esperanza Magazine for Anxiety & Depression Summer 2017

Robin L. Flanigan (“Overcoming Anxiety”): “When I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of having to do something I don’t want to do, I turn to what I do best—writing—and write the darn thing down in my calendar. I make an appointment with it, and then pretend I have no choice in the matter. It’s mixed in with all the other responsibilities I have for the day, which makes it easy to stop giving it so much weight, and instead start looking at it as just one more thing I get to check off that day.” “I always maintain a list in my head —what needs to be done now, then next, then next,” muses Stephanie Stephens (“Michelle Williams: Changing Her Destiny”). “I don’t tend to procrastinate much because the impact of…

One thing I love about being editor of esperanza is that I’m always learning. Take our story “The Mystery of Motivation.” It’s not news that depression makes it hard to get things done—including just getting out bed in the worst episodes. But it turns out that just as we should talk about “depressions” in the plural because the condition takes different forms, “motivational deficits” can be unbundled into a few different strands, too. Some of the brain chemistry associated with depression leads to apathy—a lack of interest or inability to care about anything—or powers down the pull of a future reward. Some of the thought processes associated with depression, like fear of failure, can put the brakes on achievement. Having profound fatigue as a symptom makes “effortful activity” almost impossible. Check…

MILLER TIME I LOVED READING about Wentworth Miller’s journey (“Wentworth Miller’s Escape From Stigma,” Spring 2017). I wasn’t a fan of Prison Break when it was on, but I remember it was one of the hottest shows on TV. It isn’t surprising that someone who had a history of depression, after the height of his fame, would spiral downwards when the show ended. Especially when trying to be true to his identity, and coming out to the public as gay. It’s great to see that he pushed forward, recognized what he did when he was at his lowest point (eating) that he can now control, and that he is such an advocate for both the LGBTQ community and for the mental health community. He is so courageous—and deserving of being on…

ANXIETY Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation. But when it becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder. Who is affected? Anxiety disorders affect approximately 12% of adults in a given year. Types of anxiety disorders Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry, and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): recurrent, unwanted thoughts and/or repetitive behaviors.Panic Disorder: unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear.Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): persistent frightening thoughts and memories of a terrifying ordeal.Social Phobia, or Social Anxiety Disorder: overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Signs and symptoms All symptoms cluster around excessive, irrational fear and dread, but each disorder has different symptoms. GAD: worries accompanied by fatigue, headaches, muscle…

AGE: 65 LOCATION: SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH OCCUPATION: INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER AND AUTHOR, MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE, RETIRED CPA DIAGNOSES: MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER, GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER • • • • • ON TV I OFTEN WATCH: Utah Jazz basketball games—rooting for the home team. MY FAVORITE MOVIE: What About Bob. It makes me laugh even when I’m feeling low. LAST BOOK I READ: The Emperor’s Soul, a fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson. My three sons chose it for our first virtual monthly book club. I get to choose the next book—probably a biography. MOST UNUSUAL TALENT: My wife says it’s singing “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” in the shower. MOST TREASURED ITEM: My hiking boots. BIGGEST INDULGENCE: Chocolate chip ice cream. I’ve loved it ever since it was the reward for being a “clean plater” in my boyhood home. BIGGEST ADVENTURE I'VE HAD:…

Map of London Tube helps the anxious July 5, 2017, LONDON, United Kingdom—A new map of the London Underground was designed to help people who experience panic attacks or claustrophobia, the Press Association reports. The map highlights ways to use the transportation system without going through long stretches of tunnels. Mental health care lacking in Malaysia July 2, 2017, PETALING JAYA, Malaysia—A health ministry official in this Asian nation said the government should do more to address the mental health needs of young people, the Star reports. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye urged awareness campaigns and efforts to expand the number of behavioral care specialists. Psychologists treating displaced Iraqis June 15, 2017, BAGHDAD, Iraq—Years of conflict have left many in this Arab country scarred by psychological trauma, said Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. The group…