Stop Romanticizing Mental Health Disorders | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Stop Romanticizing Mental Health Disorders

Depression is not an aesthetic, it is a serious issue that needs serious help.

3332
Stop Romanticizing Mental Health Disorders
Pexels

"Depression - When you have depression, it's more than feeling sad. Intense feelings of sadness and other symptoms, like losing interest in things you enjoy, may last for a while. Depression is a medical illness, not a sign of weakness. And it's treatable." (WebMD)

"Anxiety - Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The feelings can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work, and relationships. There are several different types of anxiety disorders. Examples include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder." (National Institutes of Health)

"Tumblr - As they say themselves, “Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, email or wherever you happen to be.” It is a cross between a social networking site (like Facebook and Twitter) and a blog. It is often described as ‘microblog’ as people usually post short snippets of text and quick snaps as opposed to longer diary style entries found in more traditional blogs." (Webwise)

"Romanticizing - to think about or describe something as being better or more attractive or interesting than it really is." (Merriam-Webster)

"Eating Disorder - Eating disorders are actually serious and often fatal illnesses that cause severe disturbances to a person’s eating behaviors. Obsessions with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder." (National Institute of Mental Health)

Remember these vocabulary words, there will be a quiz later. Just kidding! But you really will need to know them to follow along.


When walking through this crazy journey called life, a lot of people in this world will experience this horrible thing we call depression or possible anxiety. Also a lot of people, though not as many as the previous, will also struggle with eating disorders. These diseases are nothing to joke about. They can be minor and cause some crying or a bit of a freak out, and nothing really else. Or, they can be major and lead some people to do some crazy things. Things like they stop eating or even... suicide. Depression, eating disorders and anxiety can affect people from all ages and walks of life - it doesn't discriminate.

There are many forms of depression, eating disorders and anxiety, and the three don't always mix together. You can be depressed, but not anxious; you can be anxious, but not depressed... you get the point.

There are, according to Healthline, eight different forms of depression: Perinatal Depression, Catatonic Depression, Psychotic Depression, Manic Depression, Holiday Depression, Elderly Depression, Endogenous Depression, and Dysthymia/Chronic Depression. Now when it comes to anxiety, there are, according to HelpGuide, 6 major types: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Attacks (Panic Disorder), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. And, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, the common forms of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. (If after reading the descriptions on the websites, if you think you have any of these disorders - please contact your doctor or an expert immediately).

Recently, through a half blog/half social media site titled Tumblr, a bunch of people who either had or have depression have gone onto the site and told people about their stories and their testimonies. This, of course, has been helpful to others going through similar situations to read them and not feel like they are alone. Though, there is a bad side to all of this.

Through the website, people have taken the testimonies and turned it into a dark, dark place where they are starting to romanticize the idea of being depressed or being anxious and having panic attacks. For example, here are a few things found from the website.

STOP IT.

Depression is not beautiful. Anxiety is not adorable. Anorexia is not #goals. Cutting yourself is not aesthetic. Throwing up your lunch is not cute. Suicide is not pretty. Post-partum depression is not pleasant. Drinking until you can't feel the pain anymore is not charming. Panic attacks are not fun. Starving yourself is not alluring. Post-traumatic stress is not gorgeous. Binge-eating is not classy. These are all serious problems that need serious help. Mental health problems are not something to make sound fun on the internet so that little girls and boys looking want to be like that when they get older.

Mental health issues are like waking up everyday, staring back at the unrecognizable person in the mirror and just 100 percent absolutely, with every fiber in your being despise them. It's having this feeling that someone is in your ear telling you "you're not good enough" all day long. It's medication, it's sleepless nights, it's therapists, it's losing appetite, it's throwing up meals, it's eating too much at meals, it's laying in bed not having motivation to do anything, it's losing friends cause you always cancel plans last minute, it's rehab, it's day in and day out fighting an enemy that is seemingly impossible to beat... yourself.

So please, stop romanticizing the idea that having depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, or any other kind of mental health issue is so much fun. Mental health issues are not an aesthetic, they are a serious problem that needs serious help.

If you or a loved one are suffering from any of these
horrible disorders, please seek help.

1-800-273-8255

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

445637
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

19155
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Moana's Top 10 Life Tips

"Moana" is filled with life lessons that involve far more than finding true love as many other Disney movies do.

42946
Animated image of a woman with long dark hair and tattoos
StableDiffusion

1. It's easy to be fooled by shiny things.

Digital image of shiny gemstones in cased in gold. shiny things StableDiffusion

Tamatoa created a liar filled with shiny things simply for the purpose of tricking fish to enter and become his food. He too experiences a lesson in how easy it is to be tricked by shiny things when Moana distracts him by covering herself in glowing algae so Maui can grab his hook.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

7 Types Of Students You Will Meet In College

You wish you could be #5, but you know you're probably a #6.

22170
cool group of lazy college students in class
StableDiffusion

There are thousands of universities around the world, and each school boasts its own traditions and slogans. Some schools pride themselves on sports, while others emphasize their research facilities. While there is a myriad of differences among each and every school, there will always these seven types of students in class.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

15 Rhyme Without Reason Greek Life Function Ideas

When you have no ideas for what to wear to this date function

322555
A dog and a frog
Healthy Pets

I am going to a rhyme without reason date function and I have looked at so many different rhyming words and I figured there need to be a new list of words. At these functions, there are usually at least two rockers and boxers and an umpteenth amount of dogs and frogs. I have come up with a list of creative and unique ideas for these functions.

If you like what you see, get a shopping cart going with these costumes.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments