Ask The Doctor: Anxiety In The Age Of Social Media

MAPLE GROVE, MN — For all the good that can come from social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter, there are plenty of downsides as well. Though many of us lead our "best lives" on online, frequent use can isolate us, exacerbate existing anxieties and make it harder to manage stress.

Patch spoked with Dr. David Clay of Maple Grove-based Clinic Sofia to find out more about anxiety in the digital age, and the lifestyle changes, treatment options and coping methods we can implement to reduce stress.

Question and Answer with Dr. David Clay

Q: Are anxiety disorders — such as generalized anxiety or social anxiety — on the rise in the United States? Is there any indication they are on the rise particularly for teenagers and young adults?

A: Anxiety disorders have become increasingly prevalent in the United States. This appears to be the case across age groups; however, it does seem to be particularly so among teenagers and young adults.

Q: What are the common contributing factors to anxiety or anxiety disorders?

A: One common factor predisposing individuals to anxiety is genetics. It is not uncommon for patients with anxiety to have parents or other family members who also suffer from anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric illnesses. That said, genetics certainly are not everything and it is definitely possible for a patient to be the first one in his or her family to struggle.

Anxiety can also be a side effect of certain drugs and medications. Stress in general, though, is the most common factor for anxiety. Financial difficulty, stress at work or at school, loss of a loved one, and marital or relationship issues are things that come to mind for most people.

Not all stress has to be “bad” stress to cause anxiety. The birth of a child is an extraordinarily stressful event for new parents which can precipitate anxiety or anxiety disorders. New mothers with postpartum depression is frequently considered in relation to childbirth, but anxiety disorders can also occur, and new fathers can have difficulty, too. Weddings are another happy event that can precipitate extreme anxiety.

Q: Can the frequent use of social media increase anxiety?

A: As social media becomes increasingly dominant in our lives, it is becoming evident that while it brings us closer than ever before, it simultaneously isolates us.

Many people especially in their thirties and older will recall periodically getting together with friends for coffee or dinner to sit down and catch up or having long phone conversations with those who no longer lived close.

Now, we occasionally get together with friends and family but not nearly as often because there simply isn’t as much of a need. This can be an amplified issue for those who are younger who are still trying to navigate how to build strong and meaningful relationships, but need to lay a significant portion of the foundation electronically where body language, tone of voice, intention, and sarcasm are lost.

Further, when we can consistently follow each other on social media outlets like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter, we feel like we are always up to date on our friends’ lives and thus have less of a need to get together because, after all, we already know what has been going on. An issue with this, though, is not just the isolation that it causes – which diminishes our interpersonal and emotional relationships as well as support systems – but also most of us are guilty of leading our “best lives” on these outlets.

When it feels like everyone we know is always posting about how amazing their lives are and our own feels mediocre (or worse, isn’t going well at all), while logically we know that this is not reality, emotionally it wears on us. This leads to feel worse about ourselves and can cause or exacerbate depression and anxiety.

Q: How can we tell if we’re experiencing an unhealthy amount of anxiety and should seek treatment?

A: It is true that anxiety is a normal part of life, and part of being a healthy person is learning how to experience anxiety and self-manage. That being said, there really isn’t a cutoff for how much anxiety is unhealthy. Ultimately, if someone is dealing with anxiety and feels as though they are coping well and doing fine, then they do not need to seek treatment; however, if they feel things are overwhelming and are struggling to stay afloat, then they should seek assistance.

There is no shame in seeking treatment – anxiety is a medical problem. You wouldn’t ignore a fever, diabetes, or high blood pressure. There is no reason you should ignore an anxiety disorder.

Q: What are some of the treatment options and coping methods for anxiety?

A: For anxiety with an obvious focal cause, addressing the trigger is a primary starting point. For example, for those with financial troubles, budgeting and finding some control can be helpful and for those with relationship issues, couples therapy can help resolve some differences.

For more generalized anxiety as well as focal struggles, the two mainstays of management are therapy and medication.

The two are not mutually exclusive nor do they need to be tried in stepwise fashion – they should be thought of as acting in synergy, complementing each other. Most general medical providers can initiate treatment and can follow themselves or refer on to specialists who can follow and address the problem on a long-term basis.

There are numerous therapists and counselors who specialize in countless problems as well as psychiatrists and psychologists all of whom have devoted their lives to helping those with psychiatric issues.

Clinic Sofia, an OBGYN clinic with offices in Edina and Maple Grove, offers a personalized approach to women’s healthcare.

If you are interested in learning more about anxiety or other lifestyle issues, you can call Clinic Sofia at (952) 922-7600.

Image via Clinic Sofia