WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT

Interview by Phyllis King

Dr. Tracy Marks is a general and forensic psychiatrist whose mission is to increase mental health awareness and understanding by educating people on psychiatric disorders, mental well-being, and self-improvement. She has formulated over 1000 opinions through Independent Medical Evaluations, criminal assessments, or civil litigation consultations. She has been qualified as an expert in multiple federal and state courts and military court-martial. She also maintains a general psychiatry clinical practice focusing on mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and burnout. Dr. Marks has been sought after by CNN and HLN for forensic and general psychiatric commentary. – her YouTube channel DrTracyMarks has over a million subscribers

Today we are going to take a deep dive into anxiety and anxiousness. We all have it or know or love someone who has it. My guest is board-certified forensic psychiatrist Dr. Tracy Marks. We are going to dive into her recent book, Why Am I So Anxious? Is there more anxiety now than there used to be, or are we just more aware of it? There is a confluence of factors making us more anxious. The instability of the world, but then also there is an increase in awareness and an increased comfort level in talking about this. Things like Tik Tok and other social media outlets have helped younger generations become more comfortable talking about this, making them more introspective to recognize their symptoms.

Are we crossing a line to where we make things up in our minds, or are we starting to get our arms around the subject?

It is a double-edged sword. Information can be problematic or can be used constructively. On the one hand, I am thrilled people have a better understanding and are recognizing their symptoms. But self-diagnosis is not the best thing either. Some people will avoid going to a doctor altogether.