Anxiety Road Podcast

ARP 251 Redefining Crazy

Apps, Health Literacy, Music, Phobias, Symptoms, Therapy

Still in vacation mode but there is plenty to talk about. Part of today's episode deals with digital and health literacy. Well, truthfully I try to sneak it in whenever I can.

Digital Literacy is "is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills."

Health Literacy is "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions."

Part of today's episode deals with both digital and health literacy. There are dozens of apps for anxiety and depression users. There are some crappy ones, that steal content from other creators and providers.

The meditation apps that charge you a subscription to access content from another website. That is free to download and listen too. Those burn me up.

Or apps that connect to another content creator's website. It does provide information. It also is harvesting information from your phone and contacts.

Or the ones that honestly provide content - bare minimum but they did create it. And you do get to access it for free. But you are bombarded with ads that may or may not be appropriate for you to view.

I personally can go a lifetime without seeing or hearing about men's lower level grooming products.

So in the episode, I go a little long winded about what is and isn't a medical app. Because when I hear about an Erectile Dysfunction provider trying to provide medication for anxiety it gets me a little more anxious.

Fellas, I understand that the malfunctioning plumbing issues can cause anxiety. 100% . Not even up for debate.

But an on-line service for a physical condition, that also handles hair loss and now wants to provide psychiatric care and pill dispensing is a problem.

And a red flag.

And from a health literacy stand point, multiple questions should be asked:

Why is an ED vendor also treating hair loss?
Does hair loss lead to ED?
Don't dermatologists handle hair loss? (Why yes, they do and the AAD can help you find accurate info.)
Where is that medication coming from?
Is is legal where I live to buy or obtain medication on-line (in the U.S., Nope.)

Don't be uninformed or flat out stupid. Do your research and homework.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

In the News:

Washington Post article about Olympians and Mental Health Concerns

There is a video documentary on Vimeo about ED called Let's Talk About It. Seventeen minutes could help you can save yourself some aggravation and keep some of your hard earned money.

App that Attack:

In a Murky Sea of Mental Health Apps, Consumers Left Adrift from the California Health Foundation

2024 Update. One Mind PsyberGuide is closed. The non-profit could not obtain funding to continue. You can still access the archives at this time. One Mind PsyberGuide - Resource to help you determine if a mental health app is worth your time and money.

Resources Mentioned:

U.S Food and Drug Administration examples of what is not a medical app.

Music

Pasty Cline with The Jordanaires version of Crazy.

Gnarls Barkley from the album St. Elsewhere version of Crazy.

Postmodern Jukebox version of Crazy.

Anxiety Resources

For teenager and young adults there is DoSomething.org 11 Facts About Anxiety.

From Anxiety Centre there is Fear of Going Crazy

Anxiety Network's page on What You Fear Most Cannot Happen

VeryWell Mind page on Dementophobia or the fear of going mad or crazy.

Disclaimer:

Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.

Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.

This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Quotation from Turning Pointe, How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself

Awareness, Book, Causes

On Literary Hub there is a very good excerpt called The Toll of Perfectionism: On the Physical and Mental Health of Ballet Dancers by Chloe Angyal:

In 2003, researchers at Duke University surveyed students about the campus culture, particularly as it was experienced by young women. What they found was that Duke women felt enormous pressure to be socially active—party, drink, date, and hook up—while also getting high grades, participating in extracurriculars, and being beautiful.

They were supposed to do all of this without seeming to try at all, without showing the strain, without breaking a sweat. Failure was unacceptable, but so was the appearance of trying to succeed. The researchers dubbed this set of absurd and gendered expectations “effortless perfection.”

So at the beginning of the 21st century women were still expected to be antiseptically perfect and freaky-deaky at the same time. Some things never change. Hush-hush still in effect.

Sound like the beginning to a long-term anxiety experience to me. And that is just a part of the introduction. It goes on to talk about the expectations placed on professional dancers and how that can lead to all kinds of mental health issues.

