Anxiety Girl

I have been wanting to write more about Anxiety but I have been nervous about how to present the subject in the best light. Yes, the irony that I was nervous about writing about Anxiety is not lost on me. I guess I could start by telling you all a story about the irony about my Anxiety.

As some of you know, I am an advocate in my community for Learning Disorders and other disorders that affect learning, like ADHD, Anxiety, Autism, and Depression. The other key thing to know going into this story is that I have a serious phobia of bees, wasps, and hornets. So there I was, talking and talking, lecturing on about the physical dangers of a panic attack when I see a wasp float down from the ceiling. I froze. Was this really happening to me? I could feel my heart rate quicken and my palms become sweaty. I trembled as I tried to keep talking about the dangers of a panic attack, while I was trying to hide the fact that I was experiencing one. Thump. Thump. My heart beat pounded faster and faster. Images of the wasp landing on me spun through my head. My eyes watered as a choked sob tried to make its way out. I took a deep breath. I handed off the mic to my partner to finish my speech. She took it and keep on. I quickly, but as calmly as I could, sprinted for the door of the room. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Once in the hallway, I sank down against a wall. I raked my fingers threw my hair as I fought to calm down. My mind was racing a mile a minute. My heart still pounded in my chest. I stood up with determination once I had regained some composure. I was not, not going to let my demons defeat me. I was not going to let that wasp, no bigger than my pinky finger keep me from delivering my speech and living my passion. I walked calmly back into the room, rubbing my sweaty palms on my skirt. I caught up with were the lecture was and finished my speech.

Now this day was a big one for me. The irony of that situation was never lost on me. But experiencing all that I had made me think. I was confronted with one of the most terrifying things in my life while I was living my passion. But I always give myself credit for returning to the speech instead of hiding like I had done so many times in the past. I did not let my demons keep me from living my dreams that day. I have had many a panic attacks since that day.

Anxiety is something I, like many others, have struggled with for all our lives. Anxiety is a real disease. Too many people dismiss it as something that is not serious, something that does not deserve the public’s attention. Here is the thing with anxiety, everyone knows what it feels like. I never have, nor probably ever will, meet a person who has never felt the effects of anxiety. What people don’t understand, is how much worse and frequent that feeling is for people with Anxiety Disorders.

Still don’t believe me? Here are some facts brought to you by ADAA, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America:

Did You Know?
-Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population).
-Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment.
-Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country’s $148 billion total mental health bill, according to “The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders,” a study commissioned by ADAA (The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 60(7), July 1999).
-More than $22.84 billion of those costs are associated with the repeated use of health care services; people with anxiety disorders seek relief for symptoms that mimic physical illnesses.
-People with an anxiety disorder are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor and six times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who do not suffer from anxiety disorders.
-Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events

I will continue to talk about Anxiety until it is recognized as a serious issue. After all, it is the NUMBER 1 mental illness in the U.S.

Please Like, Share, and Comment!
~WHN

You Decide!

So lately I have been getting a TON of comments requesting that I “write more about this topic”. But here is the problem, what topic? I am glad to write more about topics but I need to know what these topics are. So below is a poll and you all get to vote on what my next couple of posts are about. So help me out and please vote!!

Thanks for your support!!

