Current Events > Real talk - can someone help me understand why everyone has anxiety nowadays

(+) Yeah! (+)

Like I understand anxiety but there are far too many people in my life using it as an excuse for a reason or other

I dunno like I dont wanna offend or step on toes but I can understand what anxiety does and I kinda have an iffy understanding of anxiety disorder so I dont believe people who claim to have such disorders and I feel like its being romanticized for a reason or another

I think there are a few reasons why it is being seen far more often:

1) Society is more open to coming forward with these issues. Baby Boomers were raised by parents who just didn't understand (due to less scientific research) this kind of thing, and were not as open with their feelings about mental health issues.

2) We have more "time" to contemplate things in our lives and our place in what is happening around us. Generations past it was literally a society of working to make ends meet, usually in a physical way.

3) Our generation has a lot more on their plate than generations past. I'm not going to complain since my life is way easier in a number of ways, but we also have a lot of stuff we are "supposed to fix". Climate change, financial instability, hell many of us do not make a wage to even consider purchasing a home. Our parents benefited from decades of growth and stability and wages that afforded such things.
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and also because we hardly ever interact person to person anymore
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Because if more people didn't have some kind of issue, psychiatrists would be out of work.
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soulunison2 posted...

Like I understand anxiety but there are far too many people in my life using it as an excuse for a reason or other

Give examples

Isolation, isolation, isolation.

Before people were forced to overcome their anxiety because they needed to go out into the world and interact with people for both life necessities and recreation.

Now we dont have to ever leave our house for any reason.

partly self-diagnostication and partly what #2 said
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A mix of changing social/economic structures that leave a lot of people out, New tech that changes how we interact with people, and people developing later socially (so an 18 y/o now who cant cook easy Mac himself was married and fighting in a world war in the 40s)
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Part of it is being coddled and thinking routine scenarios are some melodramatic, end-of-the-world event.
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Magnets
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ShotOJameson posted...

and also because we hardly ever interact person to person anymore

lejonbrames posted...

Isolation, isolation, isolation.

Before people were forced to overcome their anxiety because they needed to go out into the world and interact with people for both life necessities and recreation.

Now we dont have to ever leave our house for any reason.

Spot on. Spend a prolonged period as a shut-in, and you'll feel pretty self-conscious next time you're in a public place. Unfortunately, for a lot of people the media they consume becomes their life, and when you're back in the real world it feels like you're an actor since you've forgotten how it goes. It sucks, but at least it's temporary.

There's another more serious form of it, I think, but I have no familiarity with it.
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The aliens are trying to control us, that's why everyone has anxiety

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.
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The Admiral posted...

Part of it is being coddled and thinking routine scenarios are some melodramatic, end-of-the-world event.

*25 year old washes a dish*

#Adulting! Better post this on Instagram
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Resolution posted...

soulunison2 posted...

Like I understand anxiety but there are far too many people in my life using it as an excuse for a reason or other

Give examples

I dont go to the gym because of my anxiety said by a friend who wants to lose weight but doesnt want to work out with me

I dont want to take workshops because of my anxiety this was from a friend who is having a hard time finding work and I suggested maybe improve yourself and take a workshop to learn a new skill based that can help his line of work

Stuff like this, I get being socially tiredness as I am an introvert but sometimes it just sounds like an excuse

EDIT - oh another one! A friend of mine wanted to go to a thing and no one wanted to go with her and she said her anxiety wouldnt let her go by herself

Arcentaus posted...

ShotOJameson posted...

and also because we hardly ever interact person to person anymore

lejonbrames posted...

Isolation, isolation, isolation.

Before people were forced to overcome their anxiety because they needed to go out into the world and interact with people for both life necessities and recreation.

Now we dont have to ever leave our house for any reason.

Spot on. Spend a prolonged period as a shut-in, and you'll feel pretty self-conscious next time you're in a public place. Unfortunately, for a lot of people the media they consume becomes their life, and when you're back in the real world it feels like you're an actor since you've forgotten how it goes. It sucks, but at least it's temporary.

There's another more serious form of it, I think, but I have no familiarity with it.

I see a correlation between anxiety and social media use.

Man I hate how unhealthy social media is.m (im p addicted to insta) But I wouldnt call myself a shut in - I tell people to go out and do things on their own, go to a play or movie by themselves but when I offer that advice people just straight up look st me like Im crazy

Being a fragile victim is haute coutre
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r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

This is the most accurate reason. Not "coddling" or "isolation". People who leave the house and interact with people regularly have anxiety.

Technology and modern stuff
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Because dey don't know how to be grown up, so dey fake dis shit or something tbh
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r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

Must be fucking hard when 200 years ago you didn't know if pa was going to make it home from the city from his fur selling trip with the money you need to not starve to death one more winter.
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soulunison2 posted...

EDIT - oh another one! A friend of mine wanted to go to a thing and no one wanted to go with her and she said her anxiety wouldnt let her go by herself

I didn't go to a concert last saturday because of this ._.
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Resolution posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

This is the most accurate reason. Not "coddling" or "isolation". People who leave the house and interact with people regularly have anxiety.

