Anorexia and Bulimia: Starving to be Understood

Hello, Beautiful World!

This is going to be one, very exiting post as I'm entering uncharted territory. Although anxiety and depression were amazingly interesting topics, this week I'm going to be learning about two disorders I know very little about: anorexia and bulimia. The media examples will be all-new, so hopefully you guys will find that section even more interesting!

Before I begin, as always, I'd like to present some general statistics (and the definitions from NEDA) on anorexia and bulimia*:

• Anorexia (aka Anorexia Nervosa): a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
• Affects 0.9% of the female population in America 
• 1 in 5 people with anorexia die by suicide
• 50-80% of the risk for anorexia and bulimia is genetic
• ~half of anorexia patients have comorbid anxiety disorders, and 33-50% have comorbid mood disorders
• Bulimia Nervosa: a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge-eating.
• Affects 1.5% of the female population in America
• ~50% of bulimia patients have comorbid mood disorder, and more than 50% have comorbid anxiety disorders

Something that really surprised me (but also didn't, oddly enough) was that patients with these eating disorders also suffered from other mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. This was shocking because of the incidence; but also not, because I think these eating disorders are related in part due to a lack of self-confidence, poor self/body-image, and unhealthy eating behaviors. 

Similar to previous weeks, I conducted a survey and looked through modern, everyday media relevant to these eating disorders (and perhaps what contributes to them) before going in to meet with... Dr. Anné! To those who have never been graced with her wonderful, calming presence, Dr. Anné is a licensed clinical psychologist, eating-disorder specialist, and the founder and clinical director of A New Beginning. 

Julie T. Anné, PhD.

Her Beautiful Office

In terms of our meeting itself (which ended far too quickly), we started off the discussion by talking about what types of misconceptions patients generally come in with. Similar to anxiety and depression disorders, patients with anorexia and bulimia tend to come in feeling ashamed about their issues. However, the biggest thing that differentiates these patients is that they come in thinking that they will never fully recover from their eating disorder. This is the biggest, most common myth in the eating disorder realm. People can and do fully recover. Eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia, are not like alcoholism (once an addict, always an addict). Although recovery can be hard and arduous, it is absolutely possible to achieve by getting through all of the layers of the disorder, thus preventing relapse.

From here, Dr. Anné and I discussed more about eating disorders, especially anorexia and bulimia, using the survey questions as a basis:

Misconceptions:

• Myth: Eating Disorders are solely about food, weight, and appearance.
• Truth: Anorexia and bulimia are very complex, seemingly abstract disorders. They are very deep-seeded psychological coping mechanisms that utilize one's body image and relationship with food, and use that to meet deeper psychological needs. 
• Myth: Eating Disorders are a choice ("someone is choosing to do this, starving him/herself, so they can simply choose to start eating again").
• Truth: Eating disorders are not a choice, but rather compulsive disorders, in a way. Although one has a choice to get help regarding his/her eating disorder, one does not have a choice to simply start eating again. Anorexia and bulimia are unconscious coping mechanisms, becoming an emotional lifeline for people until they develop healthy ways to deal with their emotional issues. 
• Myth: Anorexia and bulimia affect mostly females, especially in adolescence. 
• Truth: At least 10% of those who develop eating disorders are males; however, this percentage is likely greater because these are the only the men that have stepped forward to get treatment. Although eating disorders are very shameful for women, they're even more so for men because of the societal association between eating disorders and women. In terms of age, there is an uprise in middle-age disorders, meaning there are more and more clients in their 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's with eating disorder issues with:
• one-third always having had an eating disorder, but never getting over it nor seeking treatment
• one-third having had an eating disorder that went away and then came back
• one-third being brand new cases (never having had an eating disorder)
• Myth: Bulimia is an effective means of weight control.
• Truth: With bulimia, although one will lose weight initially, it actually puts weight on him/her as the disorder continues. 
• Myth: Anorexia means eating only a very small amount of food, and bulimia is a simply a cycle of binging-purging (with purging being done through self-induced vomiting). 
• In terms of anorexia, you can have "anorexia" thought and behavioral processes even though you may be eating a relatively normal amount of food (whether that be counting every calorie or measuring the amount of food eaten). 
• In terms of bulimia, purging is a compensatory behavior to undo the calories consumed while binging. Hence, purging can also be carried out through intense exercise and restrictive dieting behavior (eating a lot one day, and then starving/eating less the next).

