Category: Anxiety

Managing Anxiety: Understanding, Coping, and Finding Relief

Understanding Anxiety and its Impact

Have you ever wanted to help someone who has anxiety? Well, I’m here to help you how to understand it and how to help cope with it. Anxiety is the feeling of being nervous or unsteady feelings about something and thinking about every other income in every situation. The term anxiety disorder refers to specific disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, panic attacks, and or social anxiety disorder. It is very common to have this kind of thing. It’s part of life.

Coping with Anxiety: Navigating Daily Challenges

What you can do to deal with it is get enough sleep, count to 10, slowly take deep breaths, and try to count down on caffeine. And or take a time out, take time to yourself and replace. Anxiety can have symptoms like feeling restless, being sweaty, and having nervous tics once in a while. Or feeling weak, having trouble thinking, and or sleeping. This is how you know if you have it. Panic attacks are pretty scary. It’s the sudden fear and feeling of helplessness with everything you do.

You will have breathing problems, and you will also have dizziness with it. That’s how you know you have anxiety. Many things can trigger this disorder, such as birth control and or weight loss pills or skipping meals. For example, when you don’t eat, your blood sugar will drop low, which can lead to jittery hands. A lot of negative thinking can also trigger it. If you think of every bad outcome, it will make you worried all the time, and parties and or social events can trigger it. This kind of anxiety is called social anxiety.

Personal Journey: Living with Anxiety & Developing Coping Mechanisms

My experience with this disorder is I have had it all my life, and it sucks, but I’ve learned to deal with it as I moved on. I have taken medicine for it, but it has not worked. Some say that it doesn’t help for some people, and that’s okay. I get it mostly every day. For example, when I walk past a group of people, I sometimes think they are talking about me and laugh. That’s with anyone, male or female. I just tend to think about it, and whenever I’m out into a situation I don’t wanna be in, I would think of every outcome that could come to mind. When I meet new people, if they are shy and never know what to say, I have really bad panic attacks to the point where my mom has to call someone for help.

I remember when I first found out I had it, and I tried everything that I could to try and help it, but now I learned how to cope with it. I know how to control it now. I know how to take deep breaths when I start to have panic attacks. My experience with anxiety has its ups and downs, and mostly, it’s been up. I’ve been keeping it under control, and to me, that’s good. Whenever I get nervous, I start to stutter, and when I do, I start to look around and cross my legs.

Those are some of my nervous tics. I also sometimes bite my lip. I used to bite my nails and chew on my hair, but not no more. It was really gross, so I broke some of my nervous tics only because I noticed most of them were unhealthy, so I knew I needed to stop it and break some of the unhealthy ones. Now, some of those I can not break, for example, stuttering, you can’t really control it, not at all. I know a few other people who suffer from anxiety, so I am a lot worse than mine, but that is because they don’t speak up about it and seek help as they should, or they simply deal with it.

Expert Insights: Unveiling Triggers and Treatment Approaches

But if you ever need help, speak up and talk to someone about it. To get the help you need and or want, I asked my counselor these questions to help everyone else to understand this kind of thing, which are the following. “Is it normal to space out after a panic attack?” She said it would be normal to space out after it. It’s not something everyone does, but it’s common. “How do I recover from anxiety if I don’t know my underlying factors or why I suffer from it?”

A good start would be learning how to use coping skills to increase calming and relaxing feelings. It’s a start to understand the triggers from it. “Is anxiety caused by a disease of the brain”? She said no, we never used the word disease to label mental illness. “How bad can it go to”? It’s more of a range of mild anxiety.

Spectrum of Anxiety Severity and Therapeutic Approaches

For example, you could look at someone and never know they have it. Or really bad to the point where some people don’t leave home. That’s called more difficult anxiety, which can have a number on a lot of people. It can either be bad or not so bad. Is there any other way to help this disorder other than medicine? “She stated that therapy and or talk therapy. Or CBT, which stands for cognitive behavioral therapy. She is trying to explain that there are many kinds of this disorder, and she breaks it down piece by piece, and that’s a bit more understanding to others since she is a counselor.

