Galaxy Brain | Episode 2 | Health Anxiety

Drexal the Alien is worried he might be sick—and in this episode of Galaxy Brain, he lets his fears get the better of him. 

Watch episode 3 of Galaxy Brain right here:

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Drexal is an alien living far away in the galaxy, so he’s exposed to a lot of different viruses—much like us here on Earth.  His computer has a health check function to keep him safe, but he starts using it a little too much.
 
Drexal spends so much time worrying about being sick that he can't even enjoy his new hoverbike, something he was really looking forward to trying out! His health anxiety starts to take over, until his friendly and helpful computer steps in. He helps Drexal realize that getting sick is a normal part of life for everyone – even computers!

Once Drexal stops focusing only on his fears, he can start doing fun activities again. When Drexal’s having fun, he’s not as worried about getting sick! If it feels like your anxiety is all you can think about, it can be helpful to focus on the activities you’d be doing if you weren’t so worried. This can help you see things differently and not let anxiety win – we fight our fears by facing our fears. 

You are not alone in your struggle, remember that it’s normal to feel anxiety, especially as the world around us changes. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from someone you trust or find a friend to talk to about your feelings, like Drexal the alien does. 

Educating yourself is important, just like talking with people you trust. 

Share Drexal’s video series with other people you know and see if any of them feel the same way. It’s a fun way to share your feelings and maybe help your friends out as well! It’s important to talk about how you feel.

► Have you ever been scared you might be sick? Or that someone you love or care about might get sick?
► Are you worried about what would happen if you were sick?
► Can you think of anyone else who may feel the same way you do?
► Who is someone you trust that you could talk about your feelings with?

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Stay tuned for more of Galaxy Brain! Watch as he talks about his anxiety with his computer sidekick and they come up with ideas to help aliens (and humans) express their feelings. 

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Galaxy Brain is a pre-teen and teen animated series focusing on topics such as social anxiety, health anxiety, contamination OCD and more. With humour and heart, Galaxy Brain normalizes anxiety in an entertaining way and encourages seeking help from a trusted parent, teacher or friend. 

As a parent, educator or health care provider, it can be difficult to talk to pre-teens and teens about mental health, especially during the pandemic. Anxiety Canada has created the Galaxy Brain, Caretoons animated series to open the door to communication, allowing youth to understand that they aren’t alone in their feelings and that talking about their fears can be very helpful. 

Many youth don’t realize that what they are feeling is anxiety, as we all face new situations daily during the pandemic and beyond. Being able to name their anxieties, recognize symptoms of anxiety, and understand the impact it has on their lives, are important steps that you can help them with.

Keep the conversation going! Let kids know that it’s ok to talk about their feelings and give them a safe space to express themselves. It can help if you also discuss your own anxieties so that they know they are not alone. 

If you’re looking for answers about helping children and teens with anxiety then take a look at Anxiety Canada’s helpful links below. There are useful articles for teens, parents, educators or healthcare providers.

Anxiety 101 - Learn to recognize anxiety and how it affects your thoughts, your body, and your life

You can connect with our community and hear about other resources through our social media:

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Caretoons, the animated series, was created with the support of British Columbia’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions by Point Blank Creative and Anxiety Canada. Voiced by acclaimed comedian and author, Charlie Demers.