Did you know that 40 million people suffer from anxiety and 15 million people suffer from depression in the United States? I am one of those 40 million and one of those 15 million. I get sick of hearing “Oh, I guess since you have anxiety you will not go to college or ever be able to hold a meaningful job.” Or my personal favorite, “Since you have depression, why are you so social? You are supposed to be in your bedroom and be asleep all the time?” I have heard them all and they are far from the truth. The truth is, the person that’s next to you may be suffering from one of these mental illnesses and you will never know. The girl who is president of student government or the guy who is the captain of the football team may suffer from it. Just because we have these mental illnesses does not mean we cannot function, it just means we have to work a little harder.
First of all, media portrays anxiety, depression, and every mental illness in the wrong way. They make it seem like we all are mentally screwed up and belong in a psych ward, with a padded suit on. Because they have added this to the layer of the “Hollywood perfection” tier, it has become a taboo subject. You say mental illness or the name of any mental illness people scatter to avoid the subject. Never think the person who is struggling with a mental illness is crazy, because they are not! They are just struggling with an obstacle in life. Everyone has obstacles! Hollywood is to blame for some anxiety. They have created a culture of boys and girls who want to be perfect like the people they see on TV and in movies. The anxiety to be perfect has become more common in the last ten years because of Hollywood’s push to be Barbie and Ken like.
Secondly, we can lead very productive lives. We do not curl up in ball, roll in the corner, and stay in our rooms. I am in college with a high GPA and I am involved on my campus. We can be anything we want to be as long as we do not let our mental illness hold us back or use it as a way to get away with our bad choices. Millions of people do it every day and I hazard to guess that some of the most successful people in this world have a mental illness. Demi Lovato is an example of a person who suffers from mental illnesses and has an extremely successful performer and entrepreneur. We can do anything we set our minds to, but be patient. We have to work a little harder. People with anxiety tend not to take risks easily. We have a fear of the unknown. We play it safe and eventually we push out of our comfort zone and become great. I think my anxiety makes me special. It makes me a cautious person and I think sometimes it is better to be cautious and check things out before jumping all in and getting hurt or in trouble.
Lastly, we are not weird. We do not close ourselves off to society and we are not socially awkward. The most popular kid in school could have a mental illness and you not know. Would you call him weird or social awkward? You meet several people a day who are clinically diagnosed with a mental illness and you will never know. It is unfair and rude to attach this stigma or any stigma to mental illness. We are people just like everyone else and truth is we are all weird in our own special way.
Never assume just because someone has a mental illness that that person is less of a human then you. We are not limited in our accomplishments. Anxiety and depression is something each individual has to chose to conquer and they have to make that decision every day. It is time to speak out and debunk the stigmas around every mental illness. The more we speak out, the more we can help each other through the tough times. We need to make it okay for people to ask for help and talk about their struggles before they get to the point of self harm or even suicide.
To learn more about mental illnesses and to learn more about how to speak out about mental health for you and your community visit http://bevocalspeakup.com.
