Really? Should we? Feels like we're some sort of monsters for struggling. It doesn't feel right.
"Hide your anxiety". "Don't say you ... - Anxiety and Depre...
"Hide your anxiety". "Don't say you have anxiety" feels like "hide your zombie bite". Should we hide our anxiety and depression?
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Not at all. People struggle because they feel they have to hide their feelings when they are low and anxious. This is the time we need to reach out…your good friends will stick by you and some will go by the wayside that you didn’t expect but hiding your feelings will only make things worse. Tell the truth and share what is going on for you but also try to make the time to ask what is going on for them - this is something I find hard when I am deeply stuck. It is also ok to just be silent together. We are not meant to be isolated ❤️
Agree. I have no problem reaching out but people don't get it as an attempt for help but for a reason to discriminate which is sad because it's just being honest
True..real friends do not judge.. It's why no shade to some of my family but I consider my friends often like family.. And of course every one here.. A real hug is great but this is like millions of people virtually hugging you.
Sometimes I feel like I should hide what I feel cause why open up when I do I get judged for it
I guess to just freely express yourself as you are and if others want to judge then that is about them. It’s hard I know when you are feeling vulnerable but I think it’s about trying not to care if someone wants to be mean enough to judge and not just be interested in what you are saying as a person x you are important and everything that you say is valuable ❤️
I often feel that way with my wife due to her lack of belief in mental health due to her culture
It is the same for me. My husband doesn't struggle with anxiety so thinks I'm being dramatic or not trying hard enough. I actually struggle with dissociation which I've never had before so trying to manage that at the same time as trying to explain myself is incredibly difficult when you don't feel connected to the world or your own body. It's so strange and then meds can exacerbate that and you have to try and give it a chance to settle!
Mentally illness as a whole is so overused. I heard “depressed”, “OCD”, “panic attack” and “triggered” thrown around so casually and often it doesn’t fit the situation. Being sad for a day doesn’t equal depression. Losing on a video game doesn’t mean you are triggered. Having a clean house is not the same as OCD. And on and on. I find I don’t say anything because now it doesn’t have the same meaning that I hear people using it for.
I wouldn’t volunteer it at work. It is discrimination to be fired because of that so they will never say but they do it. That’s why there are privacy laws. In the US you can get time off without explaining it to your supervisor so there is no need.
It is hard to reach out. Honestly, I never talk to anyone I know any more about my struggles. I use to talk to my aunt, but she passed away earlier this year. So now I just do the best I can. Keeping busy helps though.
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I'm sorry. You're on the right path sharing here
Thank you.
I don't think we should hide it unless we are in a situation where it wouldn't be in our best interest to reveal it. For instance, if I was new and working in a company, I would make sure I could trust the people I worked with before opening up about it. There is still a stigma about mental health issues in some countries and companies.
It's a balancing act. We need to admit to through what we are going in order to get the help we need and to decrease stigma, but we also need to be aware that our struggles also can wear down the people who support us. I haven't found the right way to walk that line yet.
Beyond that, I agree with what everyone else has written. I think the discussion around the casual use of terms describing mental illnesses is important. How do we reclaim these words so they have meaning again?
Yes exactly it is a balancing act. If you feel you are in a bad place you need to express it because keeping it inside is not good. You can find friends who will stay with you through this, maybe not always in the same way but they will be there and you can get your relationship back when you feel better. I have lost a lot of friends as I have been ill for a while but there are people there but I just can’t see them yet and that will come. The best place for me is a support group - that’s a good place to start. They are all strangers but are all struggling and I have found it helpful. I can talk or sit quiet or be a zombie or cry and it’s ok. Maybe that’s a good place for a lot of people who are struggling too? Of course you have to find some resources yourself too….it’s a mixture x I wish everyone peace 💕
I have had to learn to be discerning about who I share personal struggles with, Most people are judgmental especially those who haven't experienced anxiety disorders.
You also have to balance the volume that you share so you don’t burn people up. When people try to help and you lash out at them due to anxiety or fear they will only tolerate that so many times before they’re done.
This is why we have mental health professionals. They are trained to understand a particular issue and the best way to address it. It might not feel good, it usually doesn’t, when we have to swallow a hard truth. But it is the path to healing. Best of luck
Exactly.. It's like a choice... We can work through it but we can't just wake up and decide ok it's, totally gone.
I don't hide my struggles. I don't tell everyone but I don't hide them. Keeping them in is not healthy. I lost a long time friend(of 54 years)who had been supportive for a long time. We haven't spoken in a year. She really hurt me, said some hurtful things..... Most who never experienced depression/anxiety etc will never understand what we experience.
Unfortunately. And you're right, keeping isn't healthy. I'm sorry for what happened
Thank you. I am so very hurt by her and I think it has also affected the friendship between one of our other friends and myself even though nothing specific has happened between that other friend and myself.(and that other friend has been on meds for a while so I know she understands) There are 4 of us who were friends since 7th grade(as I mentioned before 54 years)... The 4th one I can still talk to..
Exactly! 🙌