Tired of the way a lot of people dismiss anxiety disorders

[Blockhead59]

I also find it very annoying going to see a doctor and he/sher look at you as if nothing is wrong with you bc you look "fine." I remember being in rehab as a very young person and someone from one of the wards (different back then) told me I looked too clean and healthy to be in the rehab. I've had this happen more than once. It's very frustrating not to be taken seriously just bc someone is looking at your outsides and thinking they know you must be mentally healthy bc you look healthy.

[cmdline]

Blockhead59 and Stealth38 it seems to me like i wrote that years ago, when reading my own post.

there has been a lot of changes in my life since then but for most part i took up more stress specially in last few months since new year, now luckily few really good people helped me out on this forum in time of struggle.

now as family goes they are still in the dark about my benzo usage and without them id crumble easily,i been on them for 7-9 years lost track by now, anywhere from 10mgs to 0 a day, stable on about 4mgs xans half of that is mostly just for sleep nowadays so not an issue when not working.
Problem is that family doesnt matter how close if they dont see you at your worst when anxiety strikes they dont see the issue in it, when your in a comfort of home.

place i work takes mental health seriously but the gossip amongst staff is two faced **** its all just a show to say we care when in fact they will be the first ones to judge you.And thank god benzos for that as showing weakness in some jobs will label one as nuts.

thou reading my initial post i would actually suggest people specially who are still young and just finding ways to cope with anxiety speak up to your family even if its one member, since once i did eventually open up,it was fast forgotten and took me like another 5 yrs to bring topic back up, nowadays i can speak about it with some of my family members any time (well one member) but they still have 0 understanding how it affects on daily basis,to cope with it , i dont bring up topic of meds usage nor would i seek some psych help - after so many years on benzos only route is slow taper which would take me prob 2 years from now and, given financials and usual routine where you run out more often then stockpile enough just to be on the safe side doesnt help either.

i wish there was single solution to all such issues but psychology shows that everything in our lives forms us from the day we are born, since its not a single instance that causes one anxiety but rather many different events and experiences,outside factors environment and people down to the genes and ones personality, its easy to inflict harm and affect ones behavior but its proven that even single event could affect one for lifetime, let alone 100s trough out the years.

if one can get medical/pshych help and afford it then its good way to go, but if system is broken and youll pay someone 100$h to analyze your life for you and give whatever they will experiment with you its ones choice, since dont see anyone claiming 1mill nobel prize for solving this any time soon.
thus i try not to judge people on what they do or take or what their reasons are, what works for one might be drop in the ocean for another.

[Blockhead59]

The pressure of reaching a goal I had, I now believe was the tipping point that caused a storm of horrific anxiety. My doctor originally totally dismissed me, so I turned to alcohol to stem it at nights, which caused it to be worse the next day. People don't realize the scars you can't see on the outside of a person are often the deepest ones. 
There has been a bit of a revolution in my country that has just started this year 2017 to get past the stigma of mental health, long overdue.

Stealth38, I didn't see your posgt until I was reading cmdline's post. I couldn't agree more. I'm glad that your country is making this a priority, likely bc certain people bring it to the headlines. But, however, it gets more socially accepted is okay. I agree it's long overdue. And hope you're being recognized and validated by a good doc now.

---

The pressure of reaching a goal I had, I now believe was the tipping point that caused a storm of horrific anxiety. My doctor originally totally dismissed me, so I turned to alcohol to stem it at nights, which caused it to be worse the next day. People don't realize the scars you can't see on the outside of a person are often the deepest ones. 
There has been a bit of a revolution in my country that has just started this year 2017 to get past the stigma of mental health, long overdue.

Stealth38, I didn't see your posgt until I was reading cmdline's post. I couldn't agree more. I'm glad that your country is making this a priority, likely bc certain people bring it to the headlines. But, however, it gets more socially accepted is okay. I agree it's long overdue. And hope you're being recognized and validated by a good doc now.

Was also going to add that I think being dismissed by a doctor is disheartening and feels almost like gaslighting. One starts to question oneself. "Maybe he/she is right; there's nothing wrong with me." "Maybe I'm making too much of this or overreacting." Again, I hope you and your concerns are being taken seriously and being addressed with respect.