And she also doesn’t like to blame others for having anxiety. More teenagers have anxiety because most of their parents run their lives and make them do a lot. The parents try to push them to do harder in life cause they “want them to live a better life than the parents” and be better so they don’t make the same mistakes as their parents when they were younger. I understand about it because you don’t want your kids making the same mistakes as they did. I can understand.

Anxiety Statistics: Exploring Prevalence and GAD

I am gonna talk about the statistics for anxiety: it affects 18.1 percent of the world, that’s 40 million people in the world, and about 30 percent of kids and or teens in the world. Now, let’s talk about GAD. It means Generalized anxiety disorder affects twice as much in women than it does in men.

It affects 6.8 million. This disorder is normal and affects a lot of people. It is well known there are about nine other kinds of anxiety that can break things down, but the main one I’m talking about is GAD. It’s the most common one out there, and I have talked about this in the essay beforehand so you could understand it better. Another thing about GAD is characterized by six months or more of chronic, exaggerated worry and tension that is unfounded or much more severe than normal anxiety. Someone says, “It’s usually expected the worst out of things during an anxiety attack.”

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
2. National Institute of Mental Health. (2017). Anxiety disorders. Retrieved from NIMH official website
3. Mayo Clinic. (2018). Anxiety disorders: Symptoms & causes. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic official website
4. Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2020). Therapy for anxiety disorders. HelpGuide.org.
5. Clark, D. A., & Beck, A. T. (2010). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice. Guilford Press.
6. Bourne, E. J. (2015). The anxiety and phobia workbook (6th ed.). New Harbinger Publications.
7. Bandelow, B., & Michaelis, S. (2015). Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in the 21st century. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience.
8. Stein, M. B., & Stein, D. J. (2008). Social anxiety disorder. The Lancet.

Anxiety & Depression: Causes, Treatments, and Coping

Defining Anxiety and Depression: More Than Just Feeling Down

According to Holland, K., Depression, and anxiety are two conditions that can be extremely debilitating for both the individual and those around them. We will discuss the causes of depression and anxiety, as well as the benefits of treatment, in this blog post. We will also give you advice on how to deal with depression and anxiety if you or a loved one are suffering from them.

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. It is also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression. You may have difficulty performing routine daily activities, and you may feel as if life isn’t worth living.

Depression is more than just a case of the blues, and it is not something that can be ‘snapped out’ of. Depression may necessitate long-term therapy. But don’t be disheartened. Most people who suffer from depression benefit from medication, psychotherapy, or both.

Exploring Causes of Anxiety: Genetic to Environmental Triggers

Anxiety is the reaction of the mind and body to stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. It is the feeling of unease, distress, or dread that you have before a significant event. Anxiety helps us stay alert and aware, but for those who suffer from an anxiety disorder, it feels far from normal — it can be completely debilitating.

Depression and anxiety disorders are frequently treated in the same way. Therapy can often be tailored to an individual in order to reduce the symptoms of both disorders. Depression’s exact cause is unknown. A combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors may be responsible. Having blood relatives who have had depression, Experiencing traumatic or stressful events, such as physical or sexual abuse, the death of a loved one, or financial problems, Going through a major life change, even if it was planned, Having a medical problem, such as cancer, stroke, or chronic pain, Taking certain medications, Talk to your doctor if you have questions.

Treating Anxiety and Depression: Medication, Therapy, and Beyond

According to treatment, various types of psychotherapy are effective. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of them. It works by replacing negative and unproductive thought patterns with more realistic and useful ones. These therapies concentrate on taking specific steps to overcome anxiety and depression. As part of the recovery process, facing one’s fears is frequently required. Interpersonal and problem-solving therapy is also beneficial.

Medication can also be beneficial. Depression and anxiety disorders frequently coexist, and studies show that both respond to treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) medications.

If an SSRI or SNRI does not provide adequate relief, other medications may be used. Psychotherapy and medication treatment may be combined for people who have severe symptoms or functional limitations. Antidepressants, the most commonly used type of medication among people aged 18 to 44, are taken by more than one in every ten Americans.

