Relationships June 27, 2018
Have you ever experienced an anxiety attack at work? How about at school? Or maybe even in traffic. Anxiety attacks have been the most common mental health disorder among people between the ages of 20-30 years old. While anxiety attacks have affected generations throughout history, studies show millennials are the most anxious generation of all time. This may seem odd considering previous generations have lived through the Great Depression and WWII. Still, many young people seem to be battling signs of anxiety. Here are five reasons why anxiety attacks are most common among millennials:
In a world where people like Kim Kardashian set the tone for Social Media presence, some people may find it stressful to keep up appearances. As a woman, I often ask myself what’s the message we’re telling the generation of girls coming up behind us? Should it really matter what your life looks like in pictures? The constant pressure to be seen and popular can bring on anxiety attacks. Facebook addiction and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in millennials.
As a generation facing adulthood after the national financial crisis, it’s no surprise financial instability has a direct impact on millennials suffering from anxiety attacks. CNN reports a 2017 study stating 23% of millennials say financial stress causes physical illness on a weekly or monthly basis. Further complicating things, a lot of jobs are hiring on-contract basis, limiting health care and sick days. More so, according to the American dream, you work to buy a house and raise a family. But that dream may be a stress factor in millennials. Experian states millennials also have the lowest credit scores, making it difficult to properly invest and financial plan.
Of course, the pressure from your Nana to meet your soulmate can cause an anxiety attack. But Nana never warned you about being “ghosted” or blocked on Instagram. Hook-up culture is causing millennial agita as well a misconception on what a traditional relationship is. In fact, because of the pressure to settle down, anxiety can be confused with chemistry. Dating apps like Tinder, CoffeeMeetsBagel, and PlentyOfFish don’t make the situation any easier. It’s close to impossible as people can be whoever they want, wherever they want so the process of building a secure foundation gets a lot tougher.
*Sighs deeply* As a millennial, my student loan debt is like Eeyore’s rain cloud. Always on my back and killing my mood. So, of course, student loan debt is a common cause of millennial anxiety attacks. Experian states student loan debt is the second largest cause of financial anxiety among millennials. The Los Angeles Times points out, unemployment causes stress as “job stability is sending [millennial] stress levels soaring. And no wonder — their unemployment rate is 13.1%, well above the overall nation’s 7.8%.”
After arguably one of the most political upsets in recent history, some millennials have become discouraged and anxious about the current state of political affairs. With a majority of millennials identifying as Democrats (59%), it’s no wonder the rate of anxiety has skyrocketed with this group. In fact, according to the study by the Pew Research Center, a majority of millennials (57%) say government does not do enough for younger people. In a climate of movements like Black Lives Matter, policies like the Dream Act, and violent Alt Right rallies, how can you not be a bit uneasy?
Being a millennial is hard as hell. It seems like there are constant triggers in our society that have made it difficult for us to thrive peacefully. Following a generation that has left us divided, broke and jobless, we have placed a burden on ourselves to fix things. Thankfully, there are resources to help calm this generation. Keep calm and carry on.
