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You’re Not Crazy: Why Living in America Is Bad for Your Mental Health
And a few tips on how to stay sane
For all the pride and money we put into our medical system, there’s something fundamentally wrong with our health in the U.S. — our chronic anxiety levels are through the roof.
If only we put as much energy into reducing the country’s stress levels as we put into producing anti-depressants.
It clearly pays to keep America stressed.
As someone who struggles with chronic anxiety, I’ve spent years trying to separate what was coming from within from what was coming from without. And then learning to shield myself from it.
During my three years of staying in England and Denmark, I learned that I was a much more relaxed person without the outside stimulation that came with living in the U.S.
Obvious issues aside, here are just some of the less-discussed things that trigger my anxiety levels in America, and, no doubt, affect millions of other people.
We’re overstimulated
As my dear (European) friend noticed, “America is a giant amusement park.”
Oversized billboards.
Endless TV commercials.
