It's starting to feel to some people, particularly here in the West, like things have never been this bad before. I see people say they feel as though everything is falling apart around them, that they're teetering at the edge of a cliff, vast nothing echoing into infinity, the other side only a blurred vision of surface far in the distance, possibly a mirage and nothing else.
Things were making sense. And then they weren't. People started behaving in ways newly nervous citizens hadn't expected. It wasn't good. People already caught up or watching from the ever-nearing sidelines got dizzy. Now, they sense they could tumble at any moment. The more they think about it, the more the vertigo sets in. They're still here, but they've lost their sense of down and up.
Feeling like this, you can start to hear your own breathing huff faster, then faster. A hazy darkness closes in on your vision. Your thoughts are a narrowing tunnel. Your blood, or something else inside of you, some energy, is moving way too fast through your body.
Are you dying? Is this how things end? With sudden, unanticipated madness in the face of an uncertain, and possibly very cruel, future? Everything keeps moving around you and you can't keep track, can't catch up. Nothing feels normal. You feel horrifyingly light. Then lighter still. You might float away now instead, untethered to anything logical or known. This must be terror. Or insanity. Or both.
What you're feeling, if you're feeling this way, is anxiety. It might be lesser or greater, or mixed with any one of countless other emotions. Articles have been telling me that many of you are feeling it, whether it has been induced by the recent U.S. election and impending inauguration, or any other of the many recent and awful world events, from bombings to shootings to displays of political power and aggression.
natural if you feel it. Whether you have fled a war, have been watching terror and suffering from either side of the TV screen, or, like many in North America right now, feel like you are about to enter a new world of increasing dehumanization, danger, fascism and, possibly, even war, in a lifetime in which you thought nothing quite like this could happen (or happen again), you have every right and reason to feel anxiety.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (manifesting in panic attacks, in my case) more than fourteen years ago. It's strange to think those of us who have been the canaries in the coal mines of stress and anxiety may now be the ones able to offer the tools for others to keep going in this new age of generalized anxiety.
If it helps you, and I hope it might, as we enter a new year and try to bring back some hope, here are some key things I've learned from years of dealing with first anxiety and, before and after that, depression. Most of these techniques are adapted from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a way to train your brain to be able to acknowledge bad things without spinning you out of control, either into anxiety, depression or anger:
1) Picture beyond this. For panic attack sufferers, for example, this means remembering that, although you may be terrified and hyperventilating right now, in a few minutes you won't be. You'll get through this. On a broader, societal scale, I see this as meaning you need to remember you are still in charge of doing everything you can to make things better, and you need to believe you can and will do just that. Make a list of how you can help, from donating money or clothes or time to a cause that is going to need it in the coming years, to researching, to getting involved in local politics or regional, national or international organizations. There are lots of other options for how to help. Find which are best for you. You can do this.
2) Remember this has happened before, and it hasn't destroyed you. You are going to get through this. Again, on a broader scale right now, this means terrible things have happened on this planet. And we--as a species, at least--are still here. We keep surviving. You can do this.
3) Remember the good. When you feel like you're spiralling, think about the good--from loved ones to things you're proud you've done, to dreams you still want to see come true. The rest of the time, the best way I've found to tackle and prevent feeling overwhelmed, anxious or depressed, is to do things that remind you of the good in life in general, and in your life, in particular. Visit friends and family. Listen to your favourite music. Help someone who needs it. Dance. Read. Go out and visit a gallery, if that's what you love. Stay home and have a nice, long bath, if that's your thing. Eat cookies. Donate money or clothes or household items to a good cause. Go for a walk. Take pictures. Live. Do several good things every day for yourself that you enjoy or that make life better. This is the path back to perspective for those of us suffering from anxiety or depression. In this current political environment, it will also help you stay focused on your goals, and your reasons for achieving them. You can do this.
4) Find support. It's okay to ask for help. In fact, it's more than okay. You are letting yourself down as a person if you know you are in pain and you do nothing about it. Would you do this to someone else? I don't think you would. There is more help available to you than you think, from friends and family to professional services. You are not a burden if you do this. You are equipping yourself with what you need so you can do future good things. And you are setting a good example for others who are daunted by reaching out for help when they need it. You are going to get through this. You can do this.
5) Believe. In yourself first, if you can. If you can't manage that right now, then believe in others. Believe in the future. Believe in a higher power, if that is part of your relationship with the universe. But, please, believe that the potential for human good is stronger, more lasting and more pervasive than the potential for human evil. Evil has always been more flashy and attention-getting. It can brutalize in great quantities and shocking ways, and gets its name in the papers every day until it seems like it is everywhere. But, good is determined and infinite. It grows from the tiniest and most unsuspected places, and it spreads everywhere. It will continue to. And it is up to you to help it. It will help you, too, if you believe in it.