---

Blockhead59 and Stealth38 it seems to me like i wrote that years ago, when reading my own post.

there has been a lot of changes in my life since then but for most part i took up more stress specially in last few months since new year, now luckily few really good people helped me out on this forum in time of struggle.

now as family goes they are still in the dark about my benzo usage and without them id crumble easily,i been on them for 7-9 years lost track by now, anywhere from 10mgs to 0 a day, stable on about 4mgs xans half of that is mostly just for sleep nowadays so not an issue when not working.
Problem is that family doesnt matter how close if they dont see you at your worst when anxiety strikes they dont see the issue in it, when your in a comfort of home.

place i work takes mental health seriously but the gossip amongst staff is two faced **** its all just a show to say we care when in fact they will be the first ones to judge you.And thank god benzos for that as showing weakness in some jobs will label one as nuts.

thou reading my initial post i would actually suggest people specially who are still young and just finding ways to cope with anxiety speak up to your family even if its one member, since once i did eventually open up,it was fast forgotten and took me like another 5 yrs to bring topic back up, nowadays i can speak about it with some of my family members any time (well one member) but they still have 0 understanding how it affects on daily basis,to cope with it , i dont bring up topic of meds usage nor would i seek some psych help - after so many years on benzos only route is slow taper which would take me prob 2 years from now and, given financials and usual routine where you run out more often then stockpile enough just to be on the safe side doesnt help either.

i wish there was single solution to all such issues but psychology shows that everything in our lives forms us from the day we are born, since its not a single instance that causes one anxiety but rather many different events and experiences,outside factors environment and people down to the genes and ones personality, its easy to inflict harm and affect ones behavior but its proven that even single event could affect one for lifetime, let alone 100s trough out the years.

if one can get medical/pshych help and afford it then its good way to go, but if system is broken and youll pay someone 100$h to analyze your life for you and give whatever they will experiment with you its ones choice, since dont see anyone claiming 1mill nobel prize for solving this any time soon.
thus i try not to judge people on what they do or take or what their reasons are, what works for one might be drop in the ocean for another.

I hear what you're saying cmdline. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were one simple solution?? It'd be like Pleasantville, the movie. Sometimes, I vacillate between telling myself there would be no way to experience the good without experiencing the bad. But, then I tell myself that that is horse****. LOL. Either way, it's a rationale that works for me sometimes. But, I, like you, wish the processes involved in getting reliable, safe help in the mental health and medical communities were more caring and reliable. Be well, friend.

[Caver]

I also find it very annoying going to see a doctor and he/sher look at you as if nothing is wrong with you bc you look "fine." I remember being in rehab as a very young person and someone from one of the wards (different back then) told me I looked too clean and healthy to be in the rehab. I've had this happen more than once. It's very frustrating not to be taken seriously just bc someone is looking at your outsides and thinking they know you must be mentally healthy bc you look healthy.

I also hate that the same doctors look at you see your overweight and assume you are getting enough vitamins etc in your diet. I think they honestly have had a silver spoon in their mouth and never had to deal with life without their parents help. Rehab a young age, looked too clean, how was that person let down in their life what happened to them for them to be there? My sister was molested and raped from age 5 to 17 and it screwed her up.

[toaru_nanashi]

Wow, my heart goes out to your sister.

People have no idea what's going on with us, I got noticed once and wished I never was again.
I had been stressed,anxious,depressed and in grief (an aunt who was like a 2nd mother to me had died) that I had stupidly tried to swipe my access key on the elevator but banged my head on the number pads. Leading to blood, tiny blood that stopped after 10 seconds. Until then they thought I had been fine with smiles and laughter for everyone. People will look to the first layer and will do their best not to see past that.

[blandy]

Maybe it's different for some members in other states and countries, but where I live I get a lot of people saying "just get over it" and things of that nature. I recently was told by someone that I've know for 5 years that they would no longer "tip toe" around my disorder. I've never told this person that they had to ever do such a thing. They took that upon their self to do that. Then the person told me to "just take a pill and get over myself" among many other things. I know sometimes people who don't deal with anxiety get tired of hearing about it, and I myself get very tired of feeling this way. If I could just get over it then I would have many years ago. I just wish people would understand the struggle we face each day. Sorry to rant about this subject. It just strikes a nerve with me.

I hear you loud and clear im so sorry your pals are acting like they are. Where i live i'm lucky if a dr prescribes 2mg Diazepam like 4 of them that's a pediatric dose and given breathing techniques. I also have  suspected Fibromyalgia and one or some of its endless list of symptoms is anxiety and depression. I finally got an appointment with a specialist in this field he seen bruises all over my face that i had acquired during  particularly violent panic attack ending with me repeatedly smashing my face on a toilet bowl two days earlier, i was offered some beta blockers off the doctor to quell the panic and depression.
This is just ridiculous if my own doctors can't recognize it how are the general public supposed to react thankfully for me the specialist Dr having seen the result of my condition sent quite a stern letter to the gp who actually gave me a decent SHORT TERM script while i wait for referral to a psychiatrist to assess and sort my medication out. we will wait and see what the result of that one is.
i am so sorry your condition is not taken seriously by your peers I feel its at times like this though that you find out who your real friends are and i hope you can turn to them and gain some strength! this forum is full of people who can offer good advice or point you in the right direction sorry for going on about my own condition so much but what you said struck a chord with me so loud i just had to comment suprisingly i recently found out a supposed best friend of 32yrs was actually the most selfish C**% i knew and people i have known couldn't do enough to help me its a humbling time for anyone with this condition but we have your back if nothing else.

