My crack theory on why so many women are so nutty

UPDATE: I hope that the reader can tell by the tone here that I am referring mostly to diagnosing myself and only a little bit to the blogger I linked to. In fact, I can understand why many people would suffer from anxiety disorders in this day and age, and this latest article I came across goes into some of those reasons. In mild cases like what I've experienced, laying off the caffeine and making sure I get in a good sweat make a world of difference. I do understand that others may need more help. I'd love to see changes to the system rather than everyone just getting dosed up on Rx drugs, though.

ORIGINAL POST: In general, American women need more exercise, more sex and less coffee (or caffeine). And for some, they may be better laying off the web a bit, too.

This has been in the back of my mind for a while. A LOT of women take mood drugs. I've thought about it but something has always kept me away. And I'm glad. Now, it's not because I am anti-drug...at all. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe that I don't want to go through the clinical process of "talking to someone" to get the drugs (one reason I don't smoke pot, other than it being illegal, is that it was too much of a hassle finding and connecting with a seller). Maybe I just recognize that going deeper and actually solving problems is better for your head than slapping a chemical band-aid on it? Maybe there's no overarching reason and it's just my personal choice, or happenstance. But, here I am, Rx drug free.

I've struggled with anxiety and depression though, albeit mild, I suppose. My awareness of anxiety came to a head for me last week when I connected some dots and discovered that Iced Grande Americanos totally give me acute anxiety attacks. I mean, it was so extremely causal for me, it could not have been more clear. I guess that racing, fun feeling I used to think was so cool (or still do on a day that I have fun, easy plans and don't get too deep into my head) actually can spin the total wrong way under other circumstances. So, caffeine=problem for some in higher concentrated doses, or when piled on and on to more caffeine. I wonder how many other women are affected by caffeine in this way?

I'd also remembered reading (can't find the damn article now) about how many women don't have sex anymore (or masturbate, apparently) and so aren't getting the release of orgasm, or other relaxing chemical cocktail that can come from cuddling up, kissing, etc. with your man, even if you don't have an orgasm (though the orgasm is preferable to not, of course). I admit to being "too tired" or too pissy sometimes to want sex with my husband, but I usually get the job done on my own as needed. I wonder if maybe this would help some of these women with stress and anxiety issues? Aside from the masturbation, I'm working on being more selfish and taking what I need from the man, even if he leaves his underwear on the bedroom floor and crumbs on the counter. Why spite myself?

Then yesterday, I read this opinion piece about how everyone's "so busy" (you hear this a lot from women, moms, and then you hear about all the lessons, playdates and volunteer activities going on and you get a headache just listening—well, anyway, I do...) Sometimes I think people schedule and take on a super lot because they're afraid of what might come up if they do nothing. Or they feel they have to justify their existence.

So today I read this post from The Feminist Breeder. God bless her, but she needs to get the hell off the coffee (I hate to vilify a seemingly innocuous substance, but, if you're prone to anxiety, caffeine probably doesn't help), get the hell of the Internet (more on this coming) let her husband fuck her (she did that, finally, it seems) and not pack her life with so much stuff. But, she does have a rocky childhood and I'm not doctor, so my blurted out opinion can be taken with a grain of salt, of course. It just seems that if one still hasn't given up caffeine and started to exercise and eat right and do non-pharmaceutical interventions in earnest, it's too early to go to the meds. And it kind of goes without saying now that you need to exercise, damn it!

I also think maybe all this "socializing" and "sharing" on the Internet contributes to some women's anxiety—and depression. She writes "When people on my facebook page started going OFF on me because they found out that I shopped at Walmart, I still had a massive panic attack at the thought of opening my computer to their nastiness..." So, don't open it! I know, I know. We're all addicted to facebook and the Internet. But, if it's between anxiety and/or depressive freak-outs or somehow breaking the addiction, what are you gonna choose? Another drug?

I don't think people understand that prescription mood drugs are hard core chemicals...fucking with your brain. And, what about all those awful side effects? And, what would you do if you were stranded somewhere and didn't have your meds? Hell, I think about that with my contact lenses! I always like to think, shit, if I was stranded on some far flung place, I don't want to be that conditioned to anything or in need of a thing so bad that that would mess with me surviving or keeping it together in the bad situation. My contacts, though...(note to self: research LASIK).