Letters: Jul. 1, 2002

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Why Do We Worry Ourselves Sick?

Your cover story "The Science Of Anxiety" was a welcome relief [HEALTH, June 10]. The anxiety disorder is one of the last mental-health taboos because others, such as depression and bipolar disorder, have received a lot more attention in recent years. And the taboo seems to be rooted in the belief that anxiety conveys a weakness; it is misunderstood and not taken seriously. Your report will help sufferers enormously. STEPHEN J. FITZMARTIN Philadelphia

It was very refreshing to read about ways other than medication that can be used to alleviate anxiety. Lifestyle changes, therapy, exercise and alternative treatments can all help. In this age of biochemistry, we all too often prescribe medication first and consider other options later. Overdependence on antidepressants or tranquilizers could make people feel even more helpless, out of control and, yes, anxious. Giving people active tools to help them learn to manage anxiety is always a crucial step. Medication may or may not be an appropriate form of treatment, but empowering a person is always appropriate. MARY RAYMER Williamsburg, Mich.

Who isn't anxious today? If you're a Catholic mom and your son is an altar boy, what do you really know about the priest your son is assisting? If you're someone who has to cross the Golden Gate Bridge daily, what's your bigger worry? A toll hike or that slow-flying plane overhead? Anxiety is everywhere. TRISH HOOPER Portola Valley, Calif.

I suffer from anxiety. I have consumed my share of prescription drugs (which only mask the problem temporarily) and done my share of behavioral therapy, with no luck. I have to say the most frustrating aspect of anxiety is that people around you who don't suffer from it haven't the slightest clue what you are going through. And that can make you feel even more isolated and depressed. AL CAMARDELLA JR. Doylestown, Pa.

Anxiety, even more than depression, is very difficult to describe. The best analogy I can come up with for family, friends and co-workers is that anxiety is a little like that nervous feeling you get the night before the first day of school, except you have it all the time. This illness has interfered with all aspects of my life, from getting a decent job to shopping for groceries. But I will fight this, no matter what. Who knows? I may even win. MELANIE HOLMES Robbinsdale, Minn.

--Some readers felt the cover picture and the illustrations for our story on anxiety only added to the worries of the overstressed. "The creepy cover shot and the horrific images within the article probably scared those who suffer from anxiety away from picking up your magazine," declared a Worthington, Ohio, man. And a reader in New York State criticized the cover picture on different grounds. "This photograph stigmatized those who suffer from anxiety as lacking strength of character and willpower. The true face of someone with anxiety could be depicted by a photo of any office worker, including people at TIME."

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