Honestly, thats the exact reason I went to a local college with a full scholarship. So I didnt have to worry about debt, and why I became a teacher - so NYC could pay for my masters degree.

Isnt that about just making smart choices? This is one of the reasons I dont understand. Sure things come from nowhere to shake up your day, those are out of your control and you can cry it off - crying is healthy. But its not the end of the world nawmesn

hortanz posted...

soulunison2 posted...

EDIT - oh another one! A friend of mine wanted to go to a thing and no one wanted to go with her and she said her anxiety wouldnt let her go by herself

I didn't go to a concert last saturday because of this ._.

You should have just went, I got to concerts alone all the time. I met this rich af couple the other day at a concert and theyre paying for my dinner next week at some high fancy place in nyc

Fishy posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

Must be fucking hard when 200 years ago you didn't know if pa was going to make it home from the city from his fur selling trip with the money you need to not starve to death one more winter.

How is this relevant?
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Patchwork posted...

Fishy posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

Must be fucking hard when 200 years ago you didn't know if pa was going to make it home from the city from his fur selling trip with the money you need to not starve to death one more winter.

How is this relevant?

I think that guy is an established troll

Patchwork posted...

How is this relevant?

Life is and always will be uncertain, don't be a wiener and face it.
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the world being fucked to shit is gonna manifest itself in many ways

I think it's always existed. We just didn't hear about it as much because people were self conscious talking about it openly.
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Jiek_Fafn posted...

I think it's always existed. We just didn't hear about it as much because people were self conscious talking about it openly.

This is also true, as a teacher I have become more open to things like anxiety disorders in children

Patchwork posted...

Fishy posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

Must be fucking hard when 200 years ago you didn't know if pa was going to make it home from the city from his fur selling trip with the money you need to not starve to death one more winter.

How is this relevant?

That guy's not the brightest. Should have seen him try to argue against renting an apartmentsoulunison2 posted...

Resolution posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

This is the most accurate reason. Not "coddling" or "isolation". People who leave the house and interact with people regularly have anxiety.

Honestly, thats the exact reason I went to a local college with a full scholarship. So I didnt have to worry about debt, and why I became a teacher - so NYC could pay for my masters degree.

Isnt that about just making smart choices? This is one of the reasons I dont understand. Sure things come from nowhere to shake up your day, those are out of your control and you can cry it off - crying is healthy. But its not the end of the world nawmesn

It's also very easy to make mistakes, be absent-minded about these types of things, and think you're fucked because of it. It's way more complicated than you notice, and you don't notice it because you're not in an insecure position.

Resolution posted...

Patchwork posted...

Fishy posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

Must be fucking hard when 200 years ago you didn't know if pa was going to make it home from the city from his fur selling trip with the money you need to not starve to death one more winter.

How is this relevant?

That guy's not the brightest. Should have seen him try to argue against renting an apartmentsoulunison2 posted...

Resolution posted...

r4X0r posted...

I would say general life uncertainty. The days of putting in 35 years with the company and retiring with a pension are long gone. A lot of people have no idea what tomorrow will bring or if they can handle it or not. I can completely understand why a lot of people are suffering from anxiety.

This is the most accurate reason. Not "coddling" or "isolation". People who leave the house and interact with people regularly have anxiety.

Honestly, thats the exact reason I went to a local college with a full scholarship. So I didnt have to worry about debt, and why I became a teacher - so NYC could pay for my masters degree.

Isnt that about just making smart choices? This is one of the reasons I dont understand. Sure things come from nowhere to shake up your day, those are out of your control and you can cry it off - crying is healthy. But its not the end of the world nawmesn

It's also very easy to make mistakes, be absent-minded about these types of things, and think you're fucked because of it. It's way more complicated than you notice, and you don't notice it because you're not in an insecure position.

Man I was born into poverty in a dangerous part of nyc, my entire upbringing was insecure

Pussification. Not enough people manning up
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Resolution posted...

That guy's not the brightest. Should have seen him try to argue against renting an apartment

lol I was arguing that renting long-term is a waste of money. Which it is.
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MrGabesnake posted...

Pussification. Not enough people manning up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WYIc0IT3kw
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I do feel like some people play it up at times and the memes can be annoying but you really don't know someone beyond the moments that they can talk about it. It might seem like an excuse or that it's treated as no big deal to mention it offhand but unless you're there to see them in the moments that it's bad, it's hard to dismiss it outright. I do find it odd that someone would explicitly say "I can't do it because of my anxiety" but I chalk that up to me trying to reconcile my own experience of extreme repression. I "manned up" and struggled blindly through it all the way to a mental breakdown on the verge of what would should be one of the best times of my life, so I don't know.
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Healthcare is a business like any other. They're gonna diagnose you with anything they can get away with to get you to keep coming back.
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