Behind The Mask

It’s Okay

Hello.

It is okay.

 

It’s okay to be overwhelmed. We all have times where there is too much on our plate and it’s just too much to deal with. It all bubbles up and all you want to do is cry.

It’s okay to cry. Let it out. It’s better out than in, you’ll be surprised how much better you can actually feel after a good cry.

It’s okay to worry. Even if it’s about the smallest things, we all do it, just don’t forget to breathe and relax! Don’t forget whatever it is you’re worried about, it isn’t going to be the end of the world.

It’s okay to have anxiety. More people than you realise suffer with it every day. Don’t fret, you’ll find the technique that helps you tame the anxious minion in your head.

It’s okay to want to talk! If you have an issue or worry or whatever! If you want to talk about it then do so! There’s someone in your life who will listen to you, and if not you can find someone (even if it’s a professional) who will listen to you.

It’s okay to not want to talk. Sometimes silence is needed, peace and quiet, let your mind mellow out for once. Anxiety is more tiring than some think!

It’s okay to be happy. Just because you may suffer from anxiety and depression does NOT mean your sad 100% of the time, when you’re happy you’re happy, enjoy it! Write it down, take a photo, do something to remember it. Remembering happy times will remind you that even when you’re down you can get back up.

It’s okay not to be okay. Sometimes when we’re down we need it to take its toll, otherwise, it will simmer in the back of your head and build up until it bursts out and is worse than it would’ve been if you just let it out before. Don’t forget there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

Stay safe. Stay Strong.

~ Behind The Mask

Dating with Anxiety

Welcome back all!

Today is a quick and small post about a big subject: Dating someone who has anxiety.

 

Yes, it’ll be tough, but what relationship, in general, isn’t tough? Today I will share with you what is to be expected and how to deal with it.

~ The two best words to say is ‘it’s okay’ – I think some people forget how easy it is just to reassure someone just by saying ‘it’s okay’. It’s simple, but some of the best things are just that. Simple.

~ Listen – Again sounds simple, but some people say they listen and don’t. Showing you do care about what’s going on in your significant other’s mind will make them feel better, and a lot more confident to open up more.

~ There will be sleepless nights – Not necessarily a tip, but it isn’t to be a warning either. Sometimes your partner may not to sleep because they have too much on their mind, that’s where the two above tips comes in handy.

~ There isn’t a lack of trust, but there is fear – friends with your ex? Or even just mention their name? Instantly their mind is jumping to assumptions. Cheating? Do you want to break up with them? They did something wrong? It’s uncontrollable sometimes, to play the worse case scenario in their anxious mind.

~ Texting – Are you taking too long to reply? See the above statement again, they could come up with a bad scenario again. If you can try to text as soon as you can, and don’t go judging or getting mad if they send an extra text or two to you. They just care so much.

~ Sometimes, staying in and doing nothing is best – we all like a lazy night, but for someone with anxiety a night out, or just going out, in general, can be a bit much for them. Suggest a chilled night in, they’d appreciate that every now and again.

~ Know that you can’t always help – sometimes a significant other just needs time to breathe, they need space but don’t go too far because they do still need you, even if they don’t say it. Don’t worry yourself if you can’t help them when they’re low or anxious, sometimes nothing will seem to work.

~ Time is precious – give them time and they can give you the world, in time. Patience is key, once they’ve grown enough trust and confidence with your they will love you to the moon and back.

 

Want to know more? Check out this YouTube video of this couple talking about their story and the advice they give:

 

More? Check these out:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/kirsten-corley/2017/01/this-is-how-you-love-someone-with-anxiety/

http://elitedaily.com/dating/dating-someone-with-anxiety/907721/

 

As always everyone,
Stay strong. Stay safe.

~ Behind The Mask

Social Media Causing Anxiety?

Hello all, welcome back.

Today’s post is gonna be more of a laid back ramble. Work with me here.

Do you think social media is causing anxiety? It’s not one anyone would want to admit anyway these days, since we all use social media. However, let’s think about this together for a second and break it down to what exactly it could be causing anxiety when it comes to social media…

 

Is it an addiction?
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Go on your phone and check…Twitter? Maybe Facebook? Or Instagram or Snapchat, or maybe there’s even a new social media platform out when you are reading this, so you might go on that.
If you said you don’t do that in the morning, well, either you have great will power, have no social media whatsoever, or you are lying.