Some things that can be myths or truths, depending on the case:

• When it comes to eating disorders, many people say that they are caused by families and peers through their body-image related comments, or the media and photoshop. However, anorexia and bulimia are multifaceted disorders, a multitude of factors creating 'the perfect imperfect storm.' Although one contributing factor can be a family culture that focuses on body image, appearance, and weight, this alone will not cause an eating disorder. There has to be enough of the risk factors that come together, making one vulnerable. From here, something like the media can help pull the trigger. Some other primary, risk factors include:
• Biochemistry in the brain that is obsessive-compulsive and/or anxious in nature
• Temperament that is perfectionistic - one who wants the perfect body-image, high achiever, etc.
• Being a highly sensitive person (HSP) - one who is easily affected by interpersonal judgement, conflict, and constantly seeks approval from others
• Low self-esteem, lack of self/self-identity/self-confidence, lack of personal empowerment, being a people-pleaser (can come from anxiety or depression disorders) 
• Since these characteristics allows for other people to have too much influence over one's life, and suddenly, one's body becomes the only thing one can control (and this is where the eating disorder comes into play). 
• Trauma or a history of dieting (sometimes, but not always)
• Can you tell someone has anorexia or bulimia simply by their appearance? 
• No, because lots of people with an eating disorder look perfectly normal, especially in the case of bulimia. Someone can be anorexic in mentality, but weigh normal or slightly lower than normal, not making an impact on his/her appearance. 
• Yes, because there are some symptoms of eating disorders that cause changes in appearance:
• Bulimia: may have swollen parotid glands; tooth enamel eroded by stomach acid
• Anorexia: thin, dry hair; dry skin (because low fat intake or content in the body can decrease estrogen, impacting hormones and the skin); lanugo (fine, white hair that grows on the face)

Since we talked about the media and photoshop during our discussion on the survey questions, I asked Dr. Anné how she felt regarding the portrayal of eating disorders in/through Never Enough, barbie dolls, and models in popular runways (Victoria's Secret and New York Fashion Week).

• Never Enough 
• Recovery is about more than just gaining weight. It's about getting to the roots of the different pieces that have created the problem, and rebuilding them (especially one's self-esteem, how one deals with emotions, and feeling in true control over oneself). Simply gaining weight is not an effective form of treatment alone, because neural pathways have been formed and run the risk of going back to the eating disorder behaviors as a coping mechanism to gain a sense of control if nothing else changes. Too many times, treatment is focused solely on behavioral aspects, and not enough on the underlying creation of an emotional foundation that will help the patients be more emotionally resilient and eating disorder resistant. Treatment has to be multifaceted, like the disorder, to allow for full recovery and to prevent relapse. 

• Barbie Dolls
• There are many things a parent can do to promote better, more positive body-image in kids, building self-esteem and confidence from a young age. Barbie dolls don't promote that, because no one actually looks like that. Instead, parents should avoid talking about body-image, diet, and weight at home; they should rather have a healthy relationship with their body, self, and food as an example for their kids. 

• Models in popular runways (NYFW, VS, etc.)
• How are runway models seen as models for how people should look like, men or women?! Companies tend to use very young females to sell items to women in older-age groups, creating a fraudulent image of what is and what one is capable of. It can be very damaging to one's self-esteem and confidence. Rather, we should want to see models with healthy curves, and celebrate the natural body. 

Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, are so complex that it is very hard for a layperson to understand them. We look at someone with an eating disorder and it looks so simplistic. Just eat! We don't understand that eating disorders are compulsive disorders, not allowing a person to do what he/she knows he/she should be rationally doing. These disorders are even too complicated for generalists, who end up referring these patients to specialists in order to be treated most effectively. It can be difficult to understand that eating disorders are not just about food, rather about deeper, psychological processes. Beyond that, anorexia and bulimia can be very scary, making it difficult for us to try and understand them; it's hard to see someone starving and be able to understand the reason behind what they're doing. People with anorexia and bulimia need to be looked at and treated through a compassionate and knowledgable lenses, because they need to know and realize that recovery is possible. 

To talk about my own experiences this week, it was absolutely amazing to be able to learn about two disorders I knew next to nothing about. Dr. Anné provided such wonderful insight, and it was a delight to be able to talk with her. In terms of what I did for the rest of the week, I mostly helped with the business side: putting together folders for events and for new clients (this included stapling close to 400 sheets of paper, and putting step-sheets and business cards in 170 folders!). 

