Changing the World by Treating Anxiety

I have always been a strong advocate for social change and improving the lives of others through service to the community. It is my sincere belief that if everyone applied themselves and decided to work on whatever difficulties are holding them back in life, while simultaneously keeping an eye on working for the greater good, that in fact the world could become a much better place. In fact, speaking globally, it is entirely possible to end war, poverty, and provide for everyone’s needs with some leftovers for entertainment. However, the real trick is convincing people that is in fact possible, and that is precisely what I am going to do for you today in this article.

However, rather than making the issue very complicated and trying to address all the different personal struggles that hold people back in life, I will simply speak from the perspective of those suffering from social anxiety disorder.

The first point to raise in regard to social anxiety disorder, is that we, and especially those who are suffering intensely, spend excessive amounts of time engaging in pointless activity that does no one any good. I know this because when my social anxiety was at a high, that is precisely one of the ways I coped with it (see My Social Anxiety has Reduced – What is Next? where I admit this). Back in the really tough days, I never spent any time at all volunteering or doing anything good for anyone, including myself. I would go running on occasion, but mostly I would sit around and play video games, watch TV, or watch movies. Entertainment has its place in everyone’s lives, but the amount in which I engaged and the amount in which most people in the United States engage is excessive and is not conducive to treating anxiety.

Now, the difference that has been made since I have been called to do better things in life is tremendous in the eyes of others. I mentored a teen, work with autistic children, helped to run a chapel, and engaged in numerous other projects that helped other people. The focus should not be on me and what I did, but rather on the improvements brought about in other people. Life became more engaging and enjoyable for other people. And, for those interested in the bottom line which can get intensely contested but is still very important, the mentoring helped the teen to engage in less antisocial behavior which meant that he spent less time in the court system and jails, meaning that he saved dollars in taxes for taxpaying citizens!

In the grand scheme of things, the differences brought about by my learning to redirect personal time were little, although significant in the lives of certain people. But, keep in mind that according to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), “Approximately 15 million American adults age 18 and over…have social phobia.” Now, take a look at what could happen if all 15 million of these adults chose to do something non-self-invested, on average, just one hour per week. 15 million adults times 1 hour per week times 52 weeks per year results in 780 million hours that can be used to make the world a better place.

Say, for example, all 15 million of these people decided to work an extra hour and donate 8 dollars to a worthy cause of their choice. This would amount to approximately 6.24 billion dollars. According to public data provided by Google, the gross domestic product (the annual value of all goods and services produced in a country in a given year) for Haiti in 2008 was 6.95 billion dollars. This means that if every single person pitched in and decided to help just one hour per week, we could almost produce the entire economy of Haiti in a year! So, if that were the chosen endeavor, Haiti would be able to completely recover from this earthquake in a very short period of time!

Or, take a look at what would happen if everyone stepped up a little bit more and put in three hours of additional service per week, and again donated 8 dollars from every hour to a charitable fund. 15 million people times 8 dollars per hour times 3 hours per week times 52 weeks per year equals 18.72 billion dollars. This time we have produced approximately 2.5 times the gross domestic product of Haiti! Those dollars could be used in a myriad of different ways to help worthy causes. People with social anxiety disorder who are unable to afford a counselor could have all their counseling appointments fully funded. The entire city of New Orleans could finish its renovation of Hurricane Katrina damaged areas! Alternatively, the funds could be directed to beautify a run-down part of town, create after-school programs for youth living in dangerous parts of town, or provide disaster relief to victims of disaster through the Red Cross!

This is just a financial view of things; I am a numbers person so this is the way I chose to demonstrate things. But, think of other ways in which your time might be used. You could help out at the local humane society, repair vehicles for financially needy people, or serve as a Big Brother or Big Sister for children in dire need of healthy role models! And, these numbers do not factor in the number of people living in America who are under the age of 18!

The point to take home from all of this is that by treating anxiety we could make a significant dent in the problems that plague our world. Social anxiety disorder sufferers are but a small segment of the population; there are many other people who are also engaged in other behaviors that detract from society – those who are active addicts would be a great example. If every last person in our world worked towards the betterment of the world, every last problem in our world could be at the very least significantly reduced or eradicated from the face of earth.

The benefits social anxiety disorder sufferers would receive include reduced social anxiety levels, increased confidence, the feeling that they are valuable and can make a contribution, respect for themselves, respect from family and friends, financial rewards, and other new opportunities in life! If you are thinking of volunteering or making a donation to a worthy cause, or if you are thinking about starting your own organization to change the world, do not run out the door and start something tomorrow. It is wiser to sit back and thinking things through. First, you should identify what it is that you are good at and enjoy, and then identify how it is that you can use that skill to help other people. Maybe you are really good with kids and would like to help tutor children in reading (schools are dying for tutors right now) after school; maybe you are an accountant and your church or favorite nonprofit is looking for help with the bookkeeping; or, maybe you are a powerful executive with a lucrative salary and you could work a couple extra hours and make a donation to your favorite cause. Whatever it is, be sure that you enjoy it, that it helps you to grow as a person, and figure out how it can help other people!

After reading this article, you should really feel fired up that the world can in fact be changed; I have demonstrated just how it is possible, in my own life and on a broad scale, to change the world by treating anxiety. Many times it seems as though the way society is structured, the world is as it is and nothing can be done. If you are tempted to think this, however, remember there are millions of other people who are thinking the same thing but fail to realize they are but one of many. If you had any doubts about how the world could be changed for the better, they should be erased by now, and not only will you be treating anxiety and building your own confidence and happiness, but you will be building the confidence and happiness of others also!

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