Of course, this doesn’t mean one has an addiction just because they check their phone every morning, however, what if you weren’t allowed to access your social media for a whole day? Perhaps a week? That changes things a bit now doesn’t it.

What if I miss some big news? Everyone could be talking about it and I would have no idea!

What if there’s gossip or drama? I’ll miss out on it all.

I’ll be out of the loop of what’s happening!

There might be a party, I could be invited, but I won’t know!

Oh, the possibilities of our wondering minds are endless, it could really get one’s anxiety riled up. Maybe it is possible for social media to be addicting just like cigarettes or drugs.

 

Fear of missing out?
Continuing on from one of my inner thoughts examples. Fear itself creates anxiety no matter what caused the fear, in this case, it is fear of missing out when not on social media since a lot could happen in twenty-four hours so even being away for just a day you could become anxious about missing out on whatever is happening in the world of social media.

BUT could this be because of over-using social media? Linking it with the addiction of it all. I know, a lot of rhetorical questions being thrown here, but stay with me, it makes sense if you think about it and questioning makes you think!

To avoid becoming anxious by going on social media and ‘not missing out’, we could actually be feeding our anxiety the wrong way by doing exactly what it wants! (confused? That’s anxiety for you, it messes your mind about, a lot.)

 

Comparison
Wow! My old secondary school friend is traveling across Europe with her boyfriend of two years.

I won’t bore you with multiple examples, I’m sure you have the idea from the one above. We see a friend/someone we know or even someone we don’t know like a celebrity/blogger/etc., sharing their ‘life’ on social media. Chance’s are it looks pretty exciting or extravagant, making you compare your own life (social media life, or real life) to what you see.

My life is so boring compared to theirs.
I want to do something more like that.

Seeing these for some may not even phase them, but someone with anxiety? Seeing that can cause them to feel self-conscious or feel a need for perfectionism. This can brew into a social anxiety disorder or even another disorder like OCD. (Find out more about OCD and other anxiety disorders in my ‘Did You Know…?’ blog post. Click here to access it.)

Even just comparing how many like/retweets/shares/etc. you get can make you anxious. Someone could post a great post, but only get one or two likes, someone else could post something similar and potentially get more. It’s not hard to compare yourself to another, we all do it without realising, add anxiety to the mixture and it can create a big mess.

 

Have a think for a minute or two, have you ever done any of the above?
Checked your phone in the morning for your morning social media intake?
Not been able to check your social media for a while and feared you’d miss out on something?
Or have you ever compared yourself to someone else’s social media profile/post?

 

No more questions now, thinking is over, take a deep breath in and out, and relax.

 

Until next time,
Stay safe. Stay strong.

~ Behind The Mask

 

Apps That Can Help Anxiety

Welcome back!

We’ve all had our fair share of worry, stress, and anxiety, but being realistic, some have it worse than others. Being in a society that now is constantly on their computers or phone, going on social media on the daily (which is possible causing more anxiety? Blog post on this coming soon!) some people need to find a new way to relieve their anxiety.

On my hunt for more information about anxiety, good ol’ Google showed me some advertisements for some apps that are meant to aid you when you are stressed or anxious. I had to know more! So I furthered my research of anxiety for popular applications that help people with their worries, stress, and anxiety. I managed to bring it down to three apps that are completely different, so it’s down to you to see which would work best for you (maybe all three!).

Imagine being out shopping or going about your day-to-day business when all of a sudden you start feeling anxious about something. It’s important to deal with it, whether it’s about that big promotion you may or may not be getting, or if it’s about a photo/status you recently posted on a social media site.

 

Here are some apps that can help you out:

HEADSPACE – Focuses on meditation
Available online or as an app (iOS and Andriod). This app it to help encourage the user of it to meditate for just a few minutes a day, to aid them in relieving stress and calming their anxiety. On their about page they say “when this simple activity is considered no more strange than taking a shower, we’ll have achieved our aim.”

They provide you with a 10-day free trial, from then on you can decide what you want to do. Check out more information at their website here.

 

BETTERHELP – Provides you with someone (a professional) to talk to 
Also available online and as an app (iOS and Andriod). “Convenient, affordable, private online counseling. Anytime, anywhere. Talk with a licensed, professional therapist online.” Anytime? Anywhere? You can talk to a professional? This can be so helpful if you have anxiety that can kick in at any time. Plus it is always reassuring to know you always have someone to talk to whenever you need it.

