The world has gone mad. It’s always been a little nutty I guess, but it seems like things have shifted into a new kind of crazy. I can’t possibly explain all the reasons why the world has gone mad, but what I can say with certainty is that much of your anxiety is not entirely of your own making. In fact, I think the modern world has placed human beings in a very bizarre place. A place where people are more like robots created to fill a role rather than live a life. Maybe that’s an exaggeration, who really knows, but from the looks of things it seems like people are angry, scared, and really worried about the future. People don’t make enough money, can’t afford things they should be able to afford, and many owe tons of money for something that should be provided to people eager to contribute to society. That’s all to say that anxiety isn’t just born in your childhood or terrible experiences. It can also develop as a result of living in a world were meeting your full potential is difficult and even discouraged.
On the flip side, perhaps people sipped too much of the prosperity Kool-Aid. Maybe we forgot our history and were mislead by the good times that followed World War II and assumed that the party would never end. Descent paying jobs, affordable homes, modest vacations and the hope for a better future. Anyway, I assure you that I don’t have answers to any of the issues facing humanity today. Instead, I just wanted to highlight the many external factors that can add to your high anxiety.
So, listen now.
In this episode of The Anxiety Guru Show you’ll hear about:
- The incredible increase in the rates of anxiety
- Elements of the modern world that breed anxiety
- Ramblings about fear and affordable housing
- Feedback to listener email
- And long rants about modern life
Thank you!
You’re welcome Aimee!
Paul,
you hit a nail on the head when you said that the world has gone completely nuts. I thought it was just me who felt that way. As many people around the country, I have been watching the election process very carefully this time, even though I have never been interested in anything political before.
You see, I am an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, and I grew up experiencing the “beauty” of socialism/communism first hand. The US seems to be headed in the same direction now and it just sends chills down my spine. The people who want all the “free” stuff don’t understand what kind of dangerous game they are playing. I escaped it once, and it seems like it keeps following me wherever I go.
Probably the most nutty issue I have a problem with is a transgender bathroom issue and the whole Target thing. I have 2 daughters who are still young and impressionable, and I hate them having to grow up in a mixed up society like this.7 years of Obama and we don’t know a man from a woman any more. Sometimes I find myself feeling like I live in a crazy house where the inmates took over the asylum.
Thanks for touching up on this topic, it was spot on and very relevant.
I love your podcasts and am a long time reader/listener.
Paul I sent you a message on Anxiety Guru facebook page did you receive it?
Thank you, Paul for this podcast. I must say, it was spot on, in so many regards. The overstimulation of the media and its assorted outlets do not bode well with me anymore. I recognized how little a tolerance i have for television or any kind of inflammatory news,pop culture,or the like. I literally feel the assault on my senses and become bodily reactive. As though I am walking around without skin.
What I have found in recent days is that despite a spike of generalized anxiety threatening to teeter on the brink of a panic spasm , I never panicked. That is huge for me. I that know you,and this wonderful community you have nurtured herein understand what i mean.
I had caught myself on several occassions trying to battle my way out of the onset of escalated events of these spasms. This had always been my mode to the point where I regarded it as part of my personality. ” Battling ” had been the problem. But I’ve learned I am and will continue to remain of the grit distinction. That is the true authentic self of mine (which you had spoken of in an earlier podcast), and as the panic response begins to incrementally lessen after awareness of and mindfulness to triggers and their patterns of emergence ( life events,,so forth), I am realizing just how much progress I have made in this decades long struggle with persistent anxiety. Im’ practicing not fighting or muscling through it as much as I used to. I;m practicing , and am managing my recovery like a business.Bosses need refreshed skills as much as those under their employ.
Thanks for all you do to help all of us here.
I agree that people are more stressed than ever before. i attribute a lot of what we are seeing to the impact of social media. you can avoid traditional media and the news in general and still be exposed through connections on facebook, twitter and even linkedin. bitter political discourse and fear mongering can be seen in posts made by everyday people who seem to have lost any sense of boundaries when posting their thoughts on the internet. the hate and anger i see in posts in such places as “disqus” is palpable. its horrifying to see what people are willing to express when hiding behind a screen name.
then there is the social stress created when people chronicle every aspect of their lives on facebook, twitter, instagram and snapchat. what we are really seeing is a skewed version that only allows us to see the upside. “friends” and “connections” witness what appears to be an enviable life that they don’t have and allow their own self esteem to plummet. keeping up with the joneses has never been harder.
as for the 400% increase in the prescriptions filled for psychoactive drugs, thank big pharma, who plays a significant role in the development and updates of the DSM. that’s the manual that defines mental disorders so the doc can figure out which drug to give you. doctors who have no business prescribing anti-depressants, such as GP’s and OBGYN’s, are passing anti-d’s out like candy. i don’t feel the 400% figure is an accurate measure of the number of people suffering from mental illness. peer reviewed research has demonstrated that SSRI’s are no more effective than placebo in mild to moderate depression. they certainly play a role in the treatment of serious depression – but most people get greater benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy or rational emotive behavioral therapy. and i don’t believe that there is much value in taking any kind of psychoactive drug without concurrent therapy with a licensed therapist – like Paul! (congrats, dude).
Hey Road, I actually did not receive a message. Feel free to email me at info@anxietyguru.net.
Awesome Podcast Paul. Good to see you are back at it again.
Long story short, I do not watch the news whatsoever (and it bit me in the arse the other day when the temps where I live reached the 90’s, yet, I was in a long sleeve shirt and a vest when I left the house.) My point is that I simply refuse to get sucked into what is happening in the world today. There is a lot of stuff going on, and our minds are constantly being inundated with info. Terrorism, the election, global warming, etc, are just a few “oh crap” moments we have to listen to on a daily basis. I choose to think about what is important to me, which is my family and friends. I go to work in the morning, listen to music or podcasts during my commute, and when I get back home, I find something to do (watch The Food or Travel Channel, look up a new recipe, research a new book to read, practice my softball swing in the garage, download music to create new mixes, etc.) I choose to find something that will stimulate my mind in a positive way. Come time to vote, I will vote. But I will do so after I’ve done my own research (and not let news outlets tell me who to vote for).
If we stop paying attention to what the media says and instead focus on the important things in life, then this world would be more tolerable. If something happens on the other side of the world, I simply do not care. I’m not being mean or heartless, but it doesn’t affect me or my family in any way. What is happening in the world, in my opinion, is just the sign of the times. The world is not coming to an end, there’s no such thing as a zombie’s, and Elvis and 2Pac are not alive!
Be well folks, find fun things to do, and ignore most of the BS you see and hear on TV, in social media, and wherever else all this stuff is reported in. Put down your phones, tablets, and laptops at least once a week and you’ll see the difference (I did after I got married last year and both my wife and I have felt the difference.)
As a lifelong sufferer of anxiety, I would recommend anyone reading this comment to check out Daniel Gardner’s book The Science of Fear: Why We Fear Things We Shouldn’t, and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger (as a result).
There are numerous chapters devoted to society’s role and purpose in amping up fear, worry, and constant anxiety.
My anxiety is genetic, conditioned, and environmental, and there are many non-situational reasons my anxiety developed and continued as I grew from child to adult.
With all that said, “If it bleeds, it leads,” is a common saying in the media for a reason. It taps into your System 1 (gut) and keeps a steady flow which then gets filtered down into other aspects of your life. Even church isn’t safe. Heck, church can be one of the worst promoters of anxiety depending on denomination. I was raised southern baptist is why I say this. Very much hellfire and brimstone. Doom and gloom.
Anyway, check out Gardner’s book. Very relevant for anxiety sufferers, particularly those in the West.