Anxiety: Is it Becoming a Trend?

Some time ago, I was in history class when one of my classmates commented on how she was feeling very overwhelmed and stressed with the enormous amount of work she had to complete. The moment she finished talking, another student made the statement that she (the first student) was experiencing anxiety and that it could lead to serious consequences if it wasn’t treated. What came as a bit of a shock to me was how someone had been able to diagnose this student with anxiety by merely listening to her complaint about being stressed. The thought of someone with no expertise on mental illness identifying it in a classmate seemed bizarre, and the thought lingered in my head for the rest of the day. Later, I decided to research anxiety to better understand the extent to which it can affect someone’s life.

An anxiety-related disorder, according to Sanne van Rooij and Anaïs Stenson (postdoctoral researchers at Emory University School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences), is defined as a fear or worry which does not go away, can get worse over time and influence one’s life to the extent of interfering with daily activities. Common symptoms seen in people diagnosed with anxiety are restlessness, fatigue and impaired concentration (source / source).

I am by no means an expert on anxiety, as I have never experienced it first-hand, but I can tell you that my classmate’s statement about the other classmate having anxiety seemed far from the reality that she was simply stressed.

Do all students who use the term really suffer from anxiety? In many cases, probably not. Are they intentionally lying? No. Are they being somewhat ignorant towards a legitimate mental illness? Yes.

People who suffer from genuine, expert-diagnosed anxiety have significant self-esteem issues and little confidence in themselves, and this is not the case in some students at AISG who use the term, but still socialize and have fun outside of school. Certainly some teenagers suffer from anxiety, but their real struggles may be causing other people their age to self-diagnose when what they are experiencing are the standard trials and tribulations of their age. It seems to me that people sometimes choose to label themselves with a mental disorder without seeking the advice of a professional—in some cases accurately; in others, incorrectly. This trend may inadvertently injure those who suffer from the actual disorder. High schools have counselors to provide help to students, so for students who believe they may be exhibiting symptoms of anxiety, a good place to start is with visiting Ms. Brown or Ms. Lindsay.

Personally, I believe that the term “anxiety” is being used out of context and sometimes even in a joking way; this might not seem like such a big issue, but for those who have to deal with the actual illness, it comes off as offensive and disrespectful. There are other terms which can describe a student’s hard time with school besides “anxiety”; before using a mental illness to illustrate hard times in high school, we should reflect on whether it can be applied to the situation or if it’s merely an exaggeration.

I interviewed Ms. Brown, one of the high school counsellors, about the topic. She informed me that all high school counselors are trained professionally on mental health issues for children, teenagers and adults. The first question I had for Ms. Brown was how she would explain the term “anxiety.” She replied that a person suffering from anxiety would experience a “long-term anxious feeling which does not go away despite the individual’s efforts to fix it.” I also asked her if students and adults should be educated on the topic, and she said, “Absolutely, I’ve seen many adults and teenagers self-diagnose themselves with not just anxiety but depression as well, when they have actually never been diagnosed by a mental health professional.” Additionally, Ms. Brown mentioned that students with anxiety should “reach out for help, explain their feelings and get help from their counsellor,” and further adds that “counsellors create coping mechanisms for those students with anxiety based on their struggles from where their anxiety has developed.” Lastly, Ms. Brown highlighted the fact that “there is a difference between the adjective anxious, which does in fact refer to having anxiety about something, and actually being diagnosed with anxiety, as it is a very serious mental illness.”

Overall, the term “anxiety” should be used in a careful manner to ensure that no one who suffers from the illness feels personally attacked. Being knowledgeable about anxiety and many of the other mental illnesses is something which should be important for high school students and adults alike.