Alrighttttt, we made it to October! You know what that means! SPOOKY SEASONNNN! Unlike many avid spooky seasoners, I am not a great fan of the October month because it brings about a certain…well, spookiness (and I am already paranoid enough as it is). During October, it feels as though the gates of the dead are open, the weather and people act crazy, and something always seems spiritually off. Nevertheless, I love the festivities, the candy, decorations, and celebrating with friends and family. Plus, it provides an opportunity to overcome my fears, haha.
October is most known for Halloween but it is also a month dedicated to AIDS Awareness; Breast Cancer Awareness; Down Syndrome Awareness; Emotional Wellness; Global Diversity Awareness; National Bullying Prevention; National Depression Education & Awareness; National Domestic Violence Awareness; National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness; World Menopause; and Eat Better, Eat Together.
Phew! That is a lot of awareness going on this month! No need to worry, though, we will talk about some of these dedications as the days pass. Until then, I would like to share with you my opinions about Halloween and how it can negatively impact people with anxiety, paranoia, and stress. (I am not saying that Halloween is BAD, no, no. I simply want to share insight as to why it can be stressful for some).
I have always been the type of person that has been anxious and incredibly paranoid. It probably has to do with how I was raised, the interests I pursued as a kid, and fear of anything scary. Luckily for me, and not so lucky for others, I can control my anxiety and paranoia to the point where it does not take control of my life. That control is pretty much disregarded during Halloween because of the costumes, scary encounters, and spiritual unrest.
By definition:
Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.
American Psychological Association
Paranoia is a mental illness characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations
Merriam-Webster
Simply put, anxiety is when you get inside your head and end up psyching/freaking yourself out because of thoughts, emotions, or physical changes that happen within you or that you assume in other people. It is one of the reasons why people overthink, which can lead to blackouts due to overwhelming emotions. Anxiety is derived from our internal self and can be projected onto our external life. That is why it is important to stay calm and remind yourself that what you are feeling is normal but it is not actually real. It is all in your head.
Paranoia, or being paranoid, can stem from anxiety, although they are not exclusive to each other. It is a feeling of distrust and suspicion towards the people and reality around you, as well as yourself. Without concrete evidence, you can find yourself constantly questioning your reality, and even with the evidence, you can still choose to disbelieve it. Paranoia is that voice in the back of your head that keeps asking “Is that true? Is this real? Even if it is real, are we positive it is real?” It is self-doubt and can be a troublemaker that makes reality seem fake. The trick with paranoia is to trust yourself and the reality around you. After that, you can then come to terms with your tangible/intangible life.
So as I was saying before, Halloween can very much create a psychological strain on someone who has anxiety and/or paranoia. Halloween is a time when people dress up as whatever they want, which is great until they decide to be a killer clown… People with anxiety/paranoia already have trouble with their reality on a normal day, so adding a frightening sequence of events is going to make them go crazy!
Imagine this: There is a haunted house that you and your friends decide to attend. Inside the haunted house are workers who are just trying to make a living by scaring the living hell out of the attendees. You know you will not get injured or killed, but you do not know who these workers are. Your friend, who is not anxious or paranoid, sees this as a fun experience during Spooky Season. You, however, are anxious and paranoid and dread the thought of walking through the front doors. Why? Because you know the workers in that haunted house are determined to scare you…and you have no idea when or where it will happen. This amps your anxiety/paranoia and you end up punching every worker in the face. “I should have just stayed home,” you think to yourself.
For an anxious/paranoid person, these attractions can mess with the mind ten-fold simply because the person does not trust anyone, cannot grasp reality, or questions everything. Someone who is acting like IT (the killer clown) as a side job could damn well be an actual murderer. But how would you know unless you trusted that person? How can you trust someone you have never met before and the first time you meet them they are trying to chase you? I am all for having fun during October, but some people take it too far, which is why I stay home, watch scary movies (with my eyes covered most of the time), and eat candy until I am induced into a sugar coma.
Trying to Remain Calm,
E.
#October #SpookySeason #Halloween #Anxiety #Paranoia #Stress #Reality #SelfDoubt #Fear #Scary #Psychology #Philosophy #IT #HauntedHouse #Murderer #Candy #AddamsFamily
thEEsmilE 