“Anxiety is the Japanese knotweed of mental illnesses”

Generalized anxiety disorder, as you may know, is a persistent and widespread condition characterized by non-specific stress and worry. It is marked by feelings of threat, irritability, sleep disturbances, and tension, accompanied by physical symptoms like throbbing, dry mouth, and sweating. A common result of anxiety are intrusive thoughts. Notably, we are not talking about general intrusive thoughts, but anxiety specific thoughts. These can be described as: “Any distinct, identifiable cognitive event that is unwanted, unintended, and recurrent. It interrupts the flow of thought, interferes in task performance, is associated with negative affect, and is difficult to control.” (Clark, 2005). They can be triggered by many things, even a plant that is growing in your backyard.

“Anxiety is the Japanese knotweed of mental illnesses. When you think it’s all sorted, it will pop up through your foundations and it will just put you askew.”, states Rae Earl, the author of Mad Fat Diary. The book is a diary of a teenager that deals with mental health, romance and female friendships. When talking about the so-called ‘invasive species’, the word ‘anxiety’ is associated continuously. Not only does it appear that the plant causes great anxiety for us humans, it seems that it has become a symbol of anxiety itself. 

This sparks questions about how we treat our mental illness overall. Are we nitpicking at our flaws like we obsess over Japanese knotweed?

This sparks questions about how we treat our mental illness overall. Are we nitpicking at our flaws like we obsess over Japanese knotweed? Why would we call something like anxiety ‘invasive’ or ‘evil’? After all, our mental health is an integral part of our being. Does it really need complete eradication? Should we not be more gentle with ourselves? 

Would it be possible to coexist and learn from both our anxiety and the unwanted species?

Originating from Japan, Taiwan, and northern China, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) was brought to Europe in the early 19th century for ornamental purposes. This perennial plant, characterized by its extensive underground rhizomes, grows every year and spreads rapidly through natural processes and human-induced activity (Natural Resources Wales). Nowadays, however, the plant is considered an invasive species that needs to be eradicated immediately due to its efficiency in taking over pieces of land. It can even reduce a property’s value up to 5-15% and depending on the size of growth, it could even make the property unsellable (Yopa). 

Evenmore, an extraordinary case took place in Rowley Regis in 2013. Kenneth McRae killed his wife Jane and then himself over knotweed fears. In his suicide note, Mr. McRae, also identified as E in the report, "spoke warmly" of his wife but claimed he had grown uneasy about the knotweed nearby. He believed it would prevent them from ever being able to sell their home, according to the partnership's Domestic Homicide Review (BBC). It is crucial to mention that this is by any means no reason to take another’s life and McRae most likely had other mental health challenges.

Intrusive thoughts and invasive species, what do these two have in common? 

As it turns out, it’s their persistence that makes them similar. Intrusive thoughts can recur in the mind, proving challenging to control or eliminate completely. The same goes for knotweed, as the plant prevails through numerous attempts of eradication. Besides, intrusive thoughts can also be invasive, disrupting regular thought patterns and potentially impacting emotional well-being. 

After looking into the intricacies of both intrusive thoughts and invasive species, one may understand why an expressive statement such as “Anxiety is the Japanese knotweed of mental illness” has been made. While it is obvious that this statement is a cry for help and a sign of frustration, it creates an image of anxiety being almost like an invader. After all, emotions such as fear and nervousness are innate, they are induced in animals and humans by threats to well being.

Just like Japanese knotweed doesn’t take over healthy ecosystems but disrupted ones, anxiety doesn’t take over healthy mental ecosystems.

Just like Japanese knotweed doesn’t take over healthy ecosystems but disrupted ones, anxiety doesn’t take over healthy mental ecosystems. It is vital that we learn how to treat these, be it through internal work or simply through words that we use to describe them. Yes, anxiety might be the Japanese knotweed of mental illness. And yes, we can’t eradicate it and it will always be part of our lives. For that reason, we can only try to learn from it and be gentle with ourselves.

We don’t have to demonize or fatalize.

Sources: 

Don’t Kill All the Japanese Knotweed!

Generalised anxiety disorder - The Lancet

Kenneth McRae killed wife Jane abd then himself over knotweed fears

How Japanese knotweed affects house prices - YOPA

Intrusive Thoughts In Clinical Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment 

Intrusive Thoughts, Intrusiveness

Natural Resources Wales / Japanese knotweed: what you need to know