Check out more information here.

 

WORRYWATCH – Password protected journal
Whenever you feel worried you go into this journal and you write down what is making you worried, you then later revisit the app to say whether the outcome was as bad as the worry or if there was no need to worry at all. Next time you are anxious, your app will send you a notification to remind you that the actual outcome is rarely as bad as the worry!
“Statistics may help spot underlying worry patterns or trends. Such an awareness may help challenge your worry perceptions and subsequently may help change your future thoughts in a positive way.”

Check out more information here.

 

So there is an app for meditating when you need to give yourself a moment to relax and calm your mind, one for when you need someone to talk to (and it’s a professional too!), and one where you can just express all that’s on your mind into the journal.

Of course, there are many other apps along the lines of these, so don’t forget to do your research, but from what I’ve seen these three are very popular!

 

Until next time,
Be Safe. Be Strong.

~ Behind The Mask

Did You Know…?

Did you know…

~ There are different types of anxiety disorders?

  • Agoraphobia
    • where you have an intense fear of certain situations including leaving your home, being in public spaces, using public transport, and being in crowded spaces
  • Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
    • when you worry a lot about how you look or a particular part of your body. People might not notice or see it in the same way you do, but it makes you feel distressed. BDD can make you do things that take up a lot of time, such as staring at your face/body in the mirror, comparing your features with other people’s, covering yourself excessively with makeup, or considering plastic surgery when you do not need it. BDD is not the same as being vain or self-obsessed.
  • Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
    • you feel anxious a lot of the time. This makes you feel out of your control. You might feel ‘on edge’ and alert to your surroundings. It can affect day-to-day life, make you easily tired or have trouble sleeping or concentrating. There are even physical symptoms which include muscle tension, headaches, sweating, nausea, ‘butterflies’ in your stomach, and fear of fainting.
  • Hair pulling (Trichotillomania)
    • feeling the urge to pull your hair out. This can be from your scalp or other places, it can be difficult to stop yourself doing this. It is linked to OCD. You might experience a build-up of tension, which is relieved by pulling out the strand of hair. You might not even be aware that you’re doing it.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
    • obsession is an unwelcome thought or image that repeatedly enters your mind and is largely out of your control. It can be difficult to ignore. You might not want those thoughts and they can be disturbing, which can make you feel distressed and anxious. There are different types of OCD,  such as contamination, checking, intrusive thoughts, and hoarding.
  • Panic disorder (panic attacks)
    • makes you feel anxious and frightened. It happens suddenly and feels intense. There are also physical symptoms to this.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
    • can develop PTSD if you experience a traumatic or frightening event. It can develop shortly after the event, or sometimes months or years later.
  • Skin picking
    • where you repetitively pick at your skin, causing damage to your skin, including bleeding, bruising and sometimes permanent marks. Usually picking the skin on your face, but may also be areas of the body. It can be difficult to stop doing it.
  • Social anxiety disorder
    • sometimes known as social phobia, means you have an intense fear or dread of social or performance situations. Some common situations where you may experience anxiety are speaking in public or in groups, meeting new people or strangers, dating, eating or drinking in public.
  • Toilet-related anxiety
    • fear of using toilets in either your own home, someone else’s home or in public spaces. This can lead to difficulty and embarrassment when needing to use the toilet.

~ It is still not fully understood what causes anxiety disorders. Difficult events or seeing something traumatic can start some. Brain chemicals and your environment can also cause anxiety.

~ There are many ways to treat anxiety. Examples are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure and response preventions (ERP), Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), etc.

~ Anxiety and mental health issues are REAL. People who don’t believe it is may have not experienced any forms of mental health issues them self or are uneducated in the manner. This is why we raise awareness, so more people can understand!

~ You are NEVER alone. There is always help, whether it be a friend, stranger, professional, through online, telephone, etc. Never feel like you have to deal with mental health alone!

 

Sources and for more info:
https://www.rethink.org/resources/a/anxiety-disorders-factsheet

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/mental-health-statistics-anxiety

https://www.bemindfulonline.com/

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

http://www.mind.org.uk/

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anxiety/pages/introduction.aspx

 

Until next time,
Stay safe. Stay strong.

~ Behind The Mask