References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
2. Mayo Clinic. (2020). Depression (major depressive disorder): Symptoms and causes.
3. National Institute of Mental Health. (2018). Anxiety Disorders.

Rising Anxiety in Today’s Students: Modern Triggers Explored

Evolving Anxiety: From the 1980s to Now

“Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, or emotional responses.” Many students nowadays have something in common, and that is anxiety or stress. According to studies, a typical student in the 1980s had more anxiety than a child psychiatric patient in the 1950s. If that recording was from the 1980s, imagine how high today’s teen is. Wanting to achieve academically, social media, and how different the world is today are all contributions as to why students have anxiety.

The Academic Pressure and Anxiety Connection

For many students, the cause of stress is because of the pressure from others to succeed academically. We are told that in order to have a bright future, we have to have good grades or be active in many things for school. We spend at least seven hours in school and stay after school for sports or clubs. After spending many hours in school, we come home to do our homework. On average, it takes most students three to four hours to finish their homework. This is the regular schedule in order to have a good “future.”

However, because we are so pressured to do well in school, we believe we must do well all the time. We are so hung up on having good grades we’re afraid of failure. “Teens may begin to believe that even one missed test question decreases their chances of securing a bright future.” Because many students are afraid of the unseeable future, they become tiny perfectionists.

Social Media: The Modern-Day Anxiety Amplifier

For those who don’t stress or have anxiety about academics, social media is another reason. Social media anxiety is similar to social anxiety. “It seems that the more technology we require, the more stressed out we become.” One of the reasons why social media causes anxiety is because of FOMO or the fear of missing out.

Social media is how most teens stay up to date with each other. So when they miss out on an event, they feel even more left out than they did before. Another reason is called compare and despair. There are two different reactions to seeing how great someone’s life is. The first one is being happy for them, but the other is being jealous or sad about how great others’ lives are compared to you. Images aren’t the only thing they compare. Comparing can also lead to anxiety when it relates to followers and likes they can receive on their profile.

According to some studies, social media is more addictive than cigarettes. The world isn’t the same as it used to be ten years ago. Many things constantly change. Because of how advanced our technology is now, teens often expect to have the latest things. They are driven by the desire of wants and needs. Most students feel like more is being demanded of them. Back then, it was simple. Even if you couldn’t go to college, most of them were still able to find a decent job and make a living out of it.

But things are done differently now. In schools, we have to worry about the different types of classes we have to take to get into that college. Or what college to attend in order to get that job. “And anxiety isn’t helped by the fact that we have all the bad news all the time.”

However, stress and anxiety aren’t all that bad. Anxiety, with the right amount and at the right time, is a form of survival. In conclusion, there are many factors as to why teens nowadays have anxiety.

References

1. Anderson, M. (2019). Understanding Student Stress: From 1980s to Present. New York: Academic Press.
2. Clark, T., & Petersen, R. (2020). “The pressures of academic achievement and its impact on student mental health”. Journal of Educational Psychology.
3. Mitchell, L. (2021). “Social media and its influence on teenage anxiety”. Journal of Adolescent Health.
4. Foster, H. (2018). Fear of Missing Out: Social Media’s Role in Modern Anxiety. London: TechWell Publishing.
5. Green, J., & Jackson, K. (2017). “Comparing lives: Social comparison and its implications for mental health”. Psychological Studies.

Conquering Writing Anxiety: Roadblocks and Remedies

Personal Encounters with Writing Anxiety Hurdles

Writing is something that a lot of people have a problem with, including myself, at times. There are a lot of roadblocks that come up along the way, such as brain lock, mental fatigue, and stress. Growing up, I encountered all three as I began writing papers as a high school student. Just taking a break and starting fresh later helped me a lot. For some, it’s not that easy, as some suffer from a writing disorder called writing anxiety.

Having some dimension of anxiety related to composing is ordinary and regularly a sign that an essayist thinks about progressing admirably. On the off chance that this uneasiness inspires the author to commit thought and exertion to their composition, this pressure-initiated mentality and attitude can have specific positive esteem. There are several things that can lead to writing anxiety when it comes to writing about anything. A writer may consistently defer dealing with their task and get a poor start.

