Whenever I have time to sit down and scroll through my social media, I see posts about mental illness regularly. Now, I am all for tearing down the stigma around mental illness and educating others on it. I think it's fantastic to spread truthful information to others about something that is still so understood.
But if you're talking about the mental illnesses you "have" without a diagnosis, shut up.
I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Separation Anxiety Disorder. Someone with a DOCTORATE DEGREE in psychology listened to my symptoms and watched my actions and gave me a medical diagnosis. From there, I had to develop a treatment plan. And here I am.
Yet, when I'm looking through all the things that my friends say, they are completely incorrect. I mean, disorders that are impossible to have with other disorders. You cannot have certain combinations of mental disorders. Literally, the DSM says you can't. There are criteria for that.
When I talk to someone and open up and tell them that I have anxiety and they respond with "Oh my god, me too!" I tend to be a little wary.
"Oh, okay, what are your diagnostic features? I have panic attacks all the time and I can never sleep. I'm literally always fidgeting and shaking and I never find myself relaxed."
"Oh yeah, I just worry a lot."
"Oh, that's it?"
"Yeah. Like when I'm having problems with my friends, I get so worried."
... THAT IS NOT GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER!!! That, in fact, is not ANY disorder. You know what that is? BEING A DANG HUMAN!!!
We get nervous sometimes. A little bit of anxiety is totally normal and is actually healthy. Anxiety is what gets you motivated to do things and study for exams. A little bit of fight or flight when you're in danger is completely normal.
But when this becomes something problematic for a prolonged period of time, when you are constantly worrying, when your life is completely altered by this anxiety, only then is it an actual disease. Only then can you tell me that you have anxiety.
Stop acting like you have this mental disorder because you think that it's "in" or makes you "edgy". Spoiler alert: it does not make you edgy. It makes you an asshole.
Stop saying that just because you like to keep your room clean and you think that things should be in their spots that you have OCD. That isn't even what OCD is. That's a lot more like OCPD.
Stop saying that you're anti-social and have an anti-social personality disorder. You know who also had an anti-social personality disorder? SERIAL KILLERS! It's pretty much just the updated term for sociopath!
And for God's sake, stop saying that you're depressed just because you are sad for a few days because something happened. Being depressed is so much more than that. Being depressed is me not showering for a week because I don't see the point in keeping up my appearance. Being depressed is me sleeping all day every day because I don't see a purpose to get up. Being depressed is me either eating nothing or everything all at once.
Being sad does not mean that you have depression.
Being a little crazy at times does not mean that you're schizophrenic.
Going through mood swings does not mean that you're bipolar.
Stop giving yourself diagnoses because you think it'll make you cooler. Stop! I would kill for someone to take away my mental illnesses. I don't want them anymore. I want to be happy all the time and confident and not have to worry about stupid things and stop being so afraid of being alone.
Mental illness is not "cool", so stop treating it like it is.
