SJU Student Discusses Mental Health

St. Joe’s IHS major shares her experience with anxiety in her day to day life.

She was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder when she was 9-10 years old. It was a diagnosis that she struggled to come to terms, not understanding what kind of impact it would have on her life. A decade later she struggles with the disorder, knowing that some days are worse than others. She works hard to establish a balance in her life focusing on what she needs to have a good day. The student hopes that her story can help others focus on taking care of their own mental health.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can be defined as, “severe, ongoing anxiety that interferes with daily activities.”

  • It affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment.
  • Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.

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