Stalling would then prompt more worry, as the author may feel they don’t have sufficient energy to arrange and alter their writing. Delaying in this manner not only antagonistically influences the quality of the composition but also decreases a writer’s sense of command over the situation. Some of the time, a writer may turn out to be nervous to the point that you feel powerless to compose anything by any means. This inclination is known as a temporarily uncooperative mind. A temporarily uncooperative mind can add to different propensities, for example, hesitation above.

Navigating Writing Tasks Amidst Anxiety Challenges

One of the greatest obstructions to composing can be that the assignment just appears to be excessively substantial, and maybe the due date is weeks away. Every one of these conditions can add to sentiments of being overpowered or to the inclination to delay. Yet, the cure is basic and will enable you to continue composing something every week toward your due date and toward the completed item: separate bigger composition assignments into smaller, increasingly reasonable errands and set halfway deadlines. The process that the writers utilized for composing this content gives a genuine precedent. As creators, we needed to separate the content into areas.

However, we likewise needed to design the procedure for a first draft, peer audits, and updates, including pictures, joins, and different assets, as well as the last production of the content on the web. Had we not separated the bigger assignments into smaller ones and set transient objectives and due dates, the way toward composing the content would have been overpowering. We didn’t fulfill each and every transitional time constraint on schedule, yet they helped move us along and helped us to comply with the essential time constraint, the last one with a total content that was prepared to distribute on the timetable.

Seeking Community Support to Alleviate Writing Anxiety

Get support from a companion, relative, or schoolmate. Converse with your companions or family, or with a coach in your school composing focus, about your thoughts for your paper. Some of the time, discussing your thoughts is the ideal approach to tissue them out and get more thoughts streaming. Record notes amid or soon after your discussion. Cohorts are an extraordinary asset since they’re contemplating indistinguishable subjects from you, and they’re chipping away at similar assignments.

Converse with them regularly and structure ponder gatherings. Request that individuals take a gander at your thoughts or composing and give you criticism. Set objectives and consider each other responsible for fulfilling time constraints. Talk to other potential perusers. Ask them what they would anticipate from this kind of composing. Meet with a mentor in your grounds composing focus. Make sure to go to the arrangement arranged with a printed duplicate of the task and a short rundown of what you need to deal with, alongside a printed duplicate of your article.

Biopsychosocial Insights into Anxiety’s Depths

Anxiety is an ordinary, however profoundly abstract, human feeling. While ordinary nervousness fills a gainful and versatile need, uneasiness can likewise turn into the reason for colossal languishing over a large number of individuals. From a biopsychosocial point of view, this article provides an outline of the causes and functional motivations behind typical anxiety. The organic, mental, and social factors that add to the development and upkeep of uneasiness issues were introduced.

References

1. Rose, M. (1984). Writer’s Block: The Cognitive Dimension. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press.
2. Boice, R. (1993). Writers block and other writing apprehensions. New York: Routledge.
3. Elbow, P. (1998). Writing without teachers. Oxford University Press.
4. Charney, D. S. (2002). Neuroanatomical circuits modulating fear and anxiety behaviors. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl.

Unveiling Anxiety: Navigating Symptoms, Causes, and Recovery

Anxiety Struggles: Overcoming the Grip of Fear and Stress

John has been standing at his front door staring at his car for several minutes now. He knows how much it would mean to his family to show up at the reunion today, but that also means he is going to need to get in that car and drive the hour-long trip it will take to get there. He doesn’t want to let his family down, but since the accident three months ago, getting into a car, let alone driving one, has been impossible for him. As he walks to the car, his hands begin to get clammy, his heart is racing, it is becoming hard for him to breathe, and he feels like he is going to throw up.

As he opens the car door, he begins to have tunnel vision with a pounding headache. What John is experiencing are some of the many symptoms of anxiety. It would be easy to tell John to “get over it” and “relax.” To us who don’t suffer from anxiety, this seems like very logical advice. To John, however, these symptoms and fears are very real. John is in a toxic cycle of overthinking; his thoughts become his worries, and his worries become his thoughts.

