We Overthink Things

Matthew Clemente, David Goodman, Nearly a third of U.S. adults have experienced at least one form of anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Anxiety in the U.S is on the rise with drastic upticks being recorded even in the years leading up to the pandemic. And, yet, while psychological measurements and diagnostic manuals can help us to identify and treat those suffering from anxiety, they fall well short of explaining it. This is because anxiety is incredibly commonplace. We tend not to recognise, let alone understand, the things we experience most. The cause of one’s anxiety is often elusive. Anxiety has a knack for striking when things are going well. In the midst of struggle and chaos, it is noticeably absent. But when the calamity subsides and the tension is resolved, only then does it rear its menacing head.