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Book Proposal
"We Need to Talk..." A Year of Therapy Hopping
Anxiety is a normal fight or flight response to dangerous situations. Every human has anxiety, yet some may feel it a bit more intensely than others. Take me, for example. In April of 2019, I had multiple panic attacks one after another on a bus ride from New York City. So many thoughts trampled through my head, causing it to swell and feel like it might burst all over the people next to me on the bus. My boyfriend was there trying to comfort me, I couldn’t talk to him. I couldn’t even look at him. I had to stare at the silver windowsill on the bus, just concentrating on it. I was trying my best to control my anxiety—to seize the panic—without getting physically sick. I even had to ask the man in front of me for a plastic bag, silently praying he had one, so that if I did get sick at least it wouldn’t be on the floor of the bus.
What caused my panic? Irrational fears. The fear that I was trapped on the bus with no way out, even though the ride was only about an hour. That’s the basis of my anxiety: not having control over a situation. Then came the fears that I’d never be able to ride a bus ever again, let alone public transportation. Then the fear that if I threw up on the bus (which is usually the result when I have panic attacks), all these random people would hate me and remember me for the rest of their lives. That, in a nutshell, is my anxiety. And ever since that panic attack in April, I’ve been struggling to gain control over it again like I had in years prior.
So, in September, when my draining schedule started, that’s when it really started to hinder my everyday life. Finally, after 7 months, I had convinced myself to start therapy. Therapy in my mind had always been sort of a big deal, like when you tell someone you’re in therapy they think you’re an psychopath with abnormal issues or something. But after going to therapy every week for about two months, using methods of cognitive behavioral therapy, my anxiety is slowly starting to gain control again. I emphasize slowly, because there are always possible setbacks. But it makes me wonder if I had tried another method of therapy for my anxiety if it would have the same effect on me.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older. Even though options are out there, only 36.9% of those suffering actually receive treatment. Just like any issue, if you don’t fix it, or rather tell yourself you are able to “handle it” on your own (as I told myself), it will most likely progressively get worse. I know I am not the only one with an anxiety disorder, and that’s quite comforting. It may take a while to find the right therapist for you, let alone the right kind of therapy. So, when I decided to receive treatment I began research on the most common therapy types for anxiety.
The most common types of therapy that are used for anxiety are the following: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Bibliotherapy, and Art Therapy. Some of these methods I had never even heard of before, which is what intrigued me. How do they work? Are they effective? Will they be right for me? Then the question came to my mind: What if I tried out all these different therapies for fun and see which one(s) works best with my anxiety? You never know until you try, right?
Feature Story
"Bobby Florio, Owner of Synergy Fitness, Is An Example of Why You Should Support Local Business"
“The beginning is never easy,” said Bobby Florio, owner of Synergy Fitness in Fairfield. “But if you believe in your product and you want it bad, you gotta stick your course. Don’t give up on it.” Florio grew up in Cedar Grove and was attending Bergen County Community College when he decided to drop out and pursue his goal to become a personal trainer and business owner. It started with the aspiration of being a gym teacher, until he realized he wasn’t really a book worm and didn’t want to be in school. “I asked my buddy who was a trainer and he encouraged me to join that lifestyle. I haven’t looked back since.”
Florio’s gym is unlike other gyms. It’s a 5,000 sq. ft. personable gym that offers membership for only $19.99 a month, which includes access to all the gym’s classes like high intensity training, boxing, cardio bar, yoga, cross fit, hit classes, and much more. Florio’s gym name, Synergy, means to work together. In that aspect, the gym works with your needs, in the case that you may have back, knee, or shoulder problems. “I make it a strong point to know everyone walking through that door,” Florio exclaims. “I know their names, needs, and what they want to achieve. 99% of people coming into my gym say it feels like it’s a family.”