Anxiety Disorders: Navigating Causes and Diagnoses

Anxiety is a normal response to a threat or to psychological stress. Normal anxiety is rooted in fear and serves as an important survival function called “fight or flight.” It is considered a disorder when it:

• Occurs at inappropriate times,
• Occurs frequently
• Is so intense and long-lasting that it interferes with normal activities.

To receive a diagnosis, a person must experience excessive worry and anxiety about several different events or activities on more days than not for at least six months, have difficulties controlling worry, and have at least three anxiety symptoms on more days than not in the last six months. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses. They affect 40 million adults (18 and older) in the United States, which is 18.1% of the population.

The Beyond Blue Support Service states that “anxiety conditions are not developed or caused by a single factor but a combination of things such as personality, difficult life experiences, and physical health.” These factors, along with family history, will help lead a health professional to a diagnosis of anxiety. Some people who have a parent or a family member with an anxiety condition may have a predisposition towards anxiety, but it is not always the case. People who have personality traits such as timidness, perfectionism, inhibitedness, lack of self-esteem, and control may be more likely to have anxiety.

Physical Triggers and Manifestations of Anxiety

Anxiety can develop because of stressful life events such as work stress, change of job, change in living arrangements, family and relationship problems, pregnancy and the birth of a child, major emotional shock following a stressful or traumatic event, verbal/sexual/emotional or physical abuse, death or loss of loved one. Chronic physical illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and heart disease can also play a part in anxiety conditions. A disruption to hormones and electrical signals in the brain can also bring on an anxiety condition.

Anxiety can affect the body in many different ways. One or more of these symptoms can occur at a time: trembling, disturbed sleep, palpitations, headaches, chest tightness, stomach aches/nausea, shortness of breath, tiredness, sweating, dry mouth, loss of appetite, and bowel issues. Since these symptoms are general and not specific to any one medical condition, one needs to go through three areas of examination to get a diagnosis. An extensive medical and personal history must be taken, as well as an extensive physical examination and blood and urine laboratory tests.

Treating Anxiety: Approaches for Recovery and Relief

Once the tests are done and other medical issues are ruled out, a health professional can begin to treat the anxiety. The main treatments for anxiety disorders include psychotherapy, medications, exercise, and natural remedies. Medications are usually prescribed along with therapy. The two general types of medications are Antidepressants and Anti-anxiety medications. A form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used to treat anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on changing unhealthy thinking and behavior patterns through talk sessions. A CBT therapist may also introduce relaxation techniques like deep breathing exercises to help counteract your symptoms.

Suma Chand, a Ph.D. and director of the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, states, “One of the biggest strengths of CBT is that the improvement tends to be durable and long-lasting.” “By the end of the sessions, the person has learned strategies that can be used for the rest of his or her life. Most importantly, the treatment also results in changes in the thinking patterns and beliefs that maintained their anxiety.”

Lifestyle and Anxiety: Coping Strategies and Changes

Lifestyle changes can also be helpful to people who struggle with anxiety. These can make a difference. However, they are not a cure. Some lifestyle changes include Exercise, Avoidance of alcohol and drugs, smoking, Cutting back on caffeinated beverages, relaxation techniques, Getting plenty of sleep, and eating healthy. Some herbal and dietary supplements such as Kava, Lavender, and St. John’s Wort have been known to help as well.

In conclusion, it can be said anxiety is a very personal disease. The symptoms can be varied, and the reasons behind the disease are different from person to person. One cannot just “relax,” “chill,” or “pull themselves together” to get over the disease of anxiety. It takes an in-depth look and treatment by trained professionals to overcome the disease of anxiety.

References

1. Anxiety Disorders Association of America. (n.d.). Facts & Statistics.
2. Beyond Blue. (n.d.). Anxiety.
3. National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Anxiety Disorders.
4. Mayo Clinic. (2021). Anxiety disorders.
5. Harvard Health Publishing. (2018). Exercise is an all-natural treatment to fight depression.
6. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2021). Kava.

