- Mental Health
- Other Addictions
Submitted by: Abby Foster
My name is Daniel and I am in recovery from generalized anxiety disorder, depression, trauma, and binge eating disorder. I have been consistently seeing a therapist for my anxiety, which first manifested when I was five years old. I have consistently seen therapists throughout my life.
Dealing with chronic anxiety at a young age was challenging at times. I often encountered and discussed very serious issues and emotions that were often very negative. I think it definitely took a toll on me and I felt like I was different than other children. I was worried about myself, my future, and what would happen to me as I grew up and became more independent.
My anxiety was so paralyzing at times that I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to be independent.
But now, looking back, there were many skills and experiences that I gained because of my struggles. I now consider the experience invaluable to me today. It has shaped who I am as a person, and has truly prepared me for the world. So, while there were certainly negative aspects of the journey, there have been lots of positive results.
My mother suffers from mental illness, as well as my grandmother on my father’s side of the family. Because of that history, my family was quickly responsive and knew I needed to get help as soon as I began presenting with symptoms as a young boy. They knew the importance of getting help early so I would be ok. The family was very familiar with how mental illness works, and my extended family offered a very strong support system for me and my parents.
There is a general misunderstanding of mental illness, what it is like, and how it works. People make jokes about “being crazy” and suicide. When you are someone who is affected by it, the jokes are not funny at all and are quite horrifying to hear. Off-handed comments and stigma often made me uncomfortable in what should have been a safe space among people who knew the issues I had. I felt powerless to stand up to those people. They carried so much weight in my personal life and comments like theirs often completely invalidated my experiences.
So much shame existed in my mind and I do not think it came from my family. I do not know exactly where it came from, but I think it really represents our society and how a lot of people feel about mental illness despite its pervasiveness. You know, everyone is touched by mental health issues in some way, whether they are personally affected or have a loved one who struggles.
Mental illness is the largest contributor to disability throughout the world. Complications with behavioral health issues such as mental illness and substance use disorders are the leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 24 in this country. Despite that, there are still very many negative opinions, misperceptions, and general misunderstandings of mental health issues and recovery.
People often say “Just get over it!” They say this as if I am not trying to stop it. It is not something people can just stop by taking deep breaths. We need help; we need resources to find recovery.
I think that dealing with these issues can be incredibly isolating when our families, our culture, and our communities don’t talk about these things. Of course, you are going to feel like you are alone or abnormal if you think you are isolated in your struggle.
There are so many incredible online resources where you can connect if you are having trouble accessing resources in your town. You can learn more about other people’s recovery experiences and find many different information sources to help you better understand yourself and your situation. It helps if you can tell yourself, “OK, I can relax a little bit knowing there is a label for what I am experiencing, and that people can find recovery and relief. Maybe I can, too.”
I wish more people told me when I was younger that you can have these issues and you can work on them. Things can get better and you can live a fully happy life, you can feel fulfilled and proud despite all of the struggle and all of the hardship. I don’t think anyone knew to say that to me, so that is why it is so important for me to say it to others.
Be open to possibilities and trust the people around you that love you. Be true to yourself and know that when things aren’t always the best for you, it’s OK to acknowledge that things aren’t great at the moment. But things do change and it really can get better. Recovery happens!