Anxiety

Anxiety is characterized by feelings of worry or fear strong enough to interfere with daily activities. It can lead to out of proportion stress, restlessness, panic attacks, nausea, racing and unwanted thoughts, or trembling.

How does it [anxiety] affect your day to day life?

“I have to wake up and take a medication in the morning and then I have to make sure that I’m staying calm throughout the day, that way I don’t start having panic attacks.” (Eliza Lowman, Sophomore at NAI)

“It’s hard for me to get out of bed, which is a major thing that affects my schoolwork. It’s just hard to live.” (Ashlynn Harrison, Sophomore at NAI)

How does it make you feel when you hear someone self diagnose themselves or use what you have in the wrong context? Do you feel like that demeans you having it or makes it less serious?

“Extremely frustrated, because it’s not something that can be handled lightly and something that people need to learn more about, but it’s also a very sensitive subject to some people who don’t want to be open about it. So when people go around self-diagnosing themselves, I think it’s absurd and selfish in the way that people do it for attention.” (When asked follow-up question) Not to myself, but I think to others because anxiety and depression are two big ones that people self diagnose themselves with, so I’ve talked about it before and people are like, ‘Oh yeah I’m sure you do [have it]’ but I’m like ‘No, no, I do.’” (Eliza Lowman, Sophomore at NAI)

“It makes me extremely angry because there are people who are suffering that don’t have enough knowledge to know that they can go to someone or that there are therapy and medications. There isn’t enough awareness so when someone diagnoses themselves with something and they don’t understand it, it’s insulting and ignorant. (When asked follow-up question) Yes, definitely. They don’t want to understand the diagnosis and they just throw it around. It takes away how much people suffer from illnesses.” (Ashlynn Harrison, Sophomore at NAI)

It seems as if some people think of mental illnesses as a “trend”. What is your personal opinion on this? 

“I hate that it’s a ‘trend’. I don’t like that at all, I think it’s serious and if it were to be a ‘trend’ it should be a trend to show that every day people aren’t these ‘wackjobs’, which is a way some people view it; like ‘Oh only crazy people ever have mental illnesses like that.’ That’s the only trend that should be happening.” (Eliza Lowman, Sophomore at NAI)

“I do think people are making it a ‘trend’. I remember in 7th-grade people said ‘Oh my depression is so bad today’ or ‘I’m going to kill myself’. It’s disgusting.” (Ashlynn Harrison, Sophomore at NAI) 

Are you less willing to open up about it now?

“I’m actually more open, especially with realizing that every day people have it. I used to be really concerned about people knowing but I had to get a ride in an ambulance because of a panic attack I had last year and I was out of school for a week so stuff like that, I’m very open to talking about because I think it’s something that such a taboo subject and it shouldn’t be.” (Eliza Lowman, Sophomore at NAI)

“I don’t think so, but I think people don’t understand it as much as it would be beneficial. It takes away how much it affects people.” (Ashlynn Harrison, Sophomore at NAI)