I hope you guys like my Week 3 post! Thank you all for following me on this enlightening journey, and showing me so much support on previous posts!

Lots of love 💗,

--Saleena 

Sources:

*Eating Disorder Statistics (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

Depression: All about getting deep-rest

Hello, Beautiful World!

How has another week gone by already?!? Time is going by way too fast, and I simply don't know what to do about it (maybe it's having too much free time and not much stress). I've been going through a new book almost every day, which means I'm going to bed later and later than normal.

It's been another amazing week at A New Beginning (it's becoming my second-home!) 😊 Before I go ahead and begin talking about this week's mental health issue, I'd like to thank everyone who reads my blog because last week, I was announced blog-of-the-week! I'm so so happy that people are enjoying my topic/project/content so far, and I wanted to let you guys know that I really really appreciate it, and am so grateful for each and every one of you 😘💕.  I'd also like to give a shout-out to four amazing people that mean so much to me: Dr. Anné, Taana, Mr. Chadwick, and my dad. This project would be nothing without the experience and knowledge I'm receiving from my internship at A New Beginning; and my 'week 1' post about anxiety wouldn't have had much substance without my meeting with Taana. I'd like to thank Mr. Chadwick for turning this simple idea into an actual project, and guiding me through it since he became my faculty advisor. Last but not least, thank you to my dad for always being there for me, and showing so much patience. I wouldn't be anything without the support and love he unconditionally gives me (from providing feedback on my posts to paying for the gas to get to my internship 😂). 

                                  

Now, I'll begin with the mental health issue of the week: depression (are my puns getting better or worse?). Once again, I'd like to start off by giving some general statistics on depression (that AP Stats class is becoming very handy, I'm beginning to realize):

• ~7%, or about 16 million, adults in the USA had a major depressive episode in their life in 2015.*
• Major depression reduces the life span of a person, and "accounts for the most years lived with disability of any mental or behavioral disorder."*
• The percentage of Americans taking antidepressants has increased from 6.8 to 12% from 1999 to 2012.*
• By 2020, the global market for depression drugs is predicated to be worth over $16 billion.*

Something that seemed to be of interest to me about these particular statistics was that despite the increase of Americans taking antidepressants as a form of treatment, they were still suffering with depression for a longer time than those with other mental health issues. The question that I came up with is: are antidepressants not truly beneficial in the long-term? If not, then what form of treatment is, and why?

Similar to last week, I conducted a survey and found modern-day media about depression before going in to meet Taana (don't get too comfortable... we'll soon get to meet a different therapist 😉). We started off the discussion by talking about what types of misconceptions patients generally come in with (just kidding... I actually forgot to ask this question during the meeting, and had to email her to ask it; but we'll overlook that tiny detail). Similar to anxiety disorder clients, those with depression also come in feeling shame and guilt that they haven't been able to 'fix' their depression or just 'get over it.' As we talked about this, I began to see a similar thread between the different mental health issues: the guilt, the shame.

From here, we talked more about depression as a disorder, once again using the survey as a basis for the questions: 

Misconceptions:

• Myth: Depression is rare, and only affects people of certain backgrounds, race, and/or gender.
• Truth: Depression is a lot more common than people realize; we can see this simply by looking at how many people get at least one depressive episode during their whole lifespan. In terms of it affecting people of certain backgrounds, races, or gender, depression is fairly universal. However, the statistics do tend to vary among cultures and genders due to whether it is culturally acceptable to report symptoms of depression and receive treatment. The actual incidence of depression is likely much higher than what is reported. 
• Myth: Depression implies a weak character/personality.
• Truth: Depression is very challenging for people to deal with, requiring a lot of strength and energy from a person compared to someone without it. So, instead of weakening one's character/personality, it builds his/her inner strength and courage.  
• Side note: antidepressants do not affect one's character/personality.
• Myth: One can get rid of his/her depression simply by putting a stop to his/her wallowing, and thinking more positively.
• Truth: Absolutely not! Statements like this show that depression is so dangerously misunderstood in our society. It invalidates the person, and makes them feel shame and embarrassment when they can't just "get over it" or control their symptoms through "will power." Myths like this are damaging because they often prevent people from seeking readily available and effective treatment, especially when the myth is put forth by family members, teachers, or friends. 