There are other tips, for sure, that can see you through. The ones above are those I've found most useful, and that I think can be extrapolated from to help others get through the coming times. If you need it, please seek more information and never be afraid to ask for help. I, for one, believe in you. You can do this.
Things were making sense. And then they weren't. People started behaving in ways newly nervous citizens hadn't expected. It wasn't good. People already caught up or watching from the ever-nearing sidelines got dizzy. Now, they sense they could tumble at any moment. The more they think about it, the more the vertigo sets in. They're still here, but they've lost their sense of down and up.
Feeling like this, you can start to hear your own breathing huff faster, then faster. A hazy darkness closes in on your vision. Your thoughts are a narrowing tunnel. Your blood, or something else inside of you, some energy, is moving way too fast through your body.
Are you dying? Is this how things end? With sudden, unanticipated madness in the face of an uncertain, and possibly very cruel, future? Everything keeps moving around you and you can't keep track, can't catch up. Nothing feels normal. You feel horrifyingly light. Then lighter still. You might float away now instead, untethered to anything logical or known. This must be terror. Or insanity. Or both.
What you're feeling, if you're feeling this way, is anxiety. It might be lesser or greater, or mixed with any one of countless other emotions. Articles have been telling me that many of you are feeling it, whether it has been induced by the recent U.S. election and impending inauguration, or any other of the many recent and awful world events, from bombings to shootings to displays of political power and aggression.
natural if you feel it. Whether you have fled a war, have been watching terror and suffering from either side of the TV screen, or, like many in North America right now, feel like you are about to enter a new world of increasing dehumanization, danger, fascism and, possibly, even war, in a lifetime in which you thought nothing quite like this could happen (or happen again), you have every right and reason to feel anxiety.
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (manifesting in panic attacks, in my case) more than fourteen years ago. It's strange to think those of us who have been the canaries in the coal mines of stress and anxiety may now be the ones able to offer the tools for others to keep going in this new age of generalized anxiety.
If it helps you, and I hope it might, as we enter a new year and try to bring back some hope, here are some key things I've learned from years of dealing with first anxiety and, before and after that, depression. Most of these techniques are adapted from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a way to train your brain to be able to acknowledge bad things without spinning you out of control, either into anxiety, depression or anger:
1) Picture beyond this. For panic attack sufferers, for example, this means remembering that, although you may be terrified and hyperventilating right now, in a few minutes you won't be. You'll get through this. On a broader, societal scale, I see this as meaning you need to remember you are still in charge of doing everything you can to make things better, and you need to believe you can and will do just that. Make a list of how you can help, from donating money or clothes or time to a cause that is going to need it in the coming years, to researching, to getting involved in local politics or regional, national or international organizations. There are lots of other options for how to help. Find which are best for you. You can do this.
2) Remember this has happened before, and it hasn't destroyed you. You are going to get through this. Again, on a broader scale right now, this means terrible things have happened on this planet. And we--as a species, at least--are still here. We keep surviving. You can do this.
3) Remember the good. When you feel like you're spiralling, think about the good--from loved ones to things you're proud you've done, to dreams you still want to see come true. The rest of the time, the best way I've found to tackle and prevent feeling overwhelmed, anxious or depressed, is to do things that remind you of the good in life in general, and in your life, in particular. Visit friends and family. Listen to your favourite music. Help someone who needs it. Dance. Read. Go out and visit a gallery, if that's what you love. Stay home and have a nice, long bath, if that's your thing. Eat cookies. Donate money or clothes or household items to a good cause. Go for a walk. Take pictures. Live. Do several good things every day for yourself that you enjoy or that make life better. This is the path back to perspective for those of us suffering from anxiety or depression. In this current political environment, it will also help you stay focused on your goals, and your reasons for achieving them. You can do this.
4) Find support. It's okay to ask for help. In fact, it's more than okay. You are letting yourself down as a person if you know you are in pain and you do nothing about it. Would you do this to someone else? I don't think you would. There is more help available to you than you think, from friends and family to professional services. You are not a burden if you do this. You are equipping yourself with what you need so you can do future good things. And you are setting a good example for others who are daunted by reaching out for help when they need it. You are going to get through this. You can do this.
5) Believe. In yourself first, if you can. If you can't manage that right now, then believe in others. Believe in the future. Believe in a higher power, if that is part of your relationship with the universe. But, please, believe that the potential for human good is stronger, more lasting and more pervasive than the potential for human evil. Evil has always been more flashy and attention-getting. It can brutalize in great quantities and shocking ways, and gets its name in the papers every day until it seems like it is everywhere. But, good is determined and infinite. It grows from the tiniest and most unsuspected places, and it spreads everywhere. It will continue to. And it is up to you to help it. It will help you, too, if you believe in it.
There are other tips, for sure, that can see you through. The ones above are those I've found most useful, and that I think can be extrapolated from to help others get through the coming times. If you need it, please seek more information and never be afraid to ask for help. I, for one, believe in you. You can do this.
