A Little Intro

I've decided that it is time to step out of my comfort zone and open up about how the world of anxiety can sometimes feel like a whole other dimension of life. My name is Katy and I have generalized anxiety disorder and dysthymia. Having grown up all my life with these mental challenges, I have seen the world in a way that is different from a lot of people around me. Approximately 5% of the world's population suffers from some form of depression (Healthline). Although this number can only be so accurate as many go their entire lives without being diagnosed for many reasons. My goal of putting my thoughts out their for the world to see is to help raise awareness that mental challenges are not necessarily terrible things, and are not nearly as uncommon as we may think.
I grew up in a religious family with 3 siblings and two wonderful parents. There was always love in my home. I am still religious myself and I am not happily married to an amazing man. Unlike popular opinion, mental illnesses are not always cause by some traumatic experience in a person's life. The primary cause of most mental illnesses is actually genetics (ADAA). Inside the brain a million of connectors that help carry out the brain's functions, these are called neurotransmitters. If something goes wrong in these connections throughout various parts of the brain, a person can experience difficulty in carrying out normal functions (such as what moods you should be experiencing). Now, I am no psychology expert, but I do feel that it is important for people to understand just a little bit about how the brain functions and how that can play a part in mental disabilities. (Harvard Health Publications is a great source for those who want to learn more about the function of the brain and how that affects mental health.)
I won't go into too much detail in this blog about how the brain functions, but I will mention things from time to time to help support my thoughts and ideas. Again, my main purpose of writing my thoughts is to raise awareness as well as allowing those who struggle with mental challenges to know that they are not alone.