My Anxiety Peeves

{source}

I know living with a mental illness is not easy, and in my case, when you throw the stress of school, worrying about the future and having a disability it can easily become a mess. It's nothing new that mental illness is stigmatized. Gone are the days where people with things like panic disorder and anxiety disorders are shipped away to mental hospitals for life. (In fact, many of us live a fully functional life). However, the words and actions of other people can still make people with anxiety and other mental illnesses feel institutionalized by isolating them and dismissing their problems. I should know. I've been told many insensitive things by people throughout my life - and the sad part is, I don't think they know how hurtful they can be and how detrimental to my recovery it can be. So with that, here's a list of a few things said that bother me when it comes to mental disorder:

1. "You should be able to do that" 
   Unless you're Superman, I doubt you can do everything too. My things just happen to be driving and not being able to do the dishes well. But guess what? I can do a lot of other things and I can be fully independent. In fact, leaving the house is a huge accomplishment for me. It's quite offensive when you say this to me because I'm sure I can do things better than you and you can do things better than me.
2. "I have that too. Why do you act differently than me?" 
   Like no two people are the same, no two cases of anxiety are the same. Symptoms present differently in different people. Like all mental illnesses, anxiety ranges in severity and symptoms and every other aspect of it.
3. "Stop worrying"
   Jeez, you think I haven't thought of stopping this? I would if I could. Believe me. But I have anxiety disorders. I don't control it and no matter how well treated it is, there will be times that I will worry even if you think it's inappropriate to be worrying about.
4. "Be positive.." 
   I try SO hard to be positive, but sometimes there's a need to be negative. I will be positive on my own terms and I don't need the constant reminder to be. When you're disabled and have mental illnesses (or even if you are and think you're someone that can put everything wrong behind them), then you wouldn't be telling me to be positive. My brain works twice as hard to compensate and sometimes I still fail, which causes negativity.
5. "You should get professional help." 
   Really? Sometimes I like to vent on the internet or out loud when my lovely team of professionals aren't available to help me. I do get the help that I need, but it's impossible to be in constant care of a mental health professional unless I were institutionalized, which I find extremely unnecessary.
6. "Your physical symptoms aren't real." 
   Well, yes, technically they aren't and they are psychosomatic, but to me they are very real, especially at the time of a panic attack. You telling me they're fake isn't really helping me and it makes me feel more isolated at the time, when I'm crying out for help. 

The bottom line of this post: If you are saying these things to me (and I don't care who you are), you aren't helping my case. You make me feel worse and you make me feel isolated, and like I have no one to talk to. That causes me to suppress my emotions which leads to severe emotional breakdowns. Remember to speak kindly and without ignorance.