Anxiety Is More Than Just Worrying Too Much & We Need To Be More Sensitive About It
It's time things change.
How do you react to a friend telling you that they¡¯ve got anxiety?
Most people will throw around phrases like:
¡®You¡¯re just worrying too much.¡¯
¡®Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overthinking it?¡¯
¡®Everyone is worried about something or the other. You¡¯re just overdoing it.¡¯
When people make such remarks, it's clear that they come from a place of unawareness. It isn¡¯t surprising, really. India has struggled long with its taboo regarding mental health. We¡¯ve grown up in a society where merely visiting a psychologist will bring judgement. Even when we¡¯ve felt like we need help for mental health, we push that feeling away because of exactly these kind of unaware responses.
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However, as we grow as a society, it's time that we bridge this gap between unawareness and mental health. With even prominent personalities talking about their struggles with anxiety and mental illness, more and more people are now finding the courage to come out with their mental health troubles and the last thing they need is being met with remarks that come across as rude.
I was exactly like one of the unaware people till a very close friend was diagnosed with anxiety.
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There were so many times when I told her she has a habit of worrying too much without realizing that it isn¡¯t normal to always exist in a state of worrying. When she¡¯d tell me she isn¡¯t able to concentrate like she could before, I would advice her to just take a break from work.
She¡¯d keep mentioning that social gathering made her nervous because she felt like no one wanted her there and I would keep telling her to be more lively. Whenever she got romantically close to a person, she almost always pulled away for the fear of it failing. When she was in a relationship and told me she¡¯s getting too insecure, I would tell her not to mess it up. And when she¡¯d mention that her heart beat increases whenever she¡¯s in a stressful situation, I would tell her it¡¯s all in her head.
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I did all this till the day she called me to tell me of her diagnosis and how she¡¯s been put on medicines. Something she said regarding anxiety will always stay with me:
¡°I was searching up on anxiety and no wonder it¡¯s been derived from the Latin word ¡°anxietas¡± which means to choke because that is exactly how it feels like.¡±
It was in that exact moment that I understood how rude and unsympathetic I had been to my own best friend. I realized that everyone faces anxiety which is actually a normal reaction to a scary situation; but when this anxiety is prolonged, it makes you fear your own existence.
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You fear every situation, interacting with people comes with the fear of judgement, you feel unwanted, you cry in your room and let no one know about it, you suffer from palpitations whenever fear grips your body and essentially, an anxiety disorder disrupts the way you live life. It is, clearly, way more than just being too worried.
I had to take my own journey to understand this and it has made me realize how important it is for everyone to be aware and more sensitive about mental illness. The aim is to make the world a better place for all those who are fighting a strong fight against anxiety.
