Despite what we've come to understand about the brain and body, there's still a social stigma surrounding mental illness and disorders of the mind. That's why posts like the one from Omni Group developer Curt Clifton are such an inspiration: Clifton not only details his experiences leading up to the diagnosis, but also how he's overcoming his anxiety with technology, therapy, medication, and meditation.
It's been three months since I've had a panic attack, and several weeks since I've had any anxiety at all beyond the normal everyday worries of life. I feel like I've turned a corner and wanted to share my story to remind others that they aren't alone. Things can get better.
It's true, things can get better — and it helps when people like Clifton are willing to share their experiences, willing to normalize the reality of mental illness and the treatment that follows.
It wasn't long ago that I, too, struggled with generalized anxiety disorder; it took reading about others' experiences to work up the courage to seek help for myself.
Clifton shares some advice on dealing with anxiety, including a couple apps he uses:
- Due app: Due is a reminder app that makes it really easy and really fast to set up reminders, but really tough to forget those reminders. You can set up the app in a way that it will keep bugging you with notifications until you confirm you've completed your task. It's a great medication reminder, or, in Clifton's case, a great way to remember when to eat and take breaks.
- Headspace Meditation app: Headspace is a full-featured meditation app that teaches you how to meditate. It calls itself a "personal trainer, here to help you train your mind." It's filled with guided meditations and topic-specific meditation sessions.
I'd encourage you to check out Clifton's entire piece over on his site. His story is as much poignant as it is encouraging, helpful, and insightful.
