The Anxious Generation

There is a popular book called The Anxious Generation by Jonathon Haidt. This book is popular amongst parents who are trying to understand why their 5 or 6 year old child is showing signs of anxiety or excessive worry. As a child born in 1988 and raised in the 1990’s, anxiety was unheard of when I was a kid. You were told to get over it or not to worry. In this generation, there are children as young as 2 years old on anti-anxiety medications. Not to mention, adults with anxiety. Kids with anxiety turn into adults with anxiety, and perhaps something much worse. A study from 2020 found that 16.5% of adults in America were using anti-anxiety medication, which rose 8% from 2016. Honestly, I am surprised that the number is not much higher. In my experience as a chiropractor and young adult, people so casually talk about using anti-anxiety medication just to get through the day or deal with minor inconveniences. Why does everyone have anxiety? Is it because their biochemistry is low on Xanax? No, because Xanax is not a natural occurring chemical in the body. There has to be another reason why adults and children alike are experiencing debilitating anxiety.

In the book referenced above, one theory that anxiety is so common is due to a decrease in play based childhood learning and a massive transition into computer/technology/screen based learning. Obviously that is true and I agree the use of screens is changing our mental health, but there is something else. That suggestion implies the explanation for children with anxiety is due to screen time. Adults have become obsessed with technology and cell phones as well. There is something underlying that is giving adults and children anxiety. Some children are not allowed to have their own tablets or phones, or perhaps can't afford them. Adults who have jobs that do not require computers still experience anxiety, what's their reasoning? Why are children of the 80’s and 90’s who are now adults contributing to the uprise in anxiety? They weren't exposed to tablets or Ipads as kids. They were lucky to have one massive, grainy, desktop computer sitting in their parent’s bedroom that they shared with the entire family.

The definition of anxiety is “apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger, which may be internal or external.” The anticipation of danger… The danger is signalling the body’s nervous system saying something can harm them near by and you need to fight, run away, or freeze to protect yourself. The state of fight or flight is controlled by your sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system is part of the Central Nervous System (CNS), which consists of the brain, spinal cord and the nerves that travel throughout your body. Sympathetic nerves are tangible, physical nerves that exit in between the bones at the base of the skull, neck and sacrum (tailbone). Other than fear and dangerous situations, the sympathetic nervous system can be stimulated by physical pressure, such as from the misalignment of bones in the skull, head, neck and tailbone. Important question: Are children and adults experiencing a physical irritation of their sympathetic nerves resulting in feelings of anxiety and anticipation of danger because of physical pressure on their head and tailbone? Yes. Absolutely. Sitting on your butt, sliding down the slide and landing on your tailbone, falling on your butt when it's icy outside… Physical pressure on your tailbone causing compression of sympathetic nerves.  Hitting your head in a car accident, banging your head on a cabinet, getting hit in the head with a soccer ball, getting tackled playing football… Physical pressure on your head and neck causing compression of sympathetic nerves. All of these simple, non-life-threatening incidents can be causing your bones to irritate your sympathetic nerves and cause years of anxiety and overstimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Notice how some of the incidents I describe are things that commonly happen in childhood. 

Guess what else puts physical pressure on your neck and tailbone? Looking down at cell phones, tablets and Ipads and computer screens. The Anxious Generation book is referring to computer screens and tablets as creating anxiety in humans because of screen time and lack of in person interaction, but the posture of a person’s head, neck, tailbone and spine are 100% compromised and unnatural when using a computer or cell phone. Just look at any 15 year old when they are standing outside of their school looking down at their phone. That is not the natural position for the spine, and that improper posture is again, overstimulating the nervous system with physical pressure. Luckily, there is a solution to this poor posture and compression of nerves. 

What is the best way to correct physical pressure on the sympathetic nerves? Getting adjusted by a chiropractor. The misalignment of a bone putting pressure on a nerve is called a subluxation, and chiropractors fix subluxations. Chiropractic adjustments remove the pressure off the nerve that may have been accumulating over months or years. Once the pressure is removed, the body is able to heal, and switch over to rest & digest mode, the parasympathetic mode. If the sympathetic nervous system is over-stimulated, the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) never gets a chance to kick in. Getting chiropractic adjustments as a child or baby is optimal, but even adults who discover chiropractic care notice a reduction in anxiety, improvement in mental health, and incredible change in their health. 

The reason I became a chiropractor is because I had debilitating anxiety as a teenager and 20 something adult. I tried all the medications and went to therapy, but still got anxiety attacks regularly which made me feel like a crazy person. Not until I went to a chiropractor who explained to me subluxation and the nervous system did I experience relief from anxiety and freedom from anti-anxiety medication. It is now my mission to share this message with others and help change the direction of the anxious generation. If you or your family experience anxiety, know that chiropractic can help you and results may change the trajectory of your life. 

Dr. LIsel Lewis

North County San Diego, CA 

drlisellewis.com

@dr_lisel