people who don't understand anxiety..

[beautifullybree]

When I first started having anxiety issues I experienced many people who didn't seem to understand. I had an experience where I visited the emergency room and the doctor was so rude! He told me anxiety wasn't real, and that it was "bull poop", to put it nicely. It honestly hurt my feelings that the doctor wasn't willing to help me. It made my anxiety even worse that he had treated me that way. Has anyone else experienced this?


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[gracer]

Hi beautifullybree! I'm sorry to hear about what you experienced when you consulted a doctor regarding your anxiety. I think he could have at least talked to you with respect to your feelings instead of talking the way he did. Sometimes people could really do things that hurt other people and sometimes they even add more insult to an already hurting feeling.

 

[Alex]

People find it hard to understand things that they cannot see. My mother has panic attacks and I can see how it affects her, and I have had them myself. Anxiety if not addressed does get worse and becomes a habit. I don't think pills are always the answer and at times that's all a doctor can give you. Sometimes we have to be brave and look at why it happens. Both my parents are anxious people and it rubbed off on me, but neither ever sought treatment.


I feel today people are more aware of it, but still don't know how to react or deal with it. That's one of the issues.

 

[beautifullybree]

Thank you both for your input. I thought he could have acted more professionally. My mother also suffers from anxiety. My dad is bipolar and schizophrenic. Its unfortunate but I'm lucky to only have inherited the anxiety. I do agree some people are more understanding now, but so many still seem so mean. I hope to spread awareness to some extent.

 

[Alex]

Some doctors are better than others. I had one who told me to 'snap out of it' and he was the head of the practice, so I refused to see him ever again. I learned to try different doctors until I found one that would listen and actually help. Many people suffer from anxiety and live with it, but that doesn't mean they don't need help. Instead they would rather try to cope, but it ends up making others suffer too.


I think more empathy is needed, but rather than medication solely, sometimes a therapy session is much better.

 

[pwarbi]

Anxiety and depression used to be something that was just ignored by many doctors and health care professionals as it was something they knew very little about. As knowledge as grown, so as the help that's now open to people and while there is still a long way to go to get anxiety and depression taken as seriously as it should be, at least now the help is getting through to people that need it, and your less likely to be turned away and told to snap out of it, as that seemed to be the usual response in the past.


The main thing these days is that people actually admit to themselves that they are struggling, as even now a lot of people won't admit that they may need help because of peoples reactions in the past, and they choose to struggle in silence instead of speaking to somebody about how they are feeling. Only by talking about it though will they be able to get the help that's out there.

 

[RichE8475]

When I was first going through the onset of my anxiety disorder, as an adult, I thought I was dying. I was in the emergency room practically everyday. I felt as though I was being judged or mocked by the nurses and other staff members. I had so many tests done, and they finally admitted me to the psych floor for detox. I had no clue what they were talking about, and it made me look even crazier. They stated that I was drug seeking. It does make things so much worse when people think you are just trying to get something out of having a panic attack. I told them they could keep their drugs just help me. It has taken years to finally get people on my side, but I know they still think I am trying to make things up. The government, hospital, and the psychiatry do not seem to understand that just stepping out of my home sets off a panic attack (many days I have them inside my home too). I got my decline letter for the fourth time from social security; I was denied because I am able to bathe and feed myself, therefore I am capable of working. I would have no problem working in my home if they could find me the job that will let me. Why would I want to have social security when I could make more money working? I have a degree in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Music.


PWARBI they still do not understand what anxiety does to a person. I firmly believe that unless someone suffers from panic attacks on a regular basis, they will never understand. For so long I thought I was the only person going through this suffering, and there are days when I still feel that way. This is most definitely not the life I wanted for myself.

 

[Allegro]

Yes, unfortunately. My father is one of those people and it made things very difficult as a teenager when I was first discovering what was wrong with me. He'd say I just didn't want to go to school, would say I was just fine the year before, it makes no sense why I'd be this way now, etc. It was discouraging and I felt like I was a disappointment to him.

 

[rz3300]

It is very difficult to describe to people what I go through when my anxiety really kicks in. They hear the word anxiety and they recognize it and we all have it and know what it is, but the way it affects me is way different, and I know that I am not alone there. It is true the point that pwarbi makes about doctors and the health care industry as a whole getting better and more knowledgeable on the issue, but it still feels like I am on an island sometimes. It is just the harsh reality that I must deal with though.

 

[alexdanvers]

Yes. I have experienced this with people who you expect to understand but yet they don't. They need to understand that they will never know how our anxiety feels like unless they've experienced it themselves. People usually believe that they can understand anxiety because they think it means fear, which is clearly not the same thing. If it was fear, we would be able to "get over it" but it's not fear. It's anxiety. I wish they would understand that it's not the same thing and that they're not going to understand unless they too have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is very real. It's not something we make up or fake. I know some people don't believe we actually have anxiety but then again, why would we ever fake suffering this severe?

