Wil Wheaton on Mental Health

[Gesundheit]

I saw this a while back, and I've been waiting for one of the blogging sites I'm on to fix its youtube connection. Since that's still pending, I've realized that this video could be of use to others, as well.

This is a video from Wil Wheaton, (@wilw) an actor, writer and king of the internet . Wil is best known for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Big Bang Theory. Wil talks about his struggles with Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
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Project UROK is a nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by Jenny Jaffe. Our mission is to create funny, meaningful videos for teenagers struggling with mental health issues, made by people who have been there before. In doing so, we will provide not only practical assistance, but also a sense of belonging, a sense of comfort, and a sense of hope.
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www.ProjectUROK.org

 

[Xandria]

Thanks for posting this.

Wil is more than just an advocate for geeks everywhere -- his real life struggles with anxiety and depression hit home for many... and dare I say it makes him even more real than he already is.

 

[Caloci]

I SOOOOOO relate to this. I was diagnosed with GAD last year after thinking I only suffered from depression for so long. They often go hand in hand and each cause the other to become worse. I am on meds for my depression that can make my anxiety worse, but it is the only medication that helps my depression and doesn't make me feel too tired or too sick. Through some cognitive behaviour therapy I am learning to manage my anxiety. Anyone who suffers from GAD can google cognitive behaviour therapy and do some reading. Even if it is not therapist lead it can go a long way to helping you deal with these issues and help you lead a more normal life.

Thank you so much for posting this @Gesundheit :kissy)

 

[Gesundheit]

I was diagnosed with GAD in 2008, around the same time as Mr Wheaton. Bad news for him, since he's 15 years older than I am, and has therefore had to live with it longer. Depression is one of my manifestations for GAD, along with lack of appetite, which makes me very cranky with people. I also lose sleep and obsess over minutia, and pour copious amounts of time into helping other people with their problems. It's easier than focusing on my own, right? As mentioned in the book thread, this is how I lose so much time using my "crazymaker". I've only started noticeably curbing that habit within the past couple of weeks. It only took me an amazing support system and a good counselor to help me get here.