I will save the statistics for someone else and talk to you straight from the heart on this one. I've lived with anxiety as long as I can remember, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was 30. No kidding. All those years I didn't have a word for it yet. I could maybe describe it if I had to, but because of the stigma, I didn't. I just tried to live with it. It wasn't until relatively recently that this disorder has been recognized as not only being a real thing, but legitimate and more common than we realized. Social media use has caused these numbers to grow exponentially, but I could go on and on about that. I am after all, going to share this on at least two other platforms to get the word out. It's not that the internet is bad - it's, once again, the notion of moderation. See my last two posts at least.
Often times anxiety is accompanied by depression, or vice versa, and I am a person who has been afflicted by both. But I am not alone. I come from a family, whose history is painted with suffering and strife from disorders most likely never addressed.
I was, however, diagnosed with ADHD in college, only to be presented with medications that were far too easily abused. Thankfully, I didn't take them for long or before anything became a problem.
There are a number of things a young person will do to try and alleviate this stress. Any person, really. Often times they self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. They feel some relief, finally! Or so they think. In reality, they are indeed making their problems worse. So. Much. Worse. The younger these habits develop, the harder it is to break them later on. That is why I decided to specialize in Youth Fitness. I wanted to help people develop healthy habits early in life, to help cope with these conditions. I wasn't thinking drugs and alcohol - not at that time. I just wanted kids to start moving and never stop, and I wanted to teach them how to do it safely and effectively. I've seen what a sedentary life can do and it's deadly. That's not just something they say to scare you into exercising. If you do not use your body, you will start to lose it.
Every situation is different. Each person is unique. What works for someone, may not work for someone else. That is why it's important that you do the work and get diagnosed if you can. Know what you're dealing with so you can deal with it properly. Even better, add a therapist into the mix. These things are integral. Medication isn't always necessary, and some are even terrible, but some really do work and they really do help some people. Here's the thing I want to explain. This is the weapon/tool/coping strategy/relief/go-to, etc. that I use to get through this life, and to do it healthily and without causing harm to myself or others - and it's exercise. I know what a lot of you are thinking. I have heard it time and time again. I will tell you what I told my youth client the day she opened up to me about her anxiety and depression. She told me she hated it when people told her to exercise to feel better. I am sure a lot of you do too. But here's the thing. Here's what I told her. Exercise helps you feel energized if you do it right. It can make you feel relaxed as well. It can literally release hormones that make you feel good. It can help you to feel more clear and focused. It helps you feel stronger and more confident. The stronger you are in any way can help you in every way. So, yes, exercise can help you feel better. But you have to push yourself and you have to do it safely. And most importantly, you have to do it consistently. I swear by exercise as part of my formula for feeling my best. But being part of a formula is key. Exercise, combined with mindful and healthy eating, anti-depressants, good people, nature and spirituality, as well as little to no alcohol, but with safe and responsible cannabis use in its place - makes me more peaceful. Less stressed. Less irritated and much less angry. More composed. More clear. I tell my clients when they are struggling, to "Go to the woods about it." Walk it off, jog it out, stand there listening to the birds and looking at the trees if that's all you can do. Movement is medicine. It helps me with my anxiety and depression and I honesty believe it can help you too.
Chipman Preserve, 2014
Chipman Preserve, 2016
Chipman Preserve, 2017
Chipman Preserve, 2020
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