Photo: Mike Harrington (Getty)
Everybody has suffered from anxiety in their life, whether they realize it or not, but anxiety in America is at an all-time high in 2017, so what do we do about it? While 40 million people in the country struggle with disorders related to anxiety, depression or stress, there’s still a lot to know about why we have anxiety and what to do about it. Anxiety is a form of nervousness, fear or worry that comes from stressful life events, chemical imbalance and/or a lack of control. Sometimes, simple procrastination can induce a lot of unnecessary anxiety.
Neurocore has done an interesting study on #Anxiety in America by researching more than 100 thousand anxiety-related hashtag posts on Instagram. The point herein is to help identify causes of anxiety you might have, realize it’s a fairly ubiquitous state of mind, but, more importantly, to find ways to rise above our anxieties.
While anxiety has never been higher in America than in 2017, there has also never been more ways known about how to handle it. So shut up, read up and help yourself. Just get off your phone, adopt a dog and focus on those pee pads.
Anxiety In America Is At An All-Time High In 2017 And Here’s Why And What To Do
Now it’s time to read this: 8 Major Ways Your Office Life Is Impeding Your Health And Happiness
Anxiety in Americaa
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Oregon Is Strangely the Most Anxious
Of all the states in America, Oregon is reportedly the most anxious, despite being one of the first states to legalize the use of marijuana.
Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio follow, which means anxiety is likely not related to one specific region of America. Pennsylvania does, however, have one of the highest rates of unemployment.
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40 Million Affected
Nearly 18 percent of the country is affected by some form of anxiety, be it depression disorder, social anxiety or post-traumatic stress. That's one in five Americans, a number that has gradually climbed over the past 80 years, at its highest in the last 10 as of 2017.
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Women Are Twice As Likely to Be Prone to Anxiety
Although women have been reported to be twice as likely to be prone to anxiety due to hormones and chemical makeup, nearly half of Instagram posts referencing some form of anxiety come quietly from men.
White men are currently the highest statistic for suicide in America.
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Anxiety-Related Posts Are Generated Mostly From Home
More than 14 percent of anxiety-related posts are recorded to come from home, more than the office or public places like hospitals.
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2 in 5 People Stress Hard Over Monthly Bills
While two out of every five people are said to stress over making their monthly payments, one in five are reportedly scared they won't be able to make their credit card minimum payment.
It's not uncommon for people today to owe more than $15K in credit card debt, and a very small fraction of the country actually has any savings.
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Symptoms & Strategies
While anxiety is obviously known to cause heart palpitations and a constant state of worry, people may not realize that neck tension, chest pain, muscle cramping, nausea and fatigue can also be signs of anxiety, various forms of adrenaline fatigue.
And, of course, heavy drinking and substance abuse.
There are plenty of ways to cope with anxiety, namely forms of physical and mental exercises. Yoga and meditation are at the top of the list, but diet, running, healthy sleep, sobriety and having a routine are also crucial. The best medicine for anxiety can simply be talking about it with somebody. Just be careful what you say around your therapist.