I also learned that there are different types of perfection, and yes, there is a destructive form of perfectionism. And it is no secret that the world of professional ballet is not body inclusive.

The actual book is called Turning Pointe, how a new generation of dancers is saving ballet. You can get more info about the book at the Bold Type Books website. There are also multiple places to get an audiobook - check out Hatchette Audio for alternative sources.

There is a review of the book at the New York Journal of Books web site.

Some of you are gonna ask, "what has this got to do with anxiety?"

Legit question.

Legit answer: locking an art or experience into a small segment of performers damages people.

Those that view the performance and think this is the only way that dance, specifically ballet, can exist.

The other people that want to participate, have the talent and are told, "No, you don't fit the artificially constructed frame work."

You do not need a tutu to dance. And the freaking Nutcracker isn't the only ballet that has ever been created.

The business and gate keeping function of ballet has produced a crap ton of anxiety and eating disorders. Not to mention keeping women and other creators out of the decision making process.

So yeah, if we want to recognize that there are multiple sources for anxiety in our society, which includes sports and the arts, then there is much work to do.

Just in case:

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

Disclaimer:

Show 250 Stand in Your Truth

Affirmation, Dental, Resilience, Treatment

So many people do not accept that athletes and entertainers are real people with issues. Being an athlete or rich person does not exempt you from being human. You have to deal with like depression, anxiety or being an introvert being in the public realm. Broke or rich, having an anxiety disorder is rough.

Depression is also no joke. But both are treatable.

And I truly want to do an episode or two about the American Medical Association and their roll or lack of it when it comes to recognizing their part about access to physical and mental health care.

And it isn’t just America. Other folks from other countries have issues with their primary and general care physician. That don’t recognize mental health as part of their health care system.

Or there isn’t a physical health care system in place. At all.

And one more thing. I have noticed that some people who think they have power call other people that use their power, a snowflake, or some other pejorative term.

So in this episode I talk about most of the above. Well, I had to cut out the part about the doctors because it seems I have a heck of a lot to say about it. Saving that for another episode.

(Or stand in your truth because I make mistakes and I have to stay and accept it.)

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

In the News:

Post on ADAA.org You Are the Real Badass by Manvi Tiwari.

App that Attack:

There is a new dental phobia site that just got started called Dental Fear Network. The author of the blog is psychologist Lisa J. Heaton who has extensive experience in the dental field. It is a new blog, but there is plenty of content to get you started.

Resources Mentioned

Just in case you didn’t know there is an official He-Man and She-Ra YouTube channel.

From the UK there is the NoPanic page on positive affirmations to help you deal with anxiety.

The Anxiety Guy has a number of videos and a podcast about practical and actionable tips on handling anxiety. His approach might resonate with some of you

And from the Good Men Project page on Medium there is a post on 55 Positive Affirmations for Anxiety and Depression

Disclaimer:

Show 249 Self-Calming or Self-Medication

Apps, Book, Complementary, Therapy

In this episode, a quick look at what is self-calming and self-medication.

Words are tricky. In this context, I’m speaking about a psychological concept of self-medication to seek relief from emotional or mental health symptoms.

There is another meaning of the term about the necessity of self-treatment when you do not have access or can't afford healthcare services. That isn’t the topic of this episode.

I've touched on that aspect in other episodes but that requires a deep dive for another time.

If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741.

In the News

Very Well Health has an updated post on how How Phobia Is Treated.

Literary Hub except called. The Toll of Perfectionism: On the Physical and Mental Health of Ballet Dancers

It comes from the book, Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet from Itself. The publisher is Bold Type Books

The Me You Can't See Documentary on Apple TV or possibly as an addition subscription on you media services. If you have a recent device purchase form Apple you can get a free year long subscription (In the U.S.). There is also a free seven day trial period, not saying you should do that, but it is an option.