 

[wecantfixthat]

Yeah, there are people that just assume that anxiety does not exist. It's just a "figment of our imagination". They think that we should just "man-up" and not get anxious in social situations and what not. It's honestly sad that they think because we don't show our suffering physically, we are all fine.

 

[pwarbi]

Unfortunately there are some people though that DO fake anxiety and depression as with all forms of mental illness, it's hard to prove or disprove. With a physical injury such as a broken leg for example, it's easy to see why that person is off work or unable to find a job but with a mental issue then it's a lot tougher to know if that person is just taking advantage.


Sadly, people who do pretend they have anxiety or any other mental health problem make it a lot harder for those that genuinely do, and the fact it isn't taken more seriously than it is, is down to those who are just claiming they have anxiety and'or depression as a way to get out of finding work or to be able to claim benefits, and here in the UK it's a big problem.

 

[Schons]

I usually like to explain the fight or flight story. Imagine if a bear came right in front of you. How would you feel? Now, imagine if you were sitting down calmly and you got that same sensation rush through your body for no reason. That's anxiety.

 

[beautifullybree]

I usually like to explain the fight or flight story. Imagine if a bear came right in front of you. How would you feel? Now' date=' imagine if you were sitting down calmly and you got that same sensation rush through your body for no reason. That's anxiety.[/quote']
That's such an accurate description. You can feel your heart pounding suddenly. I usually feel like there is a heavy weight on my chest. It's knowing you can breathe, but thinking you're not. Anxiety is one of the scariest thing I've dealt with.

 

[Laneorexorcist]

Really? For a doctor that's extremely unprofessional, it's a shame that there's people like that actually trying to help people.


I haven't had experiences like that yet, because I haven't told anyone that I have some kind of anxiety... I think that one part of me is scared that they are going to react negatively... But I get why people cannot understand anxiety, some of them may confuse them with being nervous or things like that... I think that there needs to be more information about it, to detect it, treat it and know how to treat someone with anxiety, it's really important and it's a shame that not everyone is interested on being informed about topics like this one.

 

[fuzyon]

Sorry that happened to you, a doctor should never discredit a patient's problems. Anxiety is a real illness and can be really harming if not treated correctly, so don't worry about that doctor that had no idea what he was talking about. To be frank with you, I don't blame people that don't understand anxiety because I personally don't get it, I can't imagine what they must think it is when they've never experienced it. If you don't understand what's going on at least have some sympathy for the people that suffer.

 

[beautifullybree]

Yes! I thought it was extremely unprofessional as well. I actually called the hospital to complain. The administrator did say he would talk to the docor, but that was after he showed lack of remorse. He actually told me"sometimes our doctors have strong opinions". I personally wasn't there for opinions..I was there for facts and help, but not opinions. I hope they do find better was of dealing with this in the future. Its not like we want to have anxiety. I hope you are able to over come your fear and get help.

 

[beautifullybree]

Sorry that happened to you' date=' a doctor should never discredit a patient's problems. Anxiety is a real illness and can be really harming if not treated correctly, so don't worry about that doctor that had no idea what he was talking about. To be frank with you, I don't blame people that don't understand anxiety because I personally don't get it, I can't imagine what they must think it is when they've never experienced it. If you don't understand what's going on at least have some sympathy for the people that suffer.[/quote']
I love the way you put that. I truly can't understand my anxiety either and I do wander what other people think about it. It makes it even harder because I want to understand. I want to get better. I'm not sure why doctors become doctors if they wish to be judgemental. I'm sure they see people with multiple personalities, and those people should be able to rely on doctors not to judge them. Our world is messed up, because people who truly need help are afraid to ask for it. Are afraid of how they might be treated. If the shun people how can they expect them to get help before it's too late.

 

[cecejailer]

People think anxiety is nothing but drama and laziness. When I tell someone I just can't go out today, because if I did I would literally die, they say it's all in my head. Yeah, of course it's all in my head. Does it make it not real? Does it make it not valid? Are my feelings not supposed to be respected because they're all in my head? I would love to be a normal person and be able to go out everyday like my friends do, but I just can't. Some days I shut down. I can't mentally deal even with life at home, let alone go outside and socialize.

 

[beautifullybree]

People think anxiety is nothing but drama and laziness. When I tell someone I just can't go out today' date=' because if I did I would literally die, they say it's all in my head. Yeah, of course it's all in my head. Does it make it not real? Does it make it not valid? Are my feelings not supposed to be respected because they're all in my head? I would love to be a normal person and be able to go out everyday like my friends do, but I just can't. Some days I shut down. I can't mentally deal even with life at home, let alone go outside and socialize.[/quote']
It bothers me when people act like that. When I first got diagnosed I didn't leave the house for months. It caused strain on my relationship, because my boyfriend didn't understand why I couldn't go get grocery's from the store. I couldn't even drive. People would hassle me to leave the house. It only made my problem worse. I felt like no one understood me and no one cared. Even to this day I find myself feeling anxious and scared to tell people I don't want to leave today.