'I asked myself would I go crazy'

Anxiety disorders can develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events. Anxiety may also be caused by a mental condition, a physical condition, the effects of drugs, or a combination of these.

Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are also common triggers for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma is also likely to have a particularly big impact if it happens when you are very young.

COMMON CAUSES OF AN ANXIETY DISORDER

Common Causes Of Anxiety Include These Mental Conditions:

• panic disorders caused from amphetamines, an overactive thyroid, abnormal heart rhythms, and other heart abnormalities.
• generalized anxiety disorder
• phobic disorders
• stress disorders

Common External Factors Can Also Cause Anxiety:                                             

• stress at work
• stress from school
• stress in a personal relationship such as marriage
• financial stress
• stress from an emotional trauma such as the death of a loved one
• side effects of medication
• use of an illicit drug
• symptom of a medical illness
• feeling lonely or isolated
• being bullied, harassed or abused

Difficult experiences in childhood, adolescence or adulthood are also common triggers for anxiety problems. Going through stress and trauma is also likely to have a particularly big impact if it happens when you are very young.

The doctor often has the task of determining which symptoms come from which causes.

TESTIMONIAL

I am by nature a very quiet person; perhaps an introvert!  This may come as a surprise to many, as I am normally very active, full of life and laughter, and generally display an outgoing personality.  There is absolutely nothing false about me; always genuine and in most cases calm and collected under extreme pressure, no matter the circumstances.

But, give me a book, a pen, pencil and paper and the world as we know it ceases to exist. I can go for days without any human contact, and from my early childhood days, I grew to enjoy my own company. I really had no choice, being the only grandchild at home with my elderly grandparents. My aunts and uncles were all grown by the time I arrived, and they were all pursuing different careers in Jamaica and other parts of the world.

Growing up in the country, our neighbours were also few and far apart, and between school and chores, there was little time to play with anyone. At the time, our only means of communicating with the outside world was through writing letters or reading books. Very few persons had a home telephone and they were usually miles away from each other. Also having a home telephone was considered a luxury, and as we lived in a mainly farming community, we were described as being poor.

I was bright! Yes I said it! I always had my nose in a book and before I did my Common Entrance Examinations (CEE) I had read hundreds of different books; ranging from fiction to non-fiction and collected my own set of Encyclopaedia’s.  I had already started writing and my articles were published in the Children’s Own, a children’s supplement published in the then Daily Gleaner. I was also an avid reader with the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) and participated in their reading competitions.

My teachers noting my natural ability to read and write, always had me reading for the class and before I completed all age school, I had participated in a number of competitions with my classmates for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) for which my school won a number of awards.

Still trying to figure out why I am an introvert…

After I dust off my feet from the hustle and bustle of the day, I like to get back into my own space. I technically like to be alone; no noise or distractions, just me!

But growing up was not without its challenges. That would generally be the case for most persons if you are considered to be poor, and for this little girl I knew that my only way out of the situation was through getting a solid education. All I ever knew was working and working hard I did. I was an A average student and did very well in my extra-curricular activities at all levels of the educational ladder. I did the same for any job or project that I worked on.

I did not know what it was like to rest, and I hadn’t taken a real vacation in years. Like the energizer bunny, I just kept…going and going and going! There is a Jamaican proverb that says, ‘every day bucket guh a well, one day the bottom must drop out’.

Always on the go, I never stopped to smell the roses…I was very appreciative of all my opportunities and grateful for all my experiences; but I never learned to let go or deal with my challenges in a healthy way.

Like fine wine, every negative experience that happened in my life I held unto as if it were the air I breathed. On the surface I thought I had put many things behind me, but deep in my subconsciousness all the anger, hate, and resentment I faced growing up and in my adult life were still there; festering like an unhealed wound, just waiting to burst open again, with just a minute trigger in my consciousness.

This was a formula for disaster…I had held on for too long. At this juncture I asked myself would I go crazy! After one week of medication and therapy I had gone into remission.

ADVICE CORNER

ARE YOU GOING CRAZY?

Believing that you are going crazy is a good clue that you are sane. Part of ‘crazy’ is getting away from reality. Anxiety attacks can make you feel like you are losing your mind. But you are not! Some people have one or two panic attacks in a lifetime. Others have them often enough to be diagnosed with panic disorder (a condition that involves repeated panic attacks and the worry that panic attacks will keep happening). Either way, therapy (and, in some cases, medication) can help handle them. (SOURCE: WebMD Medical Reference)

Keisha A. Hill is media practitioner and communications consultant. Send feedback to kanhillcommunications@gmail.com or editorial@oldharbournews.com. Visit Jamaican Chronicles to read more blogs by the author.