All of my blogs up until this point, have touched on the vast subject of mental health in some capacity. However, I am launching a series focusing on a few specific mental health disorders/conditions, giving a more in depth look at what each entail. This series is very important to me because sometimes mental health disorders gets lumped in altogether, becoming devalued and misunderstood. When this happens, many people are inclined to say “oh yeah, everyone gets depressed (or anxious, etc.) it’s not a big deal. Just suck it up like the rest of us.” Uh…. no lol.
There are differences within each disorder category. For example, in the area of Anxiety there are multiple anxiety disorders that fall under that specific category. Although many people do experience anxiety, depression, trauma, and other mental health conditions, there is a difference between experiencing symptoms, and having a disorder. Not to mention, everyone experiences symptoms differently and for different durations of time; mental health is a spectrum, it is not one size fits all.
Mental health is a spectrum; it is not one size fits all.
In this series, I will be discussing the mental health disorders and conditions that I have had professional and / or personal experience with: Anxiety, Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Depression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). My goal is:
- To provide information about the causes of these disorders/conditions
- Show the parts of the brain that are affected by these disorders/ conditions
- Discuss symptoms, and the difference between experiencing symptoms vs. having a disorder (i.e. the reason why I keep differentiating between mental health disorder and mental health conditions)
- Possible treatment options
- Coping strategies
Lastly, I will discuss the sensitive subject of suicide, and what may cause some people to succumb to it.
I would like to provide a disclaimer- what I write is not the end all be all answer. Meaning, although I am a LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker), I am only providing you with information from my professional experiences, resources that I am familiar with, and with some personal insights where applicable. I am in no way diagnosing or stating that anyone should or shouldn’t pursue certain treatments or medication. Even with reading what I have to offer, I would still encourage you to do research on your own for additional information and, if needed, for professional help.
So, without further ado, lets get started with the first mental health topic: Anxiety
Artwork credit: Adam Sally, Oxford, Michigan. Adam is the creator of the banner image for this blog post. Sketching first in pen and then ultimately finalizing his work through photoshop, Adam created an extremely life like image of me wrestling with the many monsters/shadow figures- or forms of anxiety- that people take on. Through creative collaboration, Adam and I discussed how anxiety can be experienced physically. Through his own creativity, Adam perfectly illustrated this physical experience, by drawing the shadow figures tugging at my neck, chest, and whole body. Adam perfected my original vision into something I couldn’t have dreamt up or created myself! I have so much appreciation and gratitude for my awesome friend, and his obvious talent!
Adam is a man of many trades! Along with his art skills, Adam is talented at graphic design, logo design, social media content creation, real estate videography, wedding/event videography, and video marketing. If you need services that exceptionally represent your visions and businesses, Adam is your guy! Check him out on Facebook and Instagram
