9/22/2016 0 Comments Accepting Anxiety
Mental disorders have become more of a conversation piece in the past few years, yet people who actually suffer from the disorder often keep to themselves and do not like to spread their personal information around. Today’s media, movies, and books often seem to romanticize or highlight different disorders; making OCD seem like silly repetitions, anorexia commendable, and dissociative disorders an interesting game. People enjoy talking about different mental disorders as long as the conversation stays light, or as long as they can separate themselves from the disorder and the people who truly struggle with them. The idea that any mental disorder could ever be romanticized or joked about is appalling, but what is even more shocking is that people can throw around disorders like they’re no big deal, but the second they are face to face with somebody who has been diagnosed they freeze up and become visibly uncomfortable. Disorders of any type, whether they are physical or mental, should always be taken seriously and should be a topic that people understand and are comfortable learning about, not a taboo topic for people to avoid or poke fun at. According to an article in The Journal of Clinical Psychology, more than 26 million Americans have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, either alone or paired with another mental disorder, which makes it the most common psychiatric disorder in America (Conner, 2004). Most people have experienced anxiety at some point in their lives, and many also struggle with it daily. Since there are so many people who are familiar with the symptoms and feelings of anxiety, it is surprising that it is still a topic that people tend to shy away from or are uncomfortable talking about. Anxiety isn’t something to be afraid or ashamed of, and when people avoid discussing the disorder the fear and awkwardness around the topic slowly builds and builds, which creates a loop that will never end. More people should be empowered to discuss their disorder, and people who do not suffer with anxiety should be able to talk about the disorder and be comfortable with the idea that people they know suffer with it. Any kind of disorder should be an okay topic of conversation (within good taste), and there shouldn’t be any kind of hesitation to discuss what the symptoms are, how it feels to live with that disorder, or to even just be curious about what it is. Our society is more comfortable with jokes, fiction, or complete denial than it is with accepting what is normal, and I believe that we really need to start changing how we view our peers, regardless of who they are or what they are dealing with. Conner, K, M. (2004). Effective recognition and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder in primary care [ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS]. The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, vol 6(1). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC427612/
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