Anxiety/Depression

[ShakeyD]

I have a question I've been wondering about. Is it your environment that affects your anxiety/depression? Or is it just in my mind. Should i be able to take whatever comes? Does the fact that I experience anxiety/depression mean that I have a weak mind?

[hypercat54]

Well I don't have a weak mind nor do most of us here. What an extraordinary question!

[Rafiki11]

Environment affects everyone. That’s why they use environment to torture people.

Over time, you can become more resilient in the face of an unfavorable environment but it will always affect you.

I will always feel tired and a little sad on cold, overcast days. I will always feel nervous in traffic. I will always cringe and freeze a bit when I hear angry yelling.

However, I can will myself to complete tasks on cold, overcast days. I can breathe deeply and slowly in traffic. I can mentally distance myself from angry yelling.

Only robots are not affected by their environments.

[crowningglory19]

Environment can definitely add to our stress and anxiety/depression! If it is something we can change, we should, if it is something we can not, then God grant us the serenity to accept the things we can't change and the wisdom to know the difference. When we can't change environment then we need to and can change our thoughts in it. Whether that is being at peace about where we are for now, working towards changing what we can in the future or guarding our heart and mind in that environment. Correcting our way of thinking for a better outcome. Also, we can take care of ourselves as we would one we love. Take your vitamins to have what you need, take walks in the sun without sunscreen to get vitamin D which enhances our mood. Go barefoot sometimes in grass to get grounded. Take magnesium and ginseng to calm our mind body and spirit and to get rid of sticky negative thoughts that loop. Speak positive truths to counter the lies. Help others which helps us too. <3 YOu are stronger than you realize, look to the future with hope and work towards changes you can make.

[Kimj211 in reply to crowningglory19]

I total agree with your post. I notice that after I got a few people out of my life, my anxiety eased up a little. It is still bad. The past 2 years have been the worst time of my entire life. I'm 43 years old and I have been through a lot of bad, violent situations. This time I really did a number. I was lonely so I started dating this guy I knew from middle school. Well he had just got out of prison. I found out 4 months down the line he is schizophrenic and does drugs. Not everyday but way too often. By now I fell in love with him. I also still always had a crush on him when we were younger so I was happy to have him. Let me tell you something is not right with him. When I go in a room where he is I can feel the thickness in the air and I start getting panic attacks. He has some negative energy about him. It causing my mental health and/or anxiety to be extremely bad! Where my entire body hurts and I cry myself to sleep. I can't live with him, or without him. But I'm so so so unhappy. This is not the life I intended to live.

[crowningglory19 in reply to Kimj211]

You can live without him, it's just deciding to put you first, to love yourself well and to treat yourself as someone you love. If someone else was in the same situation, you would tell them "Don't let them treat you that way!" Say that to yourself. You are worth loving well!

[Mishmesh]

Makes me sad to hear you ask about your mind being weak. Your mind is STRONG enough to ask questions. And you should give yourself some darn good credit for dealing with anxiety. That takes strength. Also yes, like other people have posted, environment certainly has an effect. The trick is knowing that you can’t always change things around you. Strength… and kind choices. You got this! And so do I (I keep telling myself).

[ShakeyD in reply to Mishmesh]

Thank you, much appreciated

[Hidden]

I’ve heard it can be a combination of your brain chemistry and your environment. Please try to get some help for yourself.