‘Dementia link to sudden low blood pressure and dizziness’
October 13, 2024
So far, it hasn’t been the best week for the female of the species. Yesterday, researchers in the U.S. claimed there is no real evidence that a diet rich in red wine and chocolate is good for you (they’re lying, obviously).
And on Monday, the Mental Health Foundation published a report saying that anxiety among women has increased significantly since 2009.
Note the language here: ‘anxiety’, not depression. The two are not the same thing. And I should know. Because a few years ago I was diagnosed with something called ‘generalised anxiety disorder’.
I know, it sounds as if one of those silly made-up syndromes designed to legitimise something that essentially amounts to being a bit useless.
But the only reason I ended up with this diagnosis was because I was exhibiting some very real and uncharacteristic symptoms.
Having always been a lazybones, I began waking early, worried about everything and nothing in particular.
I developed a slight buzzing in my ears, as though a small insect with a very urgent appointment were struggling to get out.
Sometimes, I would get a big lump in my throat, which sort of sat on my chest and made it hard to breathe.
My fingers would start to swell up, and I felt as if I needed to plunge my body in cold water. I had lots to do but never seemed to get anything done.
I went to see my GP, who assured me I wasn’t dying (health fears are another symptom) and referred me to a nice lady who explained that I wasn’t mad at all; I was just very, very worried — about the children, my career, my husband’s career, the yobbos hanging round outside our house, the world’s bees dying out, asteroids falling from space — you name it: general anxiety disorder.
Anxiety, she said, was a healthy human reaction to danger. But if a person, for whatever reason (and I’m sure these latest numbers are at least partly related to the financial crash of 2008/9), finds themself in a series of highly stressful situations, the panic button can get stuck.
‘The key for me was training myself not to worry about things I can’t control; and learning to live in the moment. People call this mindfulness, and it is all the rage on the mental wellness scene’
Women especially are prone to this, since they are natural multi-taskers. Just as they juggle their busy lives, they also juggle their worries.
Men, by contrast, are much better at compartmentalisation. It’s not that they worry less; it’s just that they don’t worry about all the worries all the time.
Anyway, the good news is there are things you can do to break the cycle. The key for me was training myself not to worry about things I can’t control; and learning to live in the moment.
People call this mindfulness, and it is all the rage on the mental wellness scene. But don’t let that put you off, because it really works.
I was recently on an aircraft that got caught in a very strong crosswind. It was a seriously bumpy ride; in fact, the pilot made two aborted landings before diverting elsewhere.
I won’t pretend I wasn’t shaken. But, to my surprise, I wasn’t nearly as hysterical as I might have been.
This was because, as the craft flipped wildly from side to side, I focused on the land below, admiring the beauty of the landscape and simply refusing to let my brain play out the consequences of hitting the Tarmac at 150 miles an hour.
Every time my mind tried to press the panic button, I gently but firmly guided it away. After all, there was no point: I couldn’t control the wind and I wasn’t flying the plane.
That makes it sound as if I’ve turned into some weird, ultra-rational Mr Spock character; I haven’t.
I can be just as batty as I’ve ever been (just ask my husband). But I know how to clear my mind. It doesn’t always work, of course. But it helps a lot.
Source Mail Online