According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America [ADAA] (2014a), anxiety disorders affect millions of Americans, however only an estimated one third of the patients suffering from anxiety receive some form of treatment (2014a). A few of the reasons for these statistics are inaccurate representation in the media, misinformation on the importance of seeking treatment, or not being aware of the different treatment options. Any race, gender, or age range can be affected by anxiety. Therefore it is critical to remember anyone can be affected by anxiety (Goldberg, 2014). A small amount of anxiety or worry is normal in every person. However, if anxiety begins to interfere with a person 's daily life it is important to seek treatment. Some
…show more content…
The media is making teens who are suffering from anxiety turn away from treatment. Movies such as Napoleon Dynamite, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Misfits, and so many more show us that people with anxiety are “antisocial” or “weird”. This triggers teens to feel the need to hide their mental illness and not seek help when they need it. The media also fails to show all the different treatment options for anxiety. For example, in The Hunger Games, one of the characters, Haymitch, experiences PTSD. Instead of Haymitch getting counseling he turns to alcohol. If movies like the Hunger Games showed a positive treatment option patients would be more willing to also seek help. Adolescents and teens commonly learn from social learning or from watching other people and reacting the same way. The media commonly shows people with anxiety overusing drugs and alcohol to calm their anxiety. This leads teens to believe that this is their only option. Also in popular rap songs artists commonly talk about using drugs as a way out of their anxiety attacks. For example, in Eminem 's song “I’m Having a Relapse” he says “ and I get these panic attacks pop a Xanax relax. Xanax is a commonly overused prescription medication for anxiety attacks. Artists such as Eminem are swaying teens to self medicate, and use drugs that are not prescribed for them, rather than seeking a doctor and receiving help for their various mental illnesses. In schools, there are not enough resources promoting positive healthy ways of coping with anxiety or stress. Guidance counselors should make themselves more available to support students in finding them help for their mental illnesses. America needs to be more open about mental illnesses such as anxiety, and have conversations with adults and children in order to persuade Americans to seek treatment when they need
The media is making teens who are suffering from anxiety turn away from treatment. Movies such as Napoleon Dynamite, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Misfits, and so many more show us that people with anxiety are “antisocial” or “weird”. This triggers teens to feel the need to hide their mental illness and not seek help when they need it. The media also fails to show all the different treatment options for anxiety. For example, in The Hunger Games, one of the characters, Haymitch, experiences PTSD. Instead of Haymitch getting counseling he turns to alcohol. If movies like the Hunger Games showed a positive treatment option patients would be more willing to also seek help. Adolescents and teens commonly learn from social learning or from watching other people and reacting the same way. The media commonly shows people with anxiety overusing drugs and alcohol to calm their anxiety. This leads teens to believe that this is their only option. Also in popular rap songs artists commonly talk about using drugs as a way out of their anxiety attacks. For example, in Eminem 's song “I’m Having a Relapse” he says “ and I get these panic attacks pop a Xanax relax. Xanax is a commonly overused prescription medication for anxiety attacks. Artists such as Eminem are swaying teens to self medicate, and use drugs that are not prescribed for them, rather than seeking a doctor and receiving help for their various mental illnesses. In schools, there are not enough resources promoting positive healthy ways of coping with anxiety or stress. Guidance counselors should make themselves more available to support students in finding them help for their mental illnesses. America needs to be more open about mental illnesses such as anxiety, and have conversations with adults and children in order to persuade Americans to seek treatment when they need