Growing up, Florio played basketball and football, and was always trying to bulk up. “I have severe ADD, so I knew I had to be doing something to release my energy. I knew I couldn’t be sitting in an office desk all day.” Being the owner, Florio needs to know what’s going on at all times or he feels he’ll go crazy. “95% of the time I’m there on the floor with everyone.” Florio says the most rewarding part about owning his gym is seeing all his hard work pan out in front of him. “I’m involved in every square inch of the place. Seeing all my work happen, especially the way I envisioned it, is totally rewarding.”
Aside from practically living in his gym, which opens up at 5:30 in the morning, Florio has three young children, Sebastian, 9, Lorenzo, 6, and Giovanna, 2. He clarified how having kids didn’t hinder his business, only fueled his motivation. “It made me hungry,” He explained. “I have a family that I have to provide for and put food on the table for. It only makes me more motivated.” Even his life on the weekends consists of driving his kids around to football and dance practices.
Although he’s been at his gym location four to five years, he still has heavy goals for the future. In five years from now, he hopes to triple his membership, add 2,000 square feet to the gym, and have more classes available. Florio knows he must keep up with the fads, workouts, and popular trends that will be changing over the years so that his gym will stay at the top.
His advice for future business owners? “You always have to have modification. You gotta pay attention to everything. If you don’t, you’re a fool.”
Poems
Pomegranate red fills the sky,
speckles of orange shining as if a trophy.
The limpid water surrounds the tiny house on the bay.
Bees fly back and forth between the pink tulips.
I sit and watch the ducks spring into the warm water,
their wings gyrating through the water like a paddle boat.
Can you tell this is my favorite time?
The church bells clangor,
echoing off the cobblestone streets.
The bay breeze picks up,
allowing the clothes on the line to blow.
The laundresses smile and I wonder,
Is this their favorite time too?
The voices of colloquial greetings
come from strange kids with nothing to do.
A dog chases after the mail boy,
it’s sharp teeth rends the paper.
Gentle sounds of a lute hum in the very distance.
A young couple is out on date-
The man with a tight suit and burnished shoes
and the woman with a flowy yellow sundress.
They hold hands to watch the sun reach the horizon.
The soft waves brush against the weathered docks,
causing the moored boats to wobble back and forth.
A short, feeble man sits on the bench next to me;
his pallor face lights up when he hears the ice cream truck.
Perhaps it’s his favorite time, too?
The two windows,
allowing for golden sunlight in the mornings, some opportunity
It shines on the gray and white hamper,
where all the exhausted movements of today get to rest
The snow-like lilies,
fill the room with constructive energy and opinions
unlike the closet,
where ideas, thoughts, and plans are all thrown into a chaotic, rushed pile
Four pillows on the double bed,
one for each night I can’t fall asleep
I think too much about the calendar,
where clocks are ticking, days are ending, what do I have to do next?
The small TV,
with the voices I can count on to make me laugh
It bounces off the four walls
along with conversations and fears
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
South Orange, NJ – November 7, 2019 – Monsignor Robert Sheeran, President of Seton Hall University, announced that the university will be handling the issues with New Jersey’s Health Department with enormous amounts of care and safety.
The school violated very minimal state codes of the Health Department. Health is extremely important to Seton Hall, and major effects are in place to fix these small issues.
“The vast majority of violations on this list are for very minor infractions,” Richard Vetter, the university’s compliance officer said. “Things like not having large enough labels on food containers.”
The university was fined a ridiculous amount for such insignificant violations. These violations are very common, and the university’s president, Robert Sheeran is confident that the Galleon Room “provides healthy, nutritious meals.” He even admits he eats there at least once a day.
Vetter also stated the actions that will be done to fix these issues, as well as actions that have already been completed. “We have already corrected nearly all of the items listed by the health inspector. We are working closely with our contractor, Gourmet Dining, to correct all problems.”
The University has acknowledged their mistakes and will strive to be better than they have previously in regards to health and food safety.
The university’s lawyer, Faith Somers, explained that “The university is preparing documentation for an appeal of the fine imposed by the state Department of Health.” Seton Hall doesn’t want students or upcoming students to be discouraged by this news.
Seton Hall is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey. It was first founded in 1856 by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley. Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States.
For more information, contact dianalorijordan@outlook.com