Stress, anxiety, and depression

Stu

Stu

Grimscribe
Posted some thoughts about stress, anxiety, and depression over at my blog. I briefly discuss the idea that writers might be more prone to these ailments than the average person; the reasons why lots of people don't want to admit they suffer from SAD; and a link to an NHS site discussing SAD in more detail and which includes a self-assessment for depression. Weird Stuff From My Brain: Everybody Hurts
 
Why do you think people don't want to admit it?

I've got OCD which includes anxiety and sometimes feeling pretty low when it gets really bad. I don't know how similar or different they are.
I think when you have these types of problems long term you often forget just how bad a situation you're in. As you say, it becomes normal and then that allows it to get worse.
 
Robert Adam Gilmour said:
Why do you think people don't want to admit it?
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I'm just going from my experiences. There's still a stigma attached to mental health issues. But I realise that not everyone is reluctant to admit their problems. In fact some people are quite keen to discuss them. For some people this stems from a genuine desire to raise awareness of mental illness and remove the stigma. Some other people seem to treat it as the latest fashion accessory -- "My favourite actor/pop star/reality TV star suffers from mental illness. I must say I've got it too!" (I'm probably being a little harsh here. Sorry. Not in the best of moods.)
 
I suffer from depression and anxiety and take 12 pills a day to mildly mitigate the effects. It's easily the anxiety that has ruined my life more out of the two, and whilst there are innumerable public figures talking about their experiences with depression (some I agree are questionable), anxiety seems to be swept under the rug.
 
I've suffered from major depression since I was an early teen. Hypochondria has entered the picture in the last year or so, which is strange because I usually think about how desirable non-existence would be.
 
"I think anxiety isn't always a fear of life. It's sometimes an excessive feeling of life. The exhilarating rush of existence. Good and bad." -- Matt Haig

Mr Veech, I realise you didn't actually mention anxiety but I just happened to spot the quote and thought people might like it.
 
Stu said:
"I think anxiety isn't always a fear of life. It's sometimes an excessive feeling of life. The exhilarating rush of existence. Good and bad." -- Matt Haig

Mr Veech, I realise you didn't actually mention anxiety but I just happened to spot the quote and thought people might like it.
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For me depression and anxiety accompany one another, even though they're not the same. I think about death partially because I'm afraid of life.
 
I wouldn't classify anxiety and attendant depression as ill effects or disease necessarily. For me, existential anxiety and depression are the actual or real states of the human condition. Happiness and/or contentedness have always seemed impossibly vague and ephemeral conditions that operate under the illusion of control over the world in my point of view.
 
The level of anxiety I feel due to my disorder is grotesque and also manifests itself as severe physical pain in my heart and tightens my throat so breathing is difficult. The amount of late night rushes to the hospital before I eventually discovered the source of these irritances was beyond count.

My meds haven't helped much with my leaving the house, but the physical pain rarely manifests now, which is a notable improvement. Watching all 1200+ episodes of Dark Shadows in 2014/2015 also helped me relax and settle into new life as a hermit.
 
That bit about writers being more prone to stress and depression hits close to home. It’s wild how much we internalise without realising. For anyone going through similar stuff, I’d also say look into medical cannabis options in the UK if you’re feeling stuck

It’s not for everyone, but for writers who’ve run through every usual fix, it can actually help ease that mental weight just enough to focus again
 
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