Ellington

"Anxiety Disorders can be Debilitating." The headline, from The Clarion-Ledger a few weeks ago, speaks volumes about the way we live our lives. Fear stops us in our tracks, making us into the proverbial deer in the headlights. Fear, whether in politics, medicine, marketing or media, can be crazy making. Pick up a paper, turn on a TV, go to the Internet; wherever you turn, someone is trying to scare you. Why? Because it works.

Afraid of food? Of course you are. Spinach was contaminated and people died. Trans-fats, found in every cookie and French fry, are so dangerous that state after state is outlawing them.

Afraid for your health? Of course you are. But if you're unhappy, there's a pill; if you have an allergy, here's a spray; if you can't get a boner, take your choice of little blue pills.

Afraid of terrorists? Of course you are. That's why we're fighting them "over there," so they don't come back "over here." And, by the way, have you noticed that it's "terror" itself that we're waging war against, not just terrorists. And how can you be against fighting "terror" with everything we've got?

Afraid of sex? Of course you are, what with AIDS, STDs and the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the U.S. Just say no. Right. How's it working? It's not.

When did all of this get so out of hand? FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) was a term coined in the '70s to describe IBM's fear-based marketing, which engendered fear of the competition's product instead of confidence in IBM's. It worked for IBM, and copywriting courses routinely teach that if you can't inspire fear, greed or lust, you won't inspire sales or votes. Fear is a strong motivator, and has been since we were running from saber-toothed cats on the savannah. And whether it's in the hands of the unscrupulous or simply the overeager, we allow fear mongers to manipulate us. We're too eager to believe statistics without considering their source or context. Overexposure magnifies every threat to frightening proportions. It's how politicians get elected, how big pharma sells us potions for every twitch, how religion sells heaven, hell and abstinence, how activists whip us into an angry frenzy and how marketers get us to buy things we don't need: With fear.

In an age when big business brings you most of your news along with most of the advertising, we all have to learn to better sort a little truth from a lot of sensationalism. Next time you're angry or fearful, take a breath. Consider the facts. Is there really something to fear or has someone just punched the right buttons on your personal fear meter? Are you thinking or reacting? If you're afraid, chances are you're not seeing things clearly. And that's when you're vulnerable to being controlled. See it for what it is and you take back your power.

Or be afraid; be very afraid.

Previous Comments

ID

113063

Comment

I know firsthand what an anxiety disorder is like. I could tell you stories about panic attacks that would make your toes curl. In fact, I lost my last job because of a panic attack, although I know they would never admit it. Thankfully, my panic attacks are few and far between thanks to therapy, a spiritual connection and those happy pills you were talking about. :-)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-22T19:05:07-06:00

ID

113064

Comment

Let's not confuse panic attacks with being gullible, okay? I'm feeling LW's stories wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-05-22T22:09:26-06:00

ID

113065

Comment

Hey, Iron, let's have a little fun. Do you know what a panic attack feels like? Have you ever had one?

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-22T22:13:53-06:00

ID

113066

Comment

Yup. I don't know about you, but my first one felt exactly like I was having a heart attack. I had all the symptoms, except no actual problem. You know, I've never talked to anyone else who had this problem, so I don't know if they're all the same or what. How's it work for you?

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-05-23T10:03:21-06:00

ID

113067

Comment

Iron, my panic attacks usually felt like heart attacks or strokes or both at the same time. You know, chest pain, numb left arm, shortness of breath, the whole gamut. It's embarrassing to go through all of that just for the ER doc to tell you that there's nothing wrong with you, especially if your chest still hurts while they're saying it. Makes you wanna ask, "Well, if I'm not dying, then what the @#$% is it?!!!" The worst - and I mean worst - panic attack I had was when I had a disagreement with my supervisor the day before, and I decided that I would just act like nothing was wrong, do my job and go home. That whole morning, my head hurt so bad that I felt like my eyes were going to come out of their sockets. Our department had a scheduled meeting, which I REALLY didn't want to go to, and on the way to the conference room, I couldn't walk any more. I started out leaning against a cubicle, then I was on my knees, then I hit the floor. My chest was on fire, I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't feel my left arm. I could actually see my obituary in front of me. By the time I got to the ER, I was so freaked out I didn't want to be left alone. Here I am, a grown woman, wanting my mommy. By the time I finally calmed down, my muscles were so tight that I couldn't bend my knees. I couldn't work for a month. Nausea, lethargy, ringing ears, photosensitivity, loss of appetite - and what I did eat just, well, I'll leave that alone. After all that, I went back to that job and begged for a less stressful environment because I needed the money and benefits and didn't want to quit. Well, they accommodated me for the first couple of years, but that ended when they started changing the department's responsibilities. I started having problems again, and it came to a head when a coworker went off on me in an email about a mistake I made. I don't remember the whole thing, but I tried to end my life by standing in rush hour traffic. After that, I quit.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-05-23T10:35:52-06:00