Brains can have a mind of their own

You guys have may have seen the new Beyond Blue campaign called brains can have a mind of their own.  With suicide being one of the biggest killers of young Australians , the campaign focuses on teenagers to seek support if they are suffering from either depression or anxiety. The 6 animations uses an annoying brain character to show that teenagers experiencing this does not make them weak but simply means that their mind is giving them a hard time. Chairman of Beyond Blue, Jeff Kennett states that the main focus of this campaign was to reduce the embarrassment that exists among teenagers from seeking support when it is needed.

“It’s a shocking fact that suicide remains the biggest killer of young Australians every year. The most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that in 2013, we lost 350 young people aged between 15 and 24 to suicide. This is nearly one death a day, and around double the number of young people who died as drivers or passengers in car accidents. Further research suggests that three in four mental health conditions emerge by age 24 and half emerge as early as age 14.”

Children are able to develop GAD and are often perceived as overly anxious. Teenagers experience strong feelings of stress, pressure, confusion and self-doubt to succeed. Anxiety can be overlooked especially if the child is quiet and compliant. If ignored as a child, this can lead to further issues during adolescence and as an adult.

“Parents also need to be aware of the signs of depression and anxiety, and be ready to step in to lend a hand if their child is psychologically distressed. The beyondblue website has helpful information for parents, like beyondblue’s Parents Guide and the recently released Family guide to youth suicide prevention,” said Mr Kennett.

A study conducted by Beyond Blue found out that four out of five teenagers did not seek help when their mental illness. The campaign has a series of video’s which highlights some of the situations that teenagers may undergo.  Have you come across any of these videos and do you think it will encourage teenagers to seek professional help ? Are there any personal stories you would like to share with us about your experience as a teenager dealing with anxiety?

N.M

Celebrities with anxiety disorders

A common misconception is who exactly can face an anxiety disorder. Whether your rich, poor, healthy, sick anxiety has the ability to affect anyone at any time. Even A list celebrities have to deal with the daily struggles of an anxiety disorder.There are countless celebrities who face generalized anxiety disorder and it’s important to note that it has the ability to affect anyone at any time. However, if treated at early stages, it can be managed.

Johnny Depp 

The all time heart throb has been dealing with panic attacks for a number of years.
Even as an actor who is required to do a number of interviews and deal with paparazzi can face anxiety. Depp also has access to a number of therapists who help him to control his anxiety on set.

Kate Moss 

British fashion icon Kate Moss has been battling with anxiety after she had to pose topless with Mark Wahlberg at the start of the career. Moss admitted that she suffered a nervous breakdown and could not get out of bed for two weeks due to her low state of mind. She went to the doctors to be told that she was just anxious. ” It was just anxiety. Nobody takes care of you mentally. There’s a massive pressure to do what you have to do,” said Moss.

 Emma Stone

Best known for her quirky on screen characters, not many of her fans are aware about the daily struggles of suffering from a panic disorder. Stone opened up to the Wall Street Journal  after dealing with severe panic attacks during her teen years. “I would ask my mom to tell me exactly how the day was going to be, then ask again 30 seconds later,” Stone told Eells. “I just needed to know that no one was going to die and nothing was going to change.” Having occasional panic attacks is a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder while regular constant panic attacks is a condition called a panic disorder. This disorder is recurrent and disabling and symptoms can range from shortness of breath, tightening of the chest, sweating, a strong feeling of dread, trembling and shaking and irrational thinking. Stone confessed that she would often spend days in the nurses room waiting for her panic attack symptoms to subside.

Click on the link to learn more about panic disorders https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/types-of-anxiety/panic-disorder

 Scarlett Johansson

Actress Scarlett Johansson is also another celebrity who faces regular panic attacks. The star has confessed that she avoids red carpet events as that is where attacks trigger. She claims that she flops and sweats and her heart starts racing as soon as she gets on the carpet.

N.M