It turns out that the economic downturn is not just causing angst in the United States. According to news.scotsman.com there is a higher number of Scots in Glasgow seeking help for anxiety, stress and depression as a result of recent global economic turbulence.
This is of course no surprise since the world economy is being hit negatively from all sides. The housing market crash, rising energy cost, inflation, the credit crunch, and now even banks are starting to fail (in the USA). With all these economic problems anxiety in the ‘general’ population has been on the rise. With so many people facing foreclosure and the like is it any surprise that people are feeling like they are under a great deal of pressure?
According to the article Priority Hospital in Glasgow Scotland has even opened up new counseling rooms in response to increased local demand. The hospital has seen a 20% increase in visits related to anxiety and stress. Can financial stress really be causing all this mental turmoil? The answer to this is a resounding yes.
And although I have not come across any stories regarding the relationship between economic woes and anxiety here in the U.S., you can bet that there are plenty of people all over the country struggling with the financial crisis. The article went on to describe how one women felt like a hamster at her job and how she felt like she was always under an enormous amount of stress since she was being pushed hard at work. Overtime it is easy to see how anyone can become adversly affected by the pressure to ‘keep up’.
I saw this energy crunch in action just a few hours ago. I went to pump gas and at the end of it I was staring at a small 4X2 screen that read; $67.32. I didn’t have a panic attack, but I couldn’t help but feel concern for the future. I am no alarmist but because of my anxiety disorder I have always wondered how I would behave in a real crisis. I guess we will have to wait and see.
The good news is that the people of Glasgow suffering from bouts of depression and anxiety are seeking help and receiving not only medications (temporarily I hope), but they are also receiving training in relaxation techniques and anxiety management. Hopefully things will settle down over the next several months and the world’s economy can stabilize so I can stop day dreaming about financial disaster.
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