Imagine if every physical illness; a cold, the flu, cancer etc. , was portrayed in the same light as mental illness. This has been a trending topic and idea, which is probably a good thing in my opinion. America doesn't look too kindly upon individuals with mental illnesses; big or small which is an issue since, according too census', 40 million American adults suffer from a form of anxiety, 3.3 million Americans suffer from mild depression and 15 million adults have social phobia. That's A LOT of Americans, and that's not even all of the mental disabilities that can plague a person's life. To check out the rest of the details and information click here.
I have anxiety and ADD, which was diagnosed early this year and have been seeing a therapist since I was around 5 years old. I've grown comfortable talking about these things to my close friends, but to be completely honest, I'm still a bit embarrassed to confess my issues. I know that my psychological problems are 100% chemical but I still have a hard time explaining my weaknesses to others. I didn't even tell one of my closest friends why I hadn't been at school all week. "I'm just not feeling well, I mean I have a cold." was a lie I said around three times a day. I just couldn't look at my friends in the eyes and say; "Actually I've been having some anxiety issues that have given me a crippling fear of school. It's getting worse and I don't know what to do and I still don't understand what's wrong with me. I feel like a crazy freak." I think it's interesting that human beings tend to have a hard time admitting their mental issues. Someone would not pause to tell you about their cold, but a person has a hard time having a conversation about their mental health.
Part of this is due to how mental health has been portrayed in society. In America, many of us would imagine someone sitting in the corner of a white padded room in a mental hospital. But mental disorders are an everyday issue for many people. If our society was able to push aside their basic stereo-typical beliefs about mental illness, I feel that people like me would have an easier time talking about their issues and teaching others about their experiences.
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