Some things that can be myths or truths, depending upon the case:

• Although depression can be caused by a negative incident, there are many other causes as well: 
• Genetic pre-disposition (genes for depressive disorders can be passed along just like eye or hair color)
• Hormones (especially in teenagers)
• Side note: symptoms of depression in teenagers are more likely to be irritable mood, isolating behavior, or acting out with risk-taking or angry behavior
• The grief process (feelings of depression are normal for a certain period of time after someone has experienced a loss - which can include loss of a relationship, loss of a job, loss of a goal one has been working toward, loss of lifestyle, in addition to loss of a person one is close to. If one doesn't mourn and process the loss in a healthy way, it can trigger an ongoing depression and/or suicidal thoughts)
• Traumatic events (especially where people feel powerless)
• Emotional trauma (repeated invalidating messages)
• Depression can also result from some medical conditions
• Someone on antidepressants doesn't necessarily have to take them for the rest of his/her life. The length of this form of treatment depends on a variety of factors: type of depression, the severity, what the trigger/cause is, and whether people are willing/able to use the skills taught in therapy.
• Antidepressants are the most common form of treatment because they appear to be a fairly easy solution (one can simply get them from a primary care doctor, making it easier because he/she only has to ask one person and that too in secrecy). In fact, not all medical doctors are specialists in mental health issues; so when people go for the easier route through their primary care physician, they might not be getting the specialized information and care that mental health issues often require. However, medications aren't necessarily the most effective form of treatment, because they only treat the symptoms. With using medication alone, if a person stops taking the medication, their symptoms can return. Medications can also have side-effects that must be weighed with the benefits. Studies have also shown that regular exercise may be just as effective as taking antidepressants. When a person has Major Depression, the best course may be a combination of medication and therapy. However, therapy typically produces the most long-lasting results with fewer relapses. Why psychotherapy? Because it involves a holistic process of looking at everything going on in the person's life and how things may be impacting them, and creates a plan to help the person move forward with healthy behaviors, a healthy relationship with themselves, and healthy relationships with others. It aims to help people get to the root cause(s) of what may be causing the disturbance for them, helps people to face challenges in their lives in a healthy way, and helps to corrects any unhealthy beliefs that may be getting in the way of people reaching their potential. There is even some evidence that the process of therapy helps to re-wire a person’s brain in a healthy way. The reason antidepressants are used more commonly is because often it seems like an easier solution, and people may be (unnecessarily) fearful of the process of therapy because they don’t have enough information about what therapy is like, and/or they feel overwhelmed by their problems and again, feel shame and guilt that they can’t “just fix it” themselves. 
• This answered my original question on the effectiveness of antidepressants in the long-term!
• The most common symptom of depression doesn't always have to be feeling sad. It's just as common for people to feel: numb, flat, unmotivated, and tired. Also, some may feel unable to find pleasure, even in things they used to like. That being said, others may certainly feel more tearfulness and sadness. Sometimes, people have thoughts that life is not worth living or that they would be better off not living anymore. This is the most serious and dangerous symptom of depression, and is a big red flag that the person needs the help of a mental health specialist IMMEDIATELY. 

From here, we moved onto the portrayal of depression in media. Although I had hoped to discuss four movies/books (13 Reasons Why, Big Hero 6, Inside Out, and Frozen), I could only analyze two of them with the therapists as they hadn't seen/read some of the other examples. If you guys have seen/read anything else that you thing portrays depression accurately/inaccurately, let me know in the comments please!

• Frozen:
• Scene: When Elsa feels trapped by the family, and is secluded in her room for many years (also, Anna's rejection from Elsa in terms of their sisterly bond)
• Yes, this does accurately portray depression. However, the reengagement between the two sisters later in the movie isn't natural.

• Inside Out:
• Scene: When the family relocates to San Francisco, Riley feels very sad, alone, insecure, and unhappy. 
• This is yet another accurate scene from Disney! Apparently, Inside Out really hits all the details (you'll definitely see more references to this movie)! 👍

In terms of where these misconceptions stem from, the answer is still the cultural shame and the social stigmas. People don't have accurate information because of the limited ways for the right information to be spread. Mental health issues are not an open topic. Not talked about. People don't ask questions because of the guilt and shame they feel. They're too afraid to ask and get accurate information. Because of all of the misinformation (such as the statements I previously discussed), family members can be rude, and also, people can be their own, harshest critics. To combat this situation, we need more public health campaigns, allowing mental health issues to be more widely and openly addressed in our culture. 

