Anxiety and burnout: why kids are consumed with worry
I watched Stranger Things for the first time a few months ago (I know, I know, but at least I did).<p>I cried.  Not at the scenes I think most people might.   I cried because there was a scene where it was so obvious that the older brother was being treated as the &quot;Man of the House&quot;.<p>I&#x27;m over 40, and grew up as the older-by-5 years sibling with a single mom.  I had no idea I had all of this repressed trauma from being old enough to understand I was being given all of this responsibility, but no way to actually achieve it, or even a way to know if I was doing well enough.  So I could never DO well enough, despite always wanting to.<p>Despite this, I grew up considered a pretty laid back, Zen guy.  Until I got married.  Now I&#x27;m a constant ball of stress.  I&#x27;m unhealthy, and my sleep is so messed up that &quot;good&quot; nights are those that are less bad.  Doctors tell me I should exercise more.  All of this despite being financially successful and very happily married.  I constantly feel like disaster looms around every corner.  I&#x27;m aware of how lucky I am and how I screw this up (or just have it screwed up for me) at any moment, and I feel like I can&#x27;t every fully relax because _I have to be responsible_.<p>Another poster here generalized beyond this article to say that we as a nation (and perhaps world) are at a high level of anxiety, and we reflect it in everything and kids pick up on that.  I think they&#x27;re very, very right.  I find myself reflecting way too often that I&#x27;m glad I don&#x27;t have kids - they won&#x27;t have to live with the mess society is generating that I can&#x27;t fix.  Because no matter what I&#x27;m doing, I can never do enough to fix it.  And I&#x27;m very, very tired.