TIMOTHY WALSH, M.A. LPC NCC CCTP
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They can't even. Why anxiety is so prevalent among 20-somethings

3/19/2017

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So, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), millennials experience more stress and are less able to manage it than any other generation. What's up with that? Millennials have been found to be more anxious than older Americans. The APA reports that 12% of millennials have a diagnosed anxiety disorder—almost twice the percentage their Boomer counterparts.

On a non-clinical scale, a BDA Morneau Shepell white paper revealed that 30% of working millennials have general anxiety, while a 2014 American College Health Association (ACHA) assessment found that anxiety regularly afflicts 61% of college students. In my work with college students, I have found this to be an accurate representation. Anxiety and stress sabotage my students' productivity and academic performance. Some sources of millennial anxiety may be due to a tough job market, student debt, as well as psychological causes. Some psychological causes that I have seen in my practice are issues such as ambition addiction, career crises, and choice-overload. However, even more simple day-to-day behaviors can trigger anxiety. Here are some reasons that I've witnessed why 20-somethings are so anxious:
  • Constant use of social media. On average, millennials spend 3.2 hours a day on their phone. That adds up to almost a full day of each week that 20-somethings are glued to their personal glowing rectangle. Many of us are obsessed with Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Instagram, and Snapchat, and we often report that we feel the need to be plugged in at all times. But millennials have this belief worst of all with 93 percent of them admitting that they regularly use their phones in bed at night, while 80 percent of the group are on their phones in the bathroom. The continuous use of social media incites the behavior of constantly comparing oneself to other people. The more time we spend looking through everyone else's lives, the more we begin to believe that we're not good enough.
  • Instability of work and finances. In the survey conducted by the APA, researchers found that job stability and money were two of the primary things millennials get anxious about. So, yeah, wiser generation, it's not because millennials are lazy and can't keep a full-time job; rather, many of them happened to be graduating college just as the economy collapsed, so they weren't left with the best options. Maybe during that time millennials had trouble finding work or got laid off unexpectedly. Whatever the case may be, millennials surely haven't had it easy when it comes to careers. Furthermore, a person's 20s aren't the most financially stable decade of their life. Millennials are often stuck paying hefty student loans while at the same time attempting to pay their huge rents. Increasingly common is the fact that one in every five young adults are financially supporting an aging parent, and these young people are spending an average of $18,250 a year doing so. And the cherry on top of it all — they simply are unable to save much money.
  • A healthcare system that does not recognize psychological issues often enough. The 2013 APA study found that 33 percent of highly stressed Americans had never discussed their anxiety with their medical provider. When young adults see their doctor, they're typically either feeling very sick or they're just there for a simple check up. It seems as though it doesn't occur to young people to go see a doctor for the sole purpose of discussing their struggles with anxiety, which in return results in a lot of anxiety disorders going undiagnosed. If we taught the our kids that stress and anxiety need to be treated the same way as any other problem in our body, we'd probably have a new generation more comfortable with the idea of seeking out care for their mental health.
  • Millennials are not leading very healthy lifestyles. Sure, Millennials don't drink alcohol and do drugs any more than any other age group in America, but that doesn't mean there aren't any issues with how much they misuse substances. When we're young, people often tend to feel kinda invincible, so they believe that they can party often and bounce back quickly. That mindset can be pretty destructive, though — drinking a lot and using drugs can make your stress and anxiety spike through the roof, especially if you're not eating a healthy diet on a daily basis. It's important to exercise regularly, eat whole foods, and stay away from using substances to self-medicate. Instead of partying on the regular, get involved in the community and help others. You'll feel empowered, like you can really have a positive impact on the world instead of being a victim of it.
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Millennials & Dating. They love it - but they're frustrated AF, study finds.

3/15/2017

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Much of the work that I do in my counseling practice is with Millennials. Yes. Millennials. It seems as if Millennials get a bad rap from much of the adult world, but I find Millennials to be, on the whole, deeply thoughtful, complex people who are just trying to figure out how to do this thing we're all caught up in - life. Not to mention they keep me feeling young and on point with what's going on in society and culture.

Naturally, since I do a lot of work in the areas of love, personality, and...relationships, I wanted to take a look at what single millennials think about dating in 2017. No surprise - it's pretty complicated! I checked out the 2017 Singles in America Survey (the most comprehensive survey of singles that reveals how over 5,000 American singles ages 18-70+ view dating, love, and sex today) to see what it had to say about smartphone-addicted, swipe-right-or-left obsessed, ghosting/benching/breadcrumbing Millennials and their views on dating. Here's the Cliffs Notes version:

1. Millennials are dating obsessed. Not only are people who are between the ages of 18-34 125 percent more likely to admit they're addicted to the process of dating, Millennials are 30 percent more likely than other generation to want a relationship this year.

2. But they're also frustrated AF with it. 
While Millennials are the generation most likely date online, they are also 22 percent more likely to feel that technology makes the process more difficult. In fact, 57 percent of Millennials report being lonely.

3. They date online. 
The survey found that 40 percent of singles overall have dated someone they met online and only 25 percent have met through a friend, but Millennials are the biggest online daters by far! This group is 57 percent more likely to have created a profile on a dating app, and they're also 30 percent more likely to have a first date that leads to a second.

4. They are more likely to hook-up before the first date than previous generations. Millennials are 48 percent more likely to have sex before going on a first date with someone, and 28 percent of the demographic thinks of sex as a way to decide how they feel about someone.

5. But at the same time, they believe sex is better with a strong emotional connection. Single Millennials are 51 percent more likely than Boomers to have 
no interest in sex, and they are 40 percent more likely to think that sex is better with an emotional connection.

6. They feel deep pressure to get married. Marriage is definitely on the minds of the Millennial generation. They are 177 percent more likely to feel an overwhelming pressure to get married.
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TJ Walsh, MA LPC NCC CCTP
1221 Locust Street, Floor 2
Philadelphia, PA 19107

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  • Home
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