Sorry, I know this post is getting a bit long, but I wanted to talk a little bit more about my on-site experience as an example of the social stigmas we can even unconsciously hold. Although no notable changes have occurred in my plans for my project, there has been an ongoing experience that has surprised me while being onsite. I'd like to provide some background before I begin on what I do exactly on the typical, on-site day. For the most part, I help Jessica at the front desk, attending to client calls, collecting payment, and making appointments. I also make files/folders for new clients, and organize/print out any paperwork or fliers that will be necessary. Here are some pictures of A New Beginning, making it easier for you guys to visualize the environment:

The super, calming front lobby (p.s. the chairs are too soft to be real)

Oh look! You can see the front desk (unfortunately, you can't see me sitting there as I usually do) 😆

Spending time at the front desk, I got to interact with a lot of the clients, and in doing so, my whole point-of-view on mental health issues changed. Everyone who comes in looks so normal, and I'd never have thought they were struggling with a disorder. This shocked me because I didn't realize that I myself held such shallow stereotypes and misconceptions in mind. But, after this experience, I'm beginning to see that everyone is only human, and everyone truly has their own story. Their own problems. I know that probably sounds cliched, but it was so eye-opening. I'm so grateful for this experience, not only for making a great project, but for teaching me a lot about how I see others. 

I hope you guys like my Week 2 post! Thank you all for following me on this journey, and showing me so much support!

Lots of love 💗,

--Saleena 

Sources:

*Psychologists Think They Found The Purpose Of Depression (2017, February). Retrieved February 14, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/psychologists-think-they-found-the-purpose-of-depression_us_589e58a8e4b080bf74f03c45

Anxiety: I'm anxious to begin!

Hello, Beautiful World!

Even though I've only just started blogging, I'm in love with it and am so excited to be able to post again :) Without further ado, welcome back and let's begin with a quick tale of my Week 1 journey! 😆

This week, I began my on-site internship at A New Beginning! I'm so grateful to be able to work with a team of such lovely, kind therapists. They made me feel so welcome, and are so inspiring 💕 I got a more in-depth understanding of how the office works, signed some confidentiality papers (I know, I'm doing more adult, paperwork things... makes me actually feel 18 haha), and was introduced to the whole team. Although I couldn't sit-in for their whole staff meeting on Tuesday for confidentiality reasons, being a part of their conversation showed me just how kind, compassionate, and supporting these powerful women are 😊.

Me feeling like a professional grown-up

Getting to the main point, my disorder for the week was anxiety (could you guess from the title of this post? 😉 I tried to be punny, but let me know if you guys would rather have better/different titles haha). Before I get to the details, I'd like to start off by giving some statistics on anxiety disorders:

• Impacting 40 million Americans (18% of the US population), anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue.*
• Estimates are also deemed to be much higher, almost 30% of the population, because many people do not seek out professional help, do not know they are suffering from anxiety, or are improperly diagnosed.**
• Although anxiety disorders can be easily and effectively treated, only approximately one-third of those suffering from anxiety receive treatment.*
• Research demonstrates that behavioral treatment, with or without medications, is an extremely effective treatment for most people diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.***

After reading about these statistics, the main question that lingered with me throughout the week was: if behavioral therapy with the guidance of a therapist is so beneficial, why are many people not pursuing treatment for their anxiety disorder(s)?

Before meeting with Taana Abbitt, a clinical therapist at A New Beginning who specializes in anxiety disorders, I did my own research. After creating a survey to send out to friends and cousins (some who have taken AP Psychology, and some who haven't), which included multiple-choice, short-answer, and true/false questions regarding their preconceived notions on anxiety disorders, I also investigated through movies that depicted anxiety disorders and/or anxiety in general. I made a list of all of the ways people perceived and presented anxiety disorders, and went in for an hour-long meeting with Taana to see a more clinical point-of-view.

Taana Abbitt, MSW, LMSW

Starting off the meeting by asking her what misconceptions patients generally came into the clinic with in terms of anxiety disorders, I learned that many people feel that it's unusual to have anxiety (shocking right, considering the statistics on anxiety?!). Even though it is very common to experience anxiety based on peoples' situations/history and is easily treated, people come in nervous, embarrassed, and ashamed, thinking that there is something wrong with them because they are experiencing anxiety symptoms. Why is it that, despite so many people facing them, anxiety disorders are considered uncommon? This quite literally blew my mind away. From here, Taana told me more about anxiety as a disorder, using the questions in my survey as a basis.

