Mental illnesses have become very prevalent among college students, and people all over the world. Unfortunately, along with the diagnosis of these mental illnesses, society negatively labels those who are affected. It's about time people listen, read, and get educated on what these disorders actually are.
Common misconceptions heard around college campuses, involve ADHD/ADD, depression, and anxiety. For those who are clinically diagnosed with any of these disorders, there are a lot of negative stigma's and jokes made. People commonly say "Oh, I'm so jealous that you're prescribed Adderall. It makes you focus so much, you probably get a whole lot done and do well on tests." False. For the average person with ADHD/ADD the medications only help so much. While the typical person can pay attention in class, with few distractions hindering their learning and focus, people affected by the disorder can't pay attention at all. With the assistance of medication, they are able to focus at roughly the same level as those unaffected by the disorder. Therefore, It doesn't give ADHD/ADD students super focusing abilities that those who don't need the medication experience when they take it.
It's also very annoying to see so many social media posts about being depressed. Depression is a disorder that lasts for long periods of time. Just because you are upset about a bad test grade, or not getting tickets to Justin Bieber's concert, doesn't necessarily mean you're depressed. Depression is not being able to wake up or get up in the morning. You just want to stay in bed, alone, and cry. You refuse to eat, or end up binge eating, and you avoid all social interactions. And this isn't just for a few days, but for at least two consistent weeks. Those who struggle with depression aren't always suicidal, and they don't always show that they are depressed on the outside. Medications and therapy can help, but everyone is different and it's not fair to assume anything about each individual persons case.
Anxiety is a common thing felt among students. Whether it be anxiety over a test, or too much going on, everyone experiences it in one way or another. There are big differences though, between those who are clinically diagnosed and those who are not. Those who are clinically diagnosed typically feel anxiety creeping into more than just one activity in their life. It's not just a fear of failing a test, but a fear of getting into a car accident, a fear of social interactions, a fear of your loved ones dying, every day, all the time. Its unfair that people get judged for things like this, and are even sometimes told they are worrying over stupid things. When someone is having an anxiety attack, those who don't also experience the same thing usually say, "Just breathe," or "Don't worry, it's not even scary." What they don't know, is that to the person dealing with the disorder, its the end of the world. They can't breathe because they are hyperventilating, and they think its scary because their mind has always made it seem like that. It's better to just help the person exit the situation, and give them some personal space to calm down (while monitoring them).
When I was a young teenager, I was extremely guilty of using mental disorders as insults. If my younger sister suddenly snapped at me I would say, "Woah, stop acting so bipolar!" and other things along those lines. As horrible as it sounds, its almost understandable that I would say things like that. I was uneducated as to what bipolar disorder even was! I didn't know it wasn't a rapid change in mood, that it happens over time, or that one mood can even last for weeks, months, years at a time. I had no idea in the slightest. Now that I do know about some of these disorders, I don't ever say anything like that. Unless you're going through it yourself, its hard to judge others and its hurtful to those suffering if you make them out to be crazy, over dramatic, or dumb. It's about time that people also become educated and more aware.
