10 Times Anxiety Memes Redeemed the Internet

The last couple of years may have seen the internet over-run with trolls, but 2016 showed good things can happen online too, thanks to the rising use of social media as a legit platform for identity politics. Nothing was more inspiring to see than the rise in depression and anxiety memes and the community that developed around them.

With people from all walks of life, even cisgender males like Zayn Malik and Ryan Reynolds, finally feeling comfortable enough to talk about their harrowing experience of addiction, anxiety or anorexia, mental health literacy has become the order of the day.

Social media users have taken to sharing candid and relatable tales about their mental ailments in a bid to normalize mental illness. Empowering hashtags like #GrowingUpWithAnxiety or #HighFiveForAnxiety have been born, fostering a sense of camaraderie and community spirit. Here are a few of the most accurate anxiety memes to get you chuckling (and crying)…

1. You try to rationalize your anxiety

#GrowingUpWithAnxiety
Anxiety: "What if this happens?"
Self: "But it won't."
Anxiety: "But what if it does?"
Self: pic.twitter.com/Vfj2kbgWy6

— abby (@AbbyKimb) July 1, 2016

You can’t reason with it. There’s no getting around the inevitable cul-de-sac: “This worst-case scenario I’ve concocted in bed at 2AM because I couldn’t sleep is improbable, yes, but, by God, it’s not impossible.”

 2. Anxiety + depression = a double whammy of feelings 

when you're happy for a moment but then the existential depression kicks unexpectedly pic.twitter.com/Ys8y09u0EL

— lionel nietzsche (@hateshaliek) December 18, 2016

Anxiety often triggers depression, and in some cases vice versa. When you feel anxious, you worry about potential problems that may arise and often start “othering”, which makes you feel bad. This can then translate into depression.  

3. We need to talk about FaceTime and phone call-induced panic attacks

#GrowingUpWithAnxiety

Person: Can I call you?
Me: pic.twitter.com/kIc5AgE3rB

— ᴸᴶG. #Valmani (@laurencuddlesx) December 11, 2016

Very few things justify a call. Unless you’ve found a graduate job, text. Always text.

4. When you realize you can never not be anxious 

#growingupwithanxiety when your anxiety goes away and having no anxiety gives you anxiety pic.twitter.com/9q1tnbFxOW

— yeosin (@moanfalloutboy) December 20, 2016

The anxiety of being deliciously anxiety-free for a brief interval goes an insidious step beyond being anxious of being anxious. It suggests that you’ve lived with anxiety for such a long time that you’ve actually internalized it.

5. *Looks up the words serotonin, happiness, joy*

#GrowingUpWithSocialAnxiety "stop assuming what everyone else is thinking" pic.twitter.com/9493oURpGX

— anxiety squad (@anxietysquadx) September 23, 2016

Woz dat? Joy? Companionship?

6. “So tell me about your day”

4-year-old girl in Ohio gets caught by wind gust when trying to open front door. Her mom says "she's perfectly okay" https://t.co/mTIruBpoSc pic.twitter.com/RvZvNZDzxi

— ABC News (@ABC) March 9, 2017

When you finally open up about your feelings and Storm Stella hits your confidant to the ground.

7. So accurate it hurts

Catastrophic thinking – or ruminating about worst case scenarios – is very easy to slip into and difficult to notice or rein in, but it can overwhelm you. A good way to combat it is to set aside a time in the day or week to worry. Rather than let it invade your daily routine, concentrate it into a 5-10 minute slot. In most cases, you’ll find your worries are actually pretty fixable.                 

8. Aw, fam…

You shouldn’t have. No really. *sings Hello Darkness my Old Friend*

9. When a friend asks: “Why don’t you just get a hobby to relax?”

The trouble with anxiety is that people don’t get it. Some people seem to think anxiety is just an excuse to get out of doing things, while others mistake it for pressure. Occasional worry isn’t quite the same thing as generalized anxiety disorder – a debilitating mental illness that can take over your life and stop you from performing basic tasks.

10. Pretty much

"why can't you just chill out?"
me:#growingupwithanxiety pic.twitter.com/AsStrAsccy

— kailee (@kaileewhy) December 3, 2016

Feeling overwhelmed? Find your nearest crisis service here and download Mind’s helpful PDF about anxiety and panic attacks.