keep me awake at night etc

I know what you mean OP. When I was young, being shy, unwilling to walk in front of crowds etc would now be badged as "anxiety" when actually I was just "anxious in certain situations" which is a normal human emotion.

We live in a society obsessed with labels and I really do think this is to the detriment of young people

Are you a journalist?

I actually agree with you, in nearly every thread on here when someone does something inadvisable it's always oh it's my anxiety,

Yet very few of these posters will see a doctor, it seems it's a convenient excuse. Obviously there are posters who genuinely do suffer from it, are diagnosed and being treated, but not the majority.

It is now the ubiquitous excuse for everything, from over sensitivity to being rude.