As we progress through the 21st century, mental illness has become a much larger part of our society than it’s ever been in the past. Mental illness is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “collectively all diagnosable mental disorders” or “health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning.”
Depression is the most common type of mental illness and it affects at least a quarter of the US adult population. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety affects 40 million adults in the US or almost 18 percent of the population. However, there are still people who believe that mental illness is perception, or that people who claim to be mentally ill are just looking for attention.
Usually, I would say that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but when it comes to this topic, I am sorry but I beg to differ. People who have never been friends with a mentally ill person, or were mentally ill themselves, say these kinds of absurd things. They haven’t seen what mental illness can do to a person. One day that person can be fine, and the next day, their life starts to deteriorate right before their eyes. Before you write negative comments about people with mental illness, consider befriending someone who is mentally ill so that you can understand their struggles. The two most prevalent mental illnesses that I have seen in people very close to me are anxiety and depression. At times, it can be frustrating being friends with mentally ill people because it causes many problems for both individuals, but once you see past the frustration. You begin to understand them.
So, how is it like being close to people with anxiety and depression? It is in a way contagious because if someone you love is dealing with things like anxiety and depression, it takes a toll on you too. It is draining. Trying to make someone happy who is often empty, fatigued, restless, anxious, and has no interests is a very difficult task. Trying to make someone who has persistent and crippling feelings of panic and fear is exhausting. Trying to understand why your friend doesn’t seem to enjoy your company anymore, or why your sibling doesn’t care about their hobbies anymore is heartbreaking.
For someone who doesn’t have any type of anxiety, like panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, or phobias, it is really hard to understand why someone could be so scared of something that isn’t a “big deal.” That’s the thing. Neurotypicals will never be able to understand what it is like to suffer from a condition that can’t be cured in a short period of time, like some physical ailments such as a fever.
If someone who lives with you is suffering from one of these illnesses, it causes the entire household to be stressed. It can strain friendships and relationships. If anxiety or depression weren’t real, then how could an entire family or friend group be so negatively affected by them? You can’t be hurt by something that isn’t real. If you still aren’t persuaded that mental illness is a condition that needs to be taken seriously, I strongly urge you to volunteer at or visit a mental health center to meet and interact with people struggling with their illness. Always remember that people who are different from you are human too. We all have feelings and want the same things in life: safety, comfort, friendship, love and being understood.
