So, here is some of what we know about people who are or have lived in communities with actual warfare. We know that they are three times more likely to experience feelings of anxiety, depression and other symptoms related to post traumatic stress.
If we think about the world around us there are similarities. Watching today’s news, it looks like little is certain, there is a lot of conflict that seems to have escalated beyond anything we are used to seeing, there is violence in the streets and people around us seem to be tense or angry. The pandemic has place us in more isolated spaces.
Stress isn’t a mental health diagnosis, but it can lead to processes that are. And the stats are showing us that Gen Z is feeling it along with Gen X. 34% of Gen Z adults report feeling that the pandemic has led to worse mental health this year compared to last with 21% of Gen Z reporting the same. For Gen Z adults, in colleges, school was already a source of stress, but the pandemic has made planning for a future much more stressful if not impossible. 82% of Gen Z adults reported that they need more support then they are currently receiving.
If you are worried that your responses to events around you are reaching a stress level that makes it harder for you to find appropriate or healthy responses, it is a good time to recognize that there is help in counseling. Your struggles may be uniquely your own, but we can find some strategies and some tools to for the anxiety and depression.