Bullying’s Devastating Impact: From Isolation to Academics to Suicides

Bullying is destroying thousands of lives. In America, more than one out of five students (20.8%) report being bullied. These kids are bullied because of their looks, religion, sexual orientation, race, or disabilities and illnesses. Bullying is destroying lives by causing kids to isolate (from family and friends), it also causes them depression that often leads to suicide, and last but not least, it affects academic achievement.

Bullying Drives Children to Silence: The Fear of Isolation

Bullying is causing kids to isolate. It makes them not speak up. They are isolated from their family, friends, and society in general. They prefer to suffer in silence instead of speaking for themselves and worrying about their parents. A study shows that being socially isolated at school negatively affects the mental health, physical health, and academic outcomes of adolescents. This is why we should talk to our kids and teach them how to be kind to others and not to make fun of them. We should also encourage our kids to trust us and tell us when something is wrong in school or in any other environment they are in. They isolate themselves because they fear.

They are scared of what others will say, what others will think of them, or what consequences are going to bring saying that to someone. They are scared of making it worse and scared of what the person who bullies them will do. What we could do to prevent this is to encourage the kids to speak up even though they are scared, and if they speak up, there are going to be more good consequences than bad ones.

The Heartbreaking Link: Bullying and Rising Suicide Rates

Even though bullying affects everyone who is involved in it, suicidal thoughts or actions are most strongly related to the bully victims. This means that the bully-victims are at a high risk of experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Suicide is often seen as an exit to this problem. As far as the study shows, about 4,400 deaths occur as a result of suicide. This happens more often than people think and think that this could be prevented so easily.

Other study shows that 15 to 25 children commit suicide every year. There might be more we don’t know about because bullying is making them so unhappy. Another study showed that kids who are bullied are two to nine times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts. This is why we should stop and listen to people and their problems and also be nice people so we can stop this number of suicides from increasing.

Academic Toll: How Bullying Pulls Down Grades and Participation

A study that some UCLA psychologists did on middle school students revealed that a high level of bullying is associated with lower grades across the three years of middle school. The study showed that the students who suffered from bullying showed a 1.5-point decrease in their GPA for an academic subject (for example, math), a very big drop. The study also showed that they participate less in their class discussions because they are scared to speak up in class and start getting bullied or teased once again. This is a consequence of the teachers, parents, and us as a society for not noticing.

The result of this is they become less and less participant in activities because they focus so much on what they will do wrong and how other people will tease or bully them about it. But after it does not only happen at school but in their personal lives too, they start thinking about what they will do wrong in some activity (e.g., a test) that they get unfocused and end up getting something wrong and then blaming themselves for it and proving them “right.” This leads to other disorders, such as anxiety and low self-esteem.

In conclusion, being involved in bullying is harmful whether you are the bully or the victim. But we have to highlight that it has a greater effect on the victims. Bullying often leads to harmful consequences such as isolation and a decrease in academic achievement, and last and probably the most harmful not only to the kids but also to their parents is suicide. We have to make other people realize how much bullying affects the lives of the ones involved in it, how unhappy it makes them, and what the consequences are.

References

1. National Center for Education Statistics. (2021). Student Reports of Bullying: Results From the 2020 School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. U.S. Department of Education.
2. Smith, J., & Roberts, A. (2020). The Silent Suffering: Social Isolation in Adolescents Due to Bullying. Journal of Youth Psychology.
3. Anderson, M., & Thompson, R. (2019). Exploring the Consequences of Bullying: Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide in Youth. Clinical Child Psychology Review.

Bullying’s Grim Toll: A Cry for Urgent Action

Bullying’s Dark Reality: A Life Locked in an Invisible Cage

Bullying is extremely wrong and uncalled for. Bullying affects over 3.2 million victims every single year, leading to one out of ten people dropping out of school, 160,000 people skipping school, low self-esteem, depression, self-harm, and even suicide; the third leading cause of death among children under 14 years of age. This is a serious problem that needs to be put to an end.

Bullying is like being locked in a cage and not knowing where you are; it is scary, and you are afraid to ask for help. Logically, most people would agree that the backlash of bullying is often one of the biggest social diseases among our youth. It affects many people all over the world, and no matter how you put it, bullying is not acceptable. It has to be put to an end to make our world a more peaceful, accepting place for everyone.