Some misconceptions:

• Myth: Anxiety disorders come about in two ways: passed genetically or environmentally learned (learned response)
• Truth: Yes, but anxiety disorders can also be triggered by traumatic events.
• Myth: If you have anxiety, you should avoid things that stress you because it will trigger an anxiety attack.
• Truth: It's actually the exact opposite (except for with phobias). When people have a fear of something, anxiety tells them to avoid that thing; when that urge to avoid is listened to, it reinforces the fear, making it harder every time to face the fear. Instead, with the guidance and help of a psychologist, they need to carefully expose themselves a little at a time to what they're afraid of and tolerate the anxiety. When repeated, the anxiety will subside because they'll see that they can face the fear. 
• Myth: If one lives a healthy lifestyle (exercise, eat right, etc.), (s)he won't have anxiety.
• Truth: Although self-care can reduce anxiety, it does not prevent the anxiety disorder or make it disappear. 

Some things that can be myths or truths, depending upon the case:

• Anxiety attacks can, but do not have to be triggered by something to occur. They often are triggered by something, but it can be hard to identify and be aware of the trigger. When people come into therapy sessions, however, therapists often can help make sense of it and help identify the trigger. 
• Medicine can sometimes be very effective in helping to treat anxiety disorders. Anxiety and panic attacks may be so overwhelming at times that behavioral techniques are not effective, especially when first learning them. Many people experience the most relief when they use a combination of medication and therapy.
• Anxiety disorders are not always caused by chemical imbalances in the brain; they could be caused by experiences that are perceived as traumatic to the individual (including emotional trauma), meaning it overwhelms their ability to cope with and process the event.

Some thing that is deemed to be a myth, but is actually true:

• Symptoms, although many, tend to be the same among those with anxiety disorders:
• Common anxiety or panic attack symptoms include: elevated heart rate, shortness of breath, sense of dis-ease, muscle tension, adrenaline rush (could lead to a sick feeling and/or nausea), sense of detachment from body, dry mouth, and a sense that time has slowed down/stopped

Since the media plays a huge role in how we perceive things, I also asked Taana about she felt regarding the portrayal of anxiety disorders in Inside Out, What about Bob?, and YouTube. 

• Inside Out:
• Although it is animated, the portrayal of anxiety and fear is pretty accurate. Yay, Disney!!!

• What about Bob?
• This movie is more of a depiction of a personality dependent disorder than an anxiety disorder. Bob doesn't respect or seem aware of appropriate boundaries 😂. Someone with an anxiety disorder would not be as bold, demanding, or persistent in general because (s)he would be too anxious and/or worried to ask for help (which is very unlike Bob-> please refer to the gif below😶)

• YouTube:
• YouTubers, such as Zoella and Meghan Rienks, are openly showing the reality of living with anxiety disorders, building a support community by creating more awareness in the public. 

Going back to my original questions, if behavioral therapy is so beneficial, why are many people not pursuing treatment for their anxiety disorder(s)? Why is it that, despite so many people facing them, anxiety disorders are considered uncommon? The simplest, one-word answer is: shame. In the US especially, we face a cultural problem that creates much shame around mental health issues. That mental health issues are something to hide. Something one should be able to fix on his or her own. We treat mental health issues like a secret, and this only reinforces the idea that something is wrong with a person who is diagnosed with them. We're creating all of these social stigmas because of our culture of invulnerability. Why is it that only one-third of those diagnosed with anxiety disorders receive treatment? Because they feel alone. They feel that they have to fix their problem on their own. But they can't. Anxiety disorders are easy to treat, but they are difficult to self-treat. With YouTubers having taken the initiative, we the people need to connect, spread awareness, and create a community where we can realize that these mental health issues that we deem so unusual are actually very common.

I hope you guys like my Week 1 post! Thank you all for following me on this journey, and showing me so much support!

Lots of love 💗,

--Saleena 

Sources: 

*Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2016, August). Retrieved October 24, 2016, from https://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
**Anxiety Effects on Society Statistics (2015, June). Retrieved February 7, 2017, from http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-statistics-information.shtml
***Beyond Worry: How Psychologists Help With Anxiety Disorders (2016, October). Retrieved February 8, 2017, from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/anxiety.aspx