There is a steady struggle between the people they “see” themselves as becoming and the “dark passenger” that rids them of anxiety and fear. This unrelenting fight usually occurs on a daily basis which can cause a person who endures SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder) unable to cope, yet fully aware of what is happening to them.
Social Anxiety Disorder invades more people than we are aware of, and although it is considered a Mental Health Disorder, the stigma usually wrapped in the “if we can’t see it, it doesn’t exist” mentality of our society, precedes to keep a perpetual cycle of silence.
Since being “crazy” or “insane” carries significant stigma in American culture (think about how often that is used to insult someone), any possibility that one could be misunderstood and seen as crazy is significantly threatening. It is common for someone to worry that others will see them as crazy, but also that getting a diagnosis actually means that they are, which is absolutely false.
Once you become educated about stigma and your potential problems with anxiety and worry, you can make an active choice to do something to improve your life. Sometimes doing things like this poses the risk of some negative consequences. But often the benefits of improvement vastly outweigh the difficulties that come with acknowledging that you may have SAD.
Here is the link to a website with personal stories about their experiences with SAD:
http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/personal-stories/all-stories/6
Reblogged this on The advice, rants, thoughts, ponderings and musings of my incomprehensable mind. Xx and commented:
🙂
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Hi Darc. I’m going to reblog this because it is so relevant and usually coupled with another mental illness or mental health issue. SAD was another problem of mine that I had to overcome. As a matter of fact, I did these extreme things (and Albert Ellis is a hoot): http://analyticalperspective.wordpress.com/2013/09/04/taking-risks-unformatted/
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After a long and bad depression, I had some social phobia. I didn’t come much out, while I was so sick, so needed also to learn to be social again. Hard work, but it is possible.
Thanks for sharing.
Irene
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I agree with you, I have social anxiety I get really terrified about social interaction, I will try to avoid it as much as I can, I’m never comfortable with talking to people I just met which is why I don’t have a lot of friends and I rarely go out of the house. I’m doing a lot better now but I’m doing a lot better but I didn’t get better until I admit to myself that I have social anxiety. When i was younger I used to think that I was just extremely shy and that there is nothing wrong, As I get older I realize that I can’t continue being this way and accepted that I have social anxiety since then I started to find ways on how I can manage it and followed them so I can be more social, I still get awkward at times but I feel like I’m already miles away from where I was before.
– Abby.
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thank you for commenting. I thought I was shy when I was younger as well. I had no idea what social anxiety was of course.
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