One of the great things happening in public spaces today is the increase in mental health and wellness discussions. Canadian pop group Girl Pow-R are one example of public figures using their platform to foster conversations around mental health. To better help with these conversations and continue the public de-stigmatization of mental health and illness, here are 5 things you should know about Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
1.Generalized Anxiety Disorder is more than just ‘being worried’.
Experiencing anxiety over things that are generally agreed upon to produce stress is expected for anyone: job interviews, exams, travelling, first dates. For people with anxiety disorders, however, anxiety is experienced about anything and everything and (the worst one) nothing. All. The. Time. Think of it as a state of mind that you just can’t shake.
Anxiety Canada lists chaining as a common effect of anxiety, where one worry “can lead to a chain of other worries that can last for hours.” Another common effect is catastrophizing, where anxiety distorts your perception and makes you believe the worst will happen.
In other words, going from 0-100 in quite literally a matter of seconds. This is partly why folks with anxiety hate being told to “just stop worrying.” Not only is that a wildly ineffective suggestion (nervous systems just don’t work that way), but it also dismisses the complex and often painful experiences of anxiety as trivial.
Girl Pow-R’s So New tackles this challenge by placing a positive spin on embracing uncertainty. With lyrics like “It’s time to find out what’s next in life/No matter the path we’ll be alright”, Girl Pow-R imbue the unknown with excitement and security – a welcome and necessary affirmation when anxiety tells us otherwise.
2. Experiencing anxiety is physically and mentally taxing.
When someone with generalized anxiety disorder, or any form of anxiety, says they’re exhausted – they mean it. For those of us living with anxiety, it takes a huge amount of mental and physical stamina to simply exist. A regular day can include a ceaseless commentary of intrusive thoughts and uncomfortable (sometimes scary) physical manifestations like chest pains, trouble breathing, nausea, and loss of sensation.
Basically, folks with anxiety often feel like they’re dying. Like, in real time. A lot. The cherry on top: knowing what we’re anxious about is often irrational but feeling it all the same.
3. Anxiety disorders are often tied to perfectionism and type-A behaviour.
Anxiety and perfectionism work hand in hand. After all, perfectionism and type-A behaviour thrive off the need for nothing to go wrong (cue the obsessive organization and endless hours of tedious work).
Another thing anxiety and perfectionism have in common: fear and hatred of the uncertain. According to Anxiety Canada, behaviours that attempt to eliminate uncertainty include excessive seeking of re-assurance, list making, refusal to delegate, keeping (too) busy as a distraction, and avoidance (such as never eating in-person at a restaurant, procrastinating the completion of a task for as long as possible, or avoiding new relationships).
One simple and accessible way of combatting the rigidity of perfectionist behaviour: dancing. Activities like dancing boost serotonin and relax the tension in our physical (and mental!) muscles. Take Girl Pow-R’s Slam as an example. With an 80s-inspired electro-pop beat and sunny harmonies, Slam is like musical vitamin D. Instead of calcium, the song helps you absorb feelings of positivity, confidence, and security – vital supplements for people living with anxiety.
4. Anxiety disorders are more common than you may think.
Prior to the pandemic, Statistics Canada found that GAD affected 3% of the nation’s population per year, with about 5% affected across their lifetimes. That number may seem small, but 5% of the current population is approximately 2 million people. And that’s just in Canada!
Due to the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in GAD development across the population. Statistics Canada reported,
From fall 2020 to spring 2021, higher proportions of adults aged 25 to 64 screened positive for at least one disorder. Among the age group 25 to 44, the proportion screening positive for major depressive disorder increased from 18% in fall 2020 to 23% in spring 2021 and the proportion screening positive for generalized anxiety disorder increased from 15% to 20%. For both time periods, proportions of positive screens for at least one disorder were higher for younger age groups, relative to older groups.
Doesn’t seem so uncommon now, does it?
5. Anxiety doesn’t define you!
Anxiety is a part of you, for sure. But it’s one teeny-tiny part amidst hundreds that make up who you are. So, you may be a person with generalized anxiety disorder – what else are you?
Are you a singer, a mathematician, a hockey player, a public speaker? Are you great with power tools, passionate about baking, an expert on space travel? Are you kind, empathetic, stubborn, messy, brave? There are infinite qualities that define who you are; anxiety is only one.
Still not convinced? Take a look at the following people who have spoken openly about experiencing anxiety disorders: Selena Gomez, Lana Condor, Zendaya, Lili Reinhart, Simu Liu, Shawn Mendes, even Oprah. Would you define Oprah by anxiety? Didn’t think so. As Girl Pow-R member Ida-Maria says on her mission to end the stigma on mental health, “Each of us in the world supporting each other is how we can make a change.”
Got a playlist for when the anxiety hits? Add So New by Girl Pow-R on Spotify and Apple Music today. Be sure to check out the lyric video on Youtube and subscribe to their channel.
Ready for more inspiring and uplifting music? Follow Girl Pow-R on social media!
GIRL POW-R
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4nztU54Rpt86IWPP7vpO7f
Youtube: @GirlPowR
TikTok: @girlpowrband
Instagram: @girl_pow_r
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GirlPowRMusic/
For more information on Generalized Anxiety Disorder: