The following video illustrates how serious anxiety can be, causing more problems than what prompted it.
Fast forward to where the woman gets out of her car.
Due to holding public office, she was forced to apologize. She is also being publicly ridiculed for her anxiety attack which is being interpreted as fake and/or outrageous.
I am reasonably sure the woman, Ulster County Legislator Jennifer Schwartz Berky, is not faking.
If that is so, her behavior illustrates:
- how serious anxiety can be
- how little can cause it
- how easily it can be misinterpreted
- how it causes more harm than good
Recently, I have been reading about anxiety and narcissism, particularly the significant harm narcissistic parents cause their children.
During her lamentations, Berky claims PTSD, which can result from a childhood spent with narcissistic parents. The other common bad outcomes are depression, anxiety or both together.
If I had not been doing so much thinking about these conditions, I probably would have laughed at Berky and moved on. Instead, I feel sorry for her.
I got my first traffic ticket when I had been an adult for many years. I did not act like Berky, but I did feel upset and thought about the incident for days after. All Berky did was have a more severe version of that same reaction, which most us have experienced at one time or another.
Too often in America we find a bully and then bully them through media. Rather than laugh at Berky, I think we should thank her for providing an excellent example of how serious anxiety can be.
American Buddhist Net 