Lots and Lots of Courage and Love... probably everyone who reads your thread.

[Naomi]

Reading all of this makes me so mad for all of you because I can empathize with how awful people can be when it comes to mental/behavioral health. Even the person closest to me had said "I thought you just had anxiety sometimes and had to take a pill" once we found out the diagnosis was much more than anxiety, then it's like it's too much to deal with.

[Silver Sage]

We have a very big focus in my workplace on mental health at the moment, promoting and explaining it is or should be seen the same as any other illness. It’s great to see management supporting and promoting campaigns to remove the stupid stigma attached to mental health and anxiety issues. Anyone who thinks they don’t or will never suffer from these problems is either incredibly naive or stupid.

That's fantastic zebra. Its wonderful to see management be proactive with an obviously problem no one (well  many) can't even  honestly look at. If its not affecting them then it doesn't exit. We all know it exists and in a big way. There are some days I feel like im pluged into a 220 volt socket. Just once I would like to see a non "anxiety sufferer " suffer from this kind of mental issue. Only once though. That should be plenty.

[maeve]

Reading your post right now for me us just such a coincidence. I am currently dealing with a similar issue regarding how people view anxiety disorders or depression. Many people say that it is "made up" and people that truly suffer from it are just "overreacting". I had a very bad panic attack last week (couldn't breathe, body started to physically paralysis, etc) around a bunch of people, and I was looked at like i was crazy and overreacting. having any mental health issues is such a stigma socially. When I tell anyone that I'm bipolar, they either think I'm lying or automatically think I must be crazy. If mental health was discussed more and didn't have such a stigma surrounding it, the world would be a better place. It is definitely very frustrating, and it is awesome having so many people here that understand and can empathize

[Silver Sage]

Prevalence Of Mental Illness

• Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year.1 
  
  
• Approximately 1 in 25 adults in the U.S.—9.8 million, or 4.0%—experiences a serious mental illness in a given year that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities.2
  
  
• Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%.3
  
  
• 1.1% of adults in the U.S. live with schizophrenia.4
  
  
• 2.6% of adults in the U.S. live with bipolar disorder.5
  
  
• 6.9% of adults in the U.S.—16 million—had at least one major depressive episode in the past year.6
  
  
• 18.1% of adults in the U.S. experienced an anxiety disorder such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and specific phobias.7
  
  
• Among the 20.2 million adults in the U.S. who experienced a substance use disorder, 50.5%—10.2 million adults—had a co-occurring mental illness.8
  

Social Stats

• An estimated 26% of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness and an estimated 46% live with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders.9
  
  
• Approximately 20% of state prisoners and 21% of local jail prisoners have “a recent history” of a mental health condition.10
  
  
• 70% of youth in juvenile justice systems have at least one mental health condition and at least 20% live with a serious mental illness.11
  
  
• Only 41% of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition received mental health services in the past year. Among adults with a serious mental illness, 62.9% received mental health services in the past year.8
  
  
• Just over half (50.6%) of children aged 8-15 received mental health services in the previous year.12
  
  
• African Americans and Hispanic Americans each use mental health services at about one-half the rate of Caucasian Americans and Asian Americans at about one-third the rate.13
  
  
• Half of all chronic mental illness begins by age 14; three-quarters by age 24. Despite effective treatment, there are long delays—sometimes decades—between the first appearance of symptoms and when people get help.14
  

Consequences Of Lack Of Treatment

• Serious mental illness costs America $193.2 billion in lost earnings per year.15
  
  
• Mood disorders, including major depression, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for both youth and adults aged 18–44.16
  
  
• Individuals living with serious mental illness face an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions.17 Adults in the U.S. living with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than others, largely due to treatable medical conditions.18
  
  
• Over one-third (37%) of students with a mental health condition age 14­–21 and older who are served by special education drop out—the highest dropout rate of any disability group.19
  
  
• Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.,20 the 3rd leading cause of death for people aged 10–1421 and the 2nd leading cause of death for people aged 15–24.22
  
  
• More than 90% of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition.23
  
  
• Each day an estimated 18-22 veterans die by suicide.24 This iß what we are up against. Education openminmindedness compassion and action. Peace and love to all.