Please Like, Share, and Comment!
~WHN

Short Story 4

Nikki squealed in delight as her mother handed her this month’s edition of Gouve Magazine. She quickly opened the cover, flipped to the table of contents and scanned the articles. “10 Great Tips to Ditch the Foods That Make You Somnolent”. “Hm,” she thought to herself, “I have been feeling drowsy in the morning; could be helpful to read this.” She scanned the page further to read “A Girl’s Domain: Fashion Tips for the Holiday Season” “You got that right,” she thought. “Girls rule the fashion world.” A brightly colored box caught her eye. It read “Feeling the deluge of homework and tests before Christmas Break? Here Are Tips To Maximize Your Time And Get More Sleep!” “Huh!” Nikki thought, “I could really use that one! I am feeling very divested of my time and sleep because of homework.” Nikki flipped to the page the article was on. The head line read “Feeling dormant after those continuous nights of next to no sleep? So run down that words even rearrange themselves in front of your eyes? Or when mom comes into wake you up in the morning, are you are still sitting at your computer typing while sleeping? Here are great tips to utilize your time to increase sleep before the holiday break!” Nikki began reading the article. “Most doctors say that lack of sleep can lead to numerous episodes of somnambulating. Although it can be funny watching someone sleepwalk because of the travesty of the action they are preforming, it is not good to do so, because you can easily hurt yourself by walking into walls and falling down stairs. What you are vested in at night can also help you sleep better; don’t wear tight clothing because your body expands at night and cloths that are too tight can be harmful. Another dominion you have at night is what you do right before bed; you have control over if you watch TV or not, but usually it is better not to eat or drink, watch or look at something with bright lights, or listen to music that is too loud or upbeat. Bottom line is that the best place to get the most restful sleep is in your domicile, in bed.” “Wow,” Nikki said, “I didn’t know about the not eating or drinking, or the tight cloths. This should help.” She finished reading her article and move on to read Gouve cover to cover.

Stort Story 3

Nikki was a true bibliophile, so as soon as she was given the chance she signed up for the book club. The club leader wanted her to pick the next book for them to read. So Nikki was sitting at the library looking at the different books on the list try to decide which to pick. The first book was called “Through Thick and Thin.” It was a book about your usual friends who had strong amity and they solve a mystery. She immediately put that in the ‘no’ pile, she didn’t was to pick a book that was so cliché like that. The next book was about a man was so enamored with his reflection and himself that all of his friends left him. Nikki sighed; so many books were based around the same topics. The third book she picked up was about the story of twin brothers who never got along because one was a philanthropist and the other was just an all-around odious fellow. Nikki put that one in the ‘maybe’ pile and continued looking. The next book was a historical fiction book about children from around the world banding together over the internet to try to pacify the wars going on; Nikki though that was really cool and put it into the ‘maybe’ pile. The next was a short story was about a woman with acrophobia going on her first plane trip. Nikki sighed; definitely not that one. The next book was a sad story about a young girl who has to have her dog put down from hydrophobia after he saved her from the fisher cat. The seventh book was about a girl who has to help an inimical and grouchy old man buy his groceries and other errands to get community service and he ends up liking her very much. Nikki tossed that one in the ‘no’ pile. Nikki wanted to pick the right book, nothing sad or sappy and nothing that was cliché. She hesitantly picked up the last book and flipped it over to read the back cover. The book was about a young man who was raised by xenophobists and has to be deported to a new country because of trouble his father had gotten into. He and his sister are separated and he doesn’t know any one. Nikki was definitely interested in this one. She grabbed the one about the kids ending a war and that one and went up to check out.

next little story

Nikki opened up the morning newspaper and skimmed through the articles. There were a bunch of articles about prominent figures in her community. The first story was about Mr. Derpy, the rich CEO of the local software firm. The story was about the matrix he grew up in. She read down a little further and read that he started his rise to wealth when he inherited an unexpected patrimony from his grandfather.
Nikki flipped the page and saw a story about two rich half- brothers, Mr. Ditzy and Mr. Doo. They had such a fraternal bond that they went into business together. Mr. Ditzy married twice and was a bigamist. His brother on the other hand was a monogamist his entire life.
Again she flipped the page and read about Mr. Hoity and Mr. Toity. All throughout Mr. Toity’s life Mr. Hoity had been an avuncular figure to him. Even after the death of Mr. Hoity’s business partner, Mr. Toity’s father, Mr. Hoity continued to care for him like an uncle, and eventually when he was old enough named him his new business partner.
Next Nikki read about the wealthy Flimflams. They were a wealthy family controlling all the local real estate firms. The article was about their latest patronage of a new art gallery for up-and-coming artist. They were always in the newspapers because of some big familial issue and drama that came with being a large, well-to-do family.
Below that article was an ad for the University of Pokey Oaks. They wanted you to matriculate now! Nikki sighed and flipped the page only to find a silly ad. It was advertising a website that could tell you if your name is a patronymic, because everyone should know the origin of their name. With a snort Nikki closed the paper, finished her coffee, and grabbed her bag for school.