SpongeBob Squarepants is about as happy go lucky as you can imagine. Carefree, idealistic and naïve to a fault, Spongebob seems like the last cartoon character who would get anxiety. If anything, it’s Squidward, his longsuffering neighbor, who would most likely fall under anxiety’s spell. But in the dark corners of the internet, where innocence goes to die, memes have been made to warp Spongebob’s image to mean anything and everything at the same time. At this rate, SpongeBob will be better known by future generations for the memes he’s inspired than the actual show he occupied.
It’s no wonder that SpongeBob eventually wound up with anxiety. Who can blame him? Spend enough time on the dank side, and any poor soul will come away with a darker view of the world. Perhaps those who have anxiety can relate. Here are the ten best examples we could find.
Internal Screaming Intensifies
For people with anxiety, the prospect of going outside and having to interact with fellow humans can be a challenge. Nothing’s worse than feeling awkward in front of people, feeling their judgement, all while you’re just trying to go about your day.
Granted, most people really don’t care how others act, long as it doesn’t hurt them, but try telling that to anxiety. We can almost hear SpongeBob saying his signature ‘yeeaah,’ (which sounds like a combination between a burp and a chainsaw) all while his air-raid howl slowly flushes out all other sounds.
Wait, that’s Illegal
Anxiety is like a horrible boss. They want to be in control at all times, they want all the focus on them, and they hate the idea of anyone being happy. And just when it seems safe to go back outside, boom!
Sadly, unlike a terrible job, it’s impossible for someone to just quit anxiety and become their own boss. The best they can do is to try and drown out the noise long enough to forget about that horrible boss is still there, screaming his head off.
Five Minutes Later…
Anxiety is sneaky. It waits patently until the right opportunity to strike, often leaving the sufferer little time to prepare. Kind of like how SpongeBob and Patrick constantly berate Squidward, who just wants to play his clarinet in peace.
Looking back, we can actually relate to Squidward. The poor man hates his job, his neighbors, and everyone feels the need to make his life a living hell. Turns out our future was staring us in the face every time we watched SpongeBob, but we just didn’t know it yet.
Nighty Night
Dwelling on passed mistakes is a hallmark of anxiety. While most people are able to put the past behind them and move on, anxiety is like a record keeper, who’s all too happy to remind sufferers of crap that no one remembers anymore. Like, seriously, doesn’t it have anything better to do all day except serve world’s worst archivist?
It’s times like these that we wish the Memory Hole from George Orwell’s 1984 was real, because we’d throw all proof our passed mistakes deep within its bowels. Sure, we know it was supposed to be a commentary on the dangers of historical revisionism, but who says it can’t be used for good?
We Feel the Same Way, Patrick
As far as the show was concerned, nothing much was going on in Patrick’s head the whole time. He was, after all, a comic relief character whose stupidity was played for laughs. But underneath every innocent façade is a battle of inner turmoil, raging for control of a person’s mind. Either that or Patrick really was as dumb as the rock he lived under. Both could be equally true.
This is Your Brain, and this is Your Brain on Memes
We don’t want to bash antidepressants. After all, they have worked wonders for millions of people. Yet, nothing’s perfect, and there’s no such thing as miracles. Even the best medications come with side affects that can leave the user feeling better, but also kind of worse, than before.
For antidepressants, drowsiness and weight gain are the two most common, though these are by far not the only ones. For most, it’s a balancing act between the benefits and risks, and for most, it’s worth it.
Where’s the Lamb Sauce?!
The phrase “pretend I’m not here” is one of the dumbest things anyone can say. Seriously, how can we just imagine you’re elsewhere when you’re standing right there, taking up physical space? For people with anxiety, functioning under a person’s watchful eye is akin to torture. Sufferers don’t want to look like a total klutz, but the idea of someone’s judgement weighing down on them makes them all the more problem prone.
The right panel is basically us if we ever had to compete on Hell’s Kitchen. Gordon Ramsey’s propensity for perfection and extraordinarily high standards can turn any task into a life or death situation.
They Hate Me, Right?
People are weird. Sometimes, it’s easy for them to hide their emotions and pretend that everything is fine, when in reality it’s not. That makes it hard for some people to guess someone’s mood by the tone of their voice. Sure, yelling and flying off the handle is obvious, but a slight change in tone could also be a sign. Or maybe they have indigestion. But it could also be thinly veiled contempt or anger generated towards someone.
It’s easy to fall into a rabbit hole of wondering whether or not a friend or family member is upset, especially if reading verbal queues isn’t a strong suit.
Yeah, that’s What it is. Nothing to Worry About
Ah, the old ‘just tired’ response. A classic get out of jail free card whenever someone wants to avoid a lengthy conversation about the complexities of mental health. While it may be tempting to disregard one’s feelings in favor of a quick excuse, it’s always a good idea for people with anxiety to talk about their symptoms with someone who’s willing to listen. Most experts would recommend that sufferers find a mental health professional who can properly diagnose issues and look for ways to treat them.
It’s Probably Corona Virus
We live in a world where access to health information is just a few keystrokes away. That isn’t always a good thing though, especially for those with anxiety. Anxiety thrives off of the fears of others, turning something trivial, like a headache, into a health emergency. Think Woody Allen’s character from Hanna and Her Sisters, and you’ve got the right idea.
This is all thanks to anxiety’s tendency to override common sense and cause sufferers to question their own sense of judgement. But though it may be tempting to do so, it’s probably not a good idea to rush over to the doctor just for a minor headache, and there are better resources online for tackling pressing health questions. And no, Yahoo Answers isn’t one of them.
