Hail Mary, Full of Anxiety

 Mary Casey

Professor Horgan

HST 401

26 February 2026

Hail Mary, Full of Anxiety

I believe I’m not alone when I say that long before I understood anxiety, I understood guilt. Culture, friends, family, and religion often influence how individuals understand themselves and how they respond in situations of stress or emotional struggles, and in my experience, my mental health is deeply connected to the way I was brought up in a heavily Catholic family. While religion can provide guidance and community, being raised in such a way contributed to feelings of anxiety and self-criticism that ultimately led me to seek treatment. As I reflect, I have a better understanding on how mental health develops and why treatment can be important. 

Growing up, Catholicism played a key role in my family and academic life. Religious teachings were central both at home and at school, going to morning mass every Thursday with my class and trying to keep an A in theology courses, going to mass again with my family every Sunday, and always ensuring to say my prayers before I go to bed. When I did present my struggles, they were simply met with “it’s the sins, you just need to go to confession,” or “you just need to pray more.” Such procedures were vital in how I understood mortality, responsibility, and personal behavior. Many aspects of the upbringing were meaningful to me, but also created a strong sense of pressure to do the right thing all the time. As a little girl and eventually in my teenage years, mistakes or failures carried deep senses of guilt. Instead of seeing small errors as normal, common mistakes of growing up, I interpreted them as personal shortcomings, like something was specifically wrong with me. Over time, that mindset kept building, which contributed to high levels of anxiety and the constant feeling of needing to exceed high expectations. Looking back, I can see how those early experiences shaped the way I thought about myself and how I handled stress. 

Some psychologists describe such experiences as a form of religious or spiritual trauma, which is used to describe situations where strict religious environments create prolonged emotional distress. This is true especially when such teachings place strong emphasis on fear, guilt, or punishment. Not everyone raised in a religious household experiences the same, but for some people it can contribute to difficulties with self-worth and esteem. Mental health researchers often push that psychological conditions rarely have a single cause, and instead, they develop through a combination of biological factors and life experiences, including family and cultural beliefs, especially when those with anxiety feel they are failing to meet internal or external expectations (American Psychiatric Association). 

As I got older, the anxiety I had been experiencing became extremely taxing. Everyday stress sometimes felt like the end of the world, and it became clear that I needed help. It took years, as I was in deep denial, but I eventually decided to speak to a doctor about what was going on. After discussing my symptoms, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder and prescribed sertraline, and at first, I was on edge about the idea of relying on medication or that medication was for “loony bin” people. However, over time the medication stabilized my mood, and the voices in my head went quiet for the first time in I don’t know how long. It was easier to handle daily stress and responsibilities. Such an experience made me realize that seeking treatment is not a sign of weakness, and I don’t need to just “pray it goes away.” It was a rather practical step toward improving my well-being. 

Medications such as sertraline are one of the most common methods of treatment for anxiety and depression, belonging to a group of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). They work by affecting serotonin levels in the brain, which is important for stabilizing mood. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, antidepressants are used to help millions of people manage their symptoms (NIMI). It may not be for everybody or magically make the problems disappear, but it provides the stability needed for better coping with everyday stress. 

Mental health is also shaped by the complex interaction between biology, environment, and personal experience. In Mind-Body Problems, John Horgan explains that mental health states cannot be thoroughly understood solely through biology, since the mind is shaped by many interacting influences like environment and life experiences (Horgan). Such an idea resonates with my own experience. My anxiety was not simply a biological condition, but something influenced by the beliefs and expectations I grew up with, the pressure I placed on myself, and the coping mechanisms I eventually learned.

Reflecting on my experience helped me realize how complicated mental health really is. Religion can provide comfort, community, and sense of purpose, but it can also shape the way people interpret guilt and personal failure. For me, growing up in a Catholic environment influenced how I understood mistakes and expectations, which contributed to the anxiety I had later on and how to handle it. Seeking treatment helped me realize that mental health struggles are not personal failures, but part of the broader human experience.

My experience does not mean religion is harmful for everyone, but my story shows how personal background and belief systems can shape mental health in complicated ways.

Work Cited

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed., APA Publishing. Accessed 25 February 2026.

Horgan, John. “Chapter Five.” Mind-Body Problems.

https://johnhorgan.org/books/mind-body-problems/chapter-five. Accessed 25 February 2026. 

National Institute of Mental Health. “Mental Health Information and Statistics.”

https://www.nimh.nih.gov. Accessed 25 February 2026.