From the Editor
With Memorial Day nearly upon us, like many, my workload has sky-rocketed. There’s to-do lists posted everywhere, dozens of sticky notes and piles of papers on every flat surface in our home. There’s a time when this would have pushed me off the deep-end. I have an anxiety disorder.
It first manifested as an intense desire or need to control the things around me. I had a vision of what I wanted my life to be and when reality didn’t align with that, I got anxious – very anxious. I would then put great effort into remedying the situation – trying harder and harder to get good grades, excel at work, etc. Early on in life, I thought it was a good thing. I was often described as a perfectionist or a “high-achiever.” But it didn’t feel good. It felt as though the need to control was all-consuming and ironically, controlling me.
My anxiety peaked around my children. Early on it was little things, like buying the best diaper brands and precisely following feeding and sleeping schedules. When my then 2 year old stopped talking and was later diagnosed with autism, my neatly controlled world crumbled.
Not surprisingly, I grasped on to anything I could still control: obtaining the right therapies, educational programs, doctors, etc. Of course, these things were very important for my child, but I obsessed about it at an unhealthy level. I tried to control many things that were simply out of my control like if a program was effective or if someone took off a week, creating a disruption in my son’s program. In those days, I gave new meaning to the term “helicopter mom,” and not in a good way.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a quick learner when it came to relinquishing control. Sadder yet, all the time I was busy trying to create the life I expected and desired, I was losing time enjoying the life that was right in front of me.
In the years that followed, I learned control issues often stem from underlying anxiety. Turns out, I had a lot of that! Through therapy, medication, yoga, and meditation, I have learned to relinquish my need for control. That freed me to enjoy what is, rather than how it should or could be. That shift in perspective has made me such a happier person.
I learned I never was or will be in control. Life’s twists and turns, like the waves in the ocean, cannot be controlled; they will destroy you if you try to resist or stop them. Learning how to adapt and ride the waves of life is essential for inner peace.
I decided to share my struggle with anxiety because May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Talking openly about mental health has the power to reduce misconceptions and the stigma that still surrounds it. I encourage those who may be struggling with any form of mental health to seek treatment. Just as we see a physician for a fever or a physical sign or illness, our thoughts and mind are essential components of our well-being. You have the power to take action to improve your mental health! Seek professional treatment and a support network when you feel something is wrong. You are the expert when it comes to your physical and emotional health. It’s okay to not be okay. Be brave and ask for help when you need it.
Peace & Love,
Cindy
Who can benefit from Mental Health Awareness Month?
Everyone! Nearly one in five adults in the US has a mental health condition. You might be surprised by the prevalence of mental health conditions in adults in the US:
- 48 million have an anxiety disorder
- 21 million have major depression
- 9 million have post-traumatic stress disorder
- 7 million have bipolar disorder
- 3.5 million have borderline personality disorder
- 3 million have obsessive compulsive disorder
- 1.5 million have schizophrenia
