08 Jun What anxiety looks like…
We are hearing more and more about anxiety and depression.
The discussions becoming more open as people like Prince Harry, Ryan Reynolds and Naomi Osaka start talking public about their experiences.
It is however very difficult for someone who has never experienced depression and anxiety to have a full comprehension.
Anxiety can impact people in different ways however what does anxiety look like on a day to day basis?
Waking up in the middle with your heart racing and scared.
It is the fear of what is in an email, letter or a phone call
Feeling noone is looking out for you and always being on your guard.
It is always, always being switched on and ready for something to go wrong.
It is absolutely terrifying…
What I didn’t realise however was some of the other issues I would experience:
I lost a lot of hair and it didn’t grow back for over a year. Certainly saved me money with my eyebrows…
I would forget I had boiling water in a pot on the stove, walk back into the kitchen about 20 minutes later and wonder how the pot had gotten there. I would turn on the shower, walk away and about 30 minutes later go into the bathroom wondering what the noise was only to find the shower on. I was the only one home.
My husband would ask me to get a carton of milk when I went to pay for petrol. I came out with no milk. When he asked where it was, I couldn’t even remember the conversation happening. My short term memory was terrible.
I had problems with logically thinking through issues. We were camping and hadn’t seen our son in a bit. I mentioned to his dad I was worried. I then went to find my son and didn’t think to mention to his dad I was going to do this.
My ability to be the mum I wanted to be was affected. I would get angry really really quickly for the smallest thing my children did. Angry from 0 to 100 in a blink of an eye.
I would type out a sentence, missed a word, typed it incorrectly (my grammar was wrong) or not read the word properly. You may find I have done it in this article…
What surprised me with my anxiety was my mind and body started to take steps to managing the anxiety. I didn’t realise it at the time but looking back I became socially withdrawn, I slept more, found more and more comfort staying home where it is safe. I didn’t open mail, emails or answer the phone.
The difficulty people have in understanding the impact of anxiety on the body can be seen by what occurred to Naomi Osaka.
Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open due to her anxiety and was fined $15,000 for not honouring her contractual obligations.
What ever happened to reasonable adjustment for those with a disability? Has the tennis world lost an amazing player due to Naomi’s anxiety kicking in when holding news conferences?
Did the organizers have a duty of care to Naomi to ensure she did not suffer injury during the contract?
I am sure if Naomi had suffered a physical injury during the French Open and had to withdraw she would not have been fined.
It is a shame mental health cannot been seen.
For those that have a family member with anxiety…. read, read and read some more. Gain an understanding and be there to support.
For those that suffer from anxiety and depression we hope for understanding and for people to make adjustments to assist us.
Until then we read, analyze and try to understand each and every situation we are in. We try and control and understanding our environment with knowledge of how things work.
Here at Manufactured Antiques we are working through life’s events with clarity
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