The Anxiety Epidemic: A Deepening Crisis

Why are Bipolar and other Mental Disorders on the rise?

“Emotional pain is not something that should be hidden away and never spoken about. There is truth in your pain, there is growth in your pain, but only if it’s first brought out into the open.” — Steven Aitchison

I recently wrote about my own battle with my mental health, especially since having Covid in November 2019 and continuing to deal with it over four years. I am just emerging, but I still fight with anxiety and night time terrors. This is not helped by my on-off relationship with wine which tends to be driven by my fraught relationship with my family.

I was sixty recently and I did not even receive a present from my mother, just acknowledgment that I was disinherited in 2010 when I married my husband who she says she dislikes. My brother did not contact me either! So we feel very alone in our battles to survive.

In recent years, anxiety has emerged as one of the most prevalent mental health challenges worldwide, reaching levels that many experts describe as an epidemic. This surge in anxiety disorders is not limited to any one demographic but spans across age, gender, and socio-economic boundaries. The increasing rates of anxiety have profound implications for individuals and societies, impacting daily functioning, relationships, and overall well-being. Understanding the causes, manifestations, and potential solutions to this epidemic is crucial to addressing what has become a significant public health issue.