Bullying’s Lifelong Impact on Mental Health

According to Alice G. Wilton, Ph.D.D., after a new study in JAMA Psychiatry, ‘Kids who had been victims only had a greater risk for depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia as adults.’ These kids were so damaged by bullying that they actually became more prone to depression and anxiety. Dr.Wilton also said, ‘Kids who were both bully-victims and bullies – they experienced all types of depressive and anxiety disorders, and suffered most severely from suicidal thoughts, depressive disorders, generalized anxiety, and panic disorder, compared with the other groups of participants.

Too many people are losing their family members and lives to bullying. As the number of bullying increases among teenagers and children, the amount of youth suicide and depression increases as well, and it won’t stop until we make it. Studies have indicated that 77% of students have admitted to being bullied in real life or online. Studies have shown that the growth rates of domestic violence are the leading cause of bullying online and in schools. Cyberbullying is also one of the worst things a human being can do to another. It is a major part of bullying due to the anonymity it gives. Anyone can bully any other, so kids take advantage of that fact and bully each other.

Bullying is an absolutely intolerable crime that is affecting our children and will continue affecting them generation after generation if we don’t put it to an end. The effects of bullying are way too far of a risk to the lives of our loved ones. If we cared for each other how we want to be cared for, then the world would be a much better place.

References

1. U.S. Department of Education. (2020). Statistics on School Bullying. U.S. Government Publishing Office.
2. Johnson, S. M. (2019). The Hidden Trauma: Mental Health Consequences of Bullying. Psychological Press.

Bullying’s Impact: Katelyn’s Fight for Change

Cyberbullying: A Dark Side of Social Media

Bullying has become a relevant and serious problem over the past decade, especially among children between the ages of 4 and 17. Katelyn lives at home with her single mother and brother, John. Her two best friends, Mary and Claire, always have her back through everything. Katelyn attends high school and feels as if a girl in her class, Morgan, is out to get her.

On Katelyn’s 17th birthday, she receives a computer as a gift. She then makes an account on a social media website. As a prank, her brother hacks into her account and puts a derogatory status on her webpage. She receives lots of ugly comments in return and is afraid to go to school and face her friends. Unaware that John was the one to attack her account, she immediately turns to Morgan to blame. Seeing the post, students at her school, of course, say mean things to her. She is extremely embarrassed.

After that, a cute teenage boy, Matthew, messages her and is comforted about the bullying. Things are still getting very mean at school, and they call her names that no girl wants to be called. She begins to have a crush on the boy until Matthew creates a rumor that Taylor steals from her friends. Her best friends begin to turn on her and hate her. She begins to feel that life isn’t worth living.

She posts a video on her social media account saying that she can’t live with herself and says goodbye to her friends. Seeing this, Mary rushes over to Katelyn’s house to find her trying to commit suicide. She was stuffing pills in her throat, but luckily, Mary came in time to stop Katelyn from killing herself. Katelyn was then hospitalized. Katelyn’s mom learns from the incident and goes to the school board to try to keep this bullying from happening to other students in the future.

Physical & Mental Toll: Youth’s Battle with Bullying

Katelyn begins to attend a support group and meets many other kids who are being bullied just like her. She finds that one of her classmates is in her group, Caleb, being bullied for being gay. The next day, Katelyn soon finds out that her best friend Mary was the one to create the profile of “James,” the online boy who started the rumor. Katelyn is infuriated at first, but over time, forgives her and begins to rekindle their relationship. Katelyn and her friends all help to pass a law that will help fight against bullying.

There are three types of cyberbullying: physical bullying and mental bullying. Bullies torment others because they themselves have insecurities, have been bullied themselves, or have a mental illness that brings out the worst in them. Nevertheless, bullying can physically and emotionally destroy the victim, whether it is physical abuse, cyberbullying, or verbal abuse. Nowadays, physical bullying is becoming a very serious and detrimental problem. Not only does physical bullying scar the person emotionally, but it can also scar them physically. There are different mediums of physical bullying, such as physical threats, pushing, shoving, and assaults that can cause serious injury.

References

1. Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Cyberbullying: Identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research Center.