Trigger warning: this article discusses anxiety and anxiety disorders.
For something that has been so common among individuals, anxiety is still misunderstood. There are many misconceptions and myths regarding anxiety disorders, how they look like, how they feel like, as well as how to treat an anxiety disorder. The popularity of anxiety navigated through the use of social media. While many have been so vocal about it, many tend to be unaware of the basis of it.
Living with An Anxiety Disorder Can Be Difficult
Many trivialize and minimize the impacts of an anxiety disorder. For example, how often do you catch yourself or hear others say, “I cannot have a messy surrounding. I am so OCD about my things” or “I have to wash my hands. I am so OCD!” These misconceptions about OCD grew from the misunderstanding of what OCD really is and all its possible symptoms and subtypes. Such people may not suffer from OCD exactly but may suffer from different anxieties. Some individuals with OCD suffer on a daily, while some are paralyzed by their intrusive thoughts.
Lack of Understanding Towards Social Anxiety
Some individuals living with anxiety disorders may convince themselves that they are living with a life threatening “disease”, although those living with generalized anxiety disorder or OCD may experience a repetition of intrusive thoughts about their phobias and fears coming to reality.
While others living with social anxiety fear rejection and humiliation, which could be by making eye contact, waiting for a friend alone, approaching someone, or being in a crowd of people they are not familiar with. People with social anxiety tend to have easy triggers which could be as simple as someone saying hello to them. While having such negative thoughts, they may assume something much bigger than what the reality is in front of them.
Such disorders can lead to personal depreciation and not being understood by others or the public. For instance, someone would tell you “you will be fine. They will not bite you. Just get over it” when meeting a new person or when feeling worried about the situation. This lack of understanding from others leads the person into thinking that something is wrong with them and start questioning why they feel this way.
Alongside, such kinds of disorders are being commonly misunderstood by many and being thrown so nonchalantly as though everyone experiences extreme social anxiety. When thinking of this anxiety disorder in particular, it does not mean a person saying, “I am so socially awkward” or “I cannot even say hi to them” and proceeding to be the biggest extrovert in the room. Social anxieties do affect different people in different ways. However, you cannot justify having a disorder when you do not even deeply understand how it feels like.
Anxiety Can Be Treated Quickly
Anxiety disorders are not as easy to treat as others may think. They are one of the most treatable disorders yet from the most difficult. Studies have shown that not many people get treatment for anxiety disorder as they do not feel the need to. Some people may they have a misconception that if they are not feeling it physically, then they do not feel the need to treat it and eventually just cope around it.
On the other hand, some may think that there is no need to get treatment as they may think that it is just a phase and will go away and may even think that everyone else goes through it. Those who do not allow themselves to believe that there is something wrong with them tend to experience avoidance that can develop into other disorders (physically or emotionally). However, not treating or taking care of yourself when feeling anxious can lead into many more disorders that you may not be able to control or cope around.
Even if it is a slight feeling of tension, everyone should be well aware of each emotion they feel in order to do something about it, whether it is to get treatment therapy, practicing mindfulness, or even just being comfortable enough to be vocal about it. This will to understand and target each emotion or feeling that you are experiencing, especially given that anxiety can also affect you physically if you are not aware of what these emotions are.