KITTEN TALKS 1 : Anxiety & Coping

Hi Kittens ! 

Welcome to the first edition of Kitten Talk.

If you had not seen through our recent story posts, I wanted to make mental health part of the discussion in our blog. Especially during this pandemic, where for the majority of the time since its started, a lot of us are at home. Many people have not only miss outings with friends and family, or going out shopping or celebrating special events like anniversaries - but also have lost jobs, friends, loved ones, spouses due to COVID. 

At a time like this where a majority of us are going through a lot at a time of uncertainty, I wanted to make this first edition of our Kitten Talks blog an open and supportive space for everyone to share and not feel so lonely.

So anxiety. To be honest, growing up I did not know anxiety can be a " disorder". Of course I knew at times everyone can get nervous, whether that's to a job interview, speaking in front of the class about a project, or making a new friend, I knew there was some degree of " fear " everyone experiences.

And I think at times of my life growing up, I experienced such fears at a higher intensity but ignored it or thought it was nothing unusual. Thinking back...

Anxiety can be defined as " a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome." (Google)

An Anxiety Disorder is when " people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks)." ( Mayo Clinic)

Common symptoms of anxiety are :

1. Excessive Worrying

2. Difficulty sleeping/ staying asleep ( I struggle with insomnia. not staying asleep, you guys probably noticed that when I make posts at 3 am )

3. Avoidance/ procrastination ( maybe you have important work, tasks or errands to do and overthink and end up waiting last minute)

4. Chest pains/ shortness of breath

5. Irritation ( for me its sensory overload , I get irritated if theres too loud noises/ voices around me , I be hightailing out of there)

6. Sleepiness/ Fatigue ( you might find yourself always tired, low energy or needing naps)

6.  Feelings of Terror/ Impending Doom ( feeling that something bad is going to happen to you or someone else)

Anxiety Disorders present themselves different to everyone. These are just symptoms I deal with myself or what I see amongst others. 

In college I was going through a very hard time and even thought about leaving or taking a semester off. I  remember even calling my parents and telling them I haven't been feeling good and debating about dropping our or taking a break, and they were hesitant and kept asking if this is something I really wanted to do. I think deep down I was just in a lot of pain and thought leaving would solve my problems.

My college had this thing called " Counseling Center " where you can book free meetings with therapists/psychologist so I decided to suck it up and go.

Me and my other personalities walking into the counselor office to address my traumas and fears: (Yes I'm a Gemini)

....And I don't regret it ! If you are able to and have the means, definitely see a therapist. I'm a firm believer that its better to speak to a third party/ professional. Sure we can talk to our friends about our problems, but friends aren't free therapist, and having a trained professional to speak to you without bias or judgement is better. 

A therapist will help you realize everything you're facing, and gives you an open space to not only discuss, but to also heal. 

Ofcourse you will get a few bad apples of therapists who aren't that helpful or may even judge you. I remember a therapist I was seeing in replacement for my usual one day, thought it was okay to openly discuss her anti-LGBT views like....

I never left an office that fast in my life.

But besides that, I can say my experience has been positive, and I have a therapist now I like alot and she's been super helpful and supportive of what I do. 

I have been dealing with anxiety for years now, and I can say it is not as bad as what it was, if I decided to never seek help. I often attempt to sleep early , try not to scroll social media ( I recommend breaks or even deleting apps of your phone) The internet is a vast place of information and entertainment, but you can also run into negativity or see things that upset or can trigger you. I have gotten back into reading books. I also study Chinese and Korean in my spare time. I watch a lot of BTS stuff ( yes I am an ARMY) I also have tapped back into my African spirituality the past 2 years or so. I do anything that's productive but also makes me feel good. I also believe in relaxing and just doing nothing to recharge. Enjoying life as is.

Not just with anxiety, but with any type of mental disorder/illness you will have many people who don't understand. Many people don't even believe its a real thing or struggle for people and often label us " dramatic, lazy, making things up" etc. But do not let ignorant or uneducated people invalidate your experience on this Earth. I am here to tell you as someone who also deals with said things, I am also a means of support for you. 

And that's part of the reason I've created PrettySub, besides all the funny and kinky memes I post, the awesome products I want to give you all, I also want to create a community of support and belonging, especially for people who may not experience that in everyday life. So while we joke and play around, you also have somewhere to go ( or more so my page to go) 

I am no means a therapist or counselor, but I hope this first edition of Kitten Talks helped yall in any sense. Don't be afraid to comment under this post your experiences, and share/ follow us on our Instagram ( @prettysub_cosmetics) Thank you all for your time.

Important Hotlines:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 800-273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line – Text NAMI to 741-741

National Domestic Violence Hotline – Call 800-799-SAFE (7233)

National Sexual Assault Hotline – Call 800-656-HOPE (4673)

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender National Hotline

Hotline: 1 (888) 843 – 4564
Youth Talkline: 1 (800) 246 – 7743
Senior Helpline: 1 (888) 234 – 7243

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) – National Sexual Assault Hotline

Hotline: 1 (800) 656-4673

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Hotline: 1 (800) 799 – 7233

*** These services are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Feel free to go online and research about them. Many more hotlines besides these are available.

Sources:

1. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

2. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/anxiety/how-to-tell-if-you-have-anxiety-10-signs-and-symptoms/?network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=b&ad_type=text&utm_source=AdWords&utm_medium=Search_PPC_c&utm_term=_b&utm_content=77548444015&network=g&placement=&target=&matchtype=b&utm_campaign=6459244691&ad_type=text&adposition=&gclid=CjwKCAiAg8OBBhA8EiwAlKw3kg8gl7mCE6rsJNN48qEodF-geCZfSwR394VVw7u5NlhoImPHtzM3ihoCcqEQAvD_BwE

3. https://www.nami.org/help

4. https://victimconnect.org/resources/national-hotlines/