Anxiety Disorders

[Selah]

Protip: everyone suffers from anxiety all the time. That's not a disorder that's normal.

 

Anxiety disorders are a real thing. Please do not try to downplay something serious by saying it does not exist.

[HisChildForever]

I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder with panic attacks a little over 2 years ago. I've been on an antidepressant ever since (it's used for chronic anxiety as well as pain management too) and my quality of life has greatly improved. For about 2-3 years prior to this diagnosis I went to counseling (individual and group) and for the first year and a half on the medication I was in counseling too. (Campus counseling is FREE, such a valuable resource--if you're a student, take it!!) I'm proud of myself for seeking counseling before trying medication, but part of that was due to shame because I didn't want my parents involved. I sort of reached a breaking point though and had to tell them that I needed a psychiatrist for this. Imagine their faces when I told them I had been seeing a therapist for a few years already, hah.

[OnlySunshine]

Protip: everyone suffers from anxiety all the time. That's not a disorder that's normal.

 

That's not true.  Anxiety disorders are real and crippling.  They are recognized by the ADA and schools as a disability because it prevents normal activity and normal life events.  It takes a long time to overcome them.  If the anxiety were "normal," doctors wouldn't give out medications to control the problems.

[PhuturePriest]

I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder with panic attacks a little over 2 years ago. I've been on an antidepressant ever since (it's used for chronic anxiety as well as pain management too) and my quality of life has greatly improved. For about 2-3 years prior to this diagnosis I went to counseling (individual and group) and for the first year and a half on the medication I was in counseling too. (Campus counseling is FREE, such a valuable resource--if you're a student, take it!!) I'm proud of myself for seeking counseling before trying medication, but part of that was due to shame because I didn't want my parents involved. I sort of reached a breaking point though and had to tell them that I needed a psychiatrist for this. Imagine their faces when I told them I had been seeing a therapist for a few years already, hah.

 

This is probably something I would do. :P I wouldn't let my parents know about it unless they absolutely had to.

[PhuturePriest]

That's not true.  Anxiety disorders are real and crippling.  They are recognized by the ADA and schools as a disability because it prevents normal activity and normal life events.  It takes a long time to overcome them.  If the anxiety were "normal," doctors wouldn't give out medications to control the problems.

 

This all goes back to my original post when I said most people don't know anything about anxiety disorders. The fact a lot of people don't even think they exist is simply frightening.

[Perigrina]

This all goes back to my original post when I said most people don't know anything about anxiety disorders. The fact a lot of people don't even think they exist is simply frightening.

 

The only person who made an ignorant comment in this thread is wrong about virtually everything, so I'm not sure that we can conclude that ignorance about anxiety disorders is a general problem.

[PhuturePriest]

The only person who made an ignorant comment in this thread is wrong about virtually everything, so I'm not sure that we can conclude that ignorance about anxiety disorders is a general problem.

 

I've spoken to many people about it, and a lot of people have the same thought-process he did: "Everyone has anxiety, stop being a drama queen."

[Perigrina]

I've spoken to many people about it, and a lot of people have the same thought-process he did: "Everyone has anxiety, stop being a drama queen."

 

This does not surprise me.

[Selah]

I've spoken to many people about it, and a lot of people have the same thought-process he did: "Everyone has anxiety, stop being a drama queen."

 

"Stop having a crushed hand, you think about it too much"

[maximillion]

It does not surprise me either especially when we have lots of celebs talking about the natural highs and lows of life as Bi-polar disorder, and the occasional drunk/drugs fuelled bust up as Personality Disorder, or being shouted at as a kid as PTSD.

 

We seem to swing from over indulgence to total denial about mental health issues without bothering to stop at rationality and calm assessment.

 

Everyone has mood swings. Everyone gets anxious sometimes. Everyone has some sort of irrational fear. The difference comes when these things interrupt your ordinary functioning to the point of being disabled. That's not 'normal', and it isn't what everyone else experiences.

 

Dismissing it as normal or ordinary does not make it go away!

It simply leaves those of us who experience these things, invalidated into the bargain!

[Ash Wednesday]

There's always the "what are you so afraid of?" and "don't worry, everything will be ok!"

 

Meanwhile, from the perspective of an anxiety sufferer, life looks a little bit like this: 

 

 

 

[Credo in Deum]

Then there's always that one guy that says "don't worry about tomorrow, for tomarrow will bring it's own worries"...wait...

 

 

...yep, that guy is Jesus.  

[Semper Catholic]

I've spoken to many people about it, and a lot of people have the same thought-process he did: "Everyone has anxiety, stop being a drama queen."

I just find it interesting the amount of people in this thread suffering from such illnesses. Number is so high it borders on unbelievable. Makes me bring up other questions like should there be a sub forum to talk about these issues? And also why does the correlation between anxiety disorders and mental illness seem so high in those that are devout?

[Perigrina]

I just find it interesting the amount of people in this thread suffering from such illnesses. Number is so high it borders on unbelievable. Makes me bring up other questions like should there be a sub forum to talk about these issues? And also why does the correlation between anxiety disorders and mental illness seem so high in those that are devout?

 

What do you know about the number of people with anxiety disorders among those who are not devout? One needs to compare them to establish the correlation you propose.

 

This is a religion forum, it does not tell us much if most of the people who responded to this question are devout.  Most of the cat owners on this forum are devout, but I would be reluctant to assert that most cat owners in general are devout.

[Selah]

Are you under the impression that mental illnesses are rare?