Have you ever wondered if you suffer from mental illness? I’m sure it goes through everyone’s mind at some point in time. One thing I find disturbing is that so many people romanticize mental illnesses these days. Do us all a favor and do not convince yourself that depression is romantic. A person who suffers from mental illness cannot be “fixed." They need professional help to heal. Having anxiety attacks in public, or in private, is horrifying; it is not pleasant and it is not something that should be wished on anyone.
Everyone in life can experience anxious episodes, but not everyone has true full-fledged anxiety. It is a debilitating disorder and it is not something to brag about, however, being open and honest about your anxiety, without romanticizing it can make your life easier.
Anxiety is not something that people should find attractive. Wanting to help “fix” somebody you care about is understandable. Yet, it is important to remember that although a person suffers from anxiety, it does not mean (s)he is broken. Be there for the ones you care about, but don’t push too far. We are not broken; we are just are going through a bump in the road. If we need help, we need to do it on our own. Do not get me wrong, friends or significant others who offer support are appreciated. The thing is, if they are attracted to you because of your illness, you should question the relationship.
Anxiety manifests itself in many ways. Some people have general anxiety while others have social anxiety. Some people have a combination of the two. Social anxiety can be difficult, especially in college, when in order to survive one has to constantly be social. For example, when someone asks you to go to a party you immediately start to wonder if you will know anybody who is there. When you realize that you will only know one or two people, the panic sets in. You worry you may get separated from the person you know or that you may have to talk to a stranger. Situations like this happen all the time and you may end up just staying home to avoid a potential panic attack. That’s just what happens on an ordinary weekend. Think about big events like sorority or fraternity rush, joining a club, walking into a new fitness class -- and ,do not get me started about public speaking; it’s impossible.
Anxious people also tend to overthink everything to the point where they start to irritate the people around them. Everything needs to be planned in advance. When something goes wrong with the plan it throws them for a loop. They also overthink every awkward or intense situation that they find themselves in. They do not get things out of their mind quickly.
Having anxiety is horrible, but it is something those who suffer with it have learned to handle in their own way. There are medications that help, but a lot of it is learning how to cope with the anxiety. Finding strategies to calm down in the midst of an attack. If you know someone with anxiety, offer support and patience. Do not tell them they are overreacting because that will just make their episode worse. Be as understanding as you possibly can at all times. I am not saying to baby them, but think more about what you are going to say before actually saying it.
Mental illnesses are serious issues that people have to deal with on a daily basis. Be nice and caring to all people because you never know what they are dealing with. The biggest thing to remember is to treat everyone humanely and try your hardest not to romanticize any disorder or illness. Having problems is not cute. Babying people makes everything worse. Be there for the ones you love and maybe, just maybe, you will change someone’s life in the end.
