Raising Awareness for Anxiety

Awareness for mental illnesses is becoming a bigger issue as time passes. We have many people around us that are suffering from mental illnesses that we do not know of. Anxiety is one of them and it is believed that cases, where people suffer from it, are increasing. Everybody should be aware of what anxiety is and try to understand why it is important to raise awareness for this matter. If we do so, people will judge them less, and, actually, try to help them feel good in our society.

Just like any other person with a mental illness, people with anxiety suffer not only from it but also, from the stigma that is raised around. If people do not know what anxiety does to a person's mind and how these people suffer from it in their everyday life, then they will not try to help. They will only judge them from the outside. Never knowing how it actually feels to be in their shoes. Many of them will say that they are overreacting when addressing the issue.

This will only make the matter worse. Due to the fear of being judged, they will not ask for help and treatment, and therefore, the situation will aggravate.

During teen years, parents most times will overlook their children's problems thinking that they are only acting up, because "that is how teens nowadays behave like". Even when their kids try to seek help and explain what is going on in their mind, due to the lack of information or misinformation they will not take them seriously. Left untreated, anxiety will interfere with their social lives, performances in school and even lead to depression.

Many others want to help, but because they do not have enough information, they do not know how to do so. Lack of information comes from lack of education. Learning more about anxiety can make us more helpful to those around us that have this condition. They will be accepted in the society for who they are as a person, rather than seen, only, as someone with anxiety. Thus, the number seeking treatment will increase.

Moreover, people, often, do not seek help and treatment on early stages because they do not understand that the ongoing stress and the frequent panic when taking an action, or for their life in general, are actually related to the anxiety disorders. Some may not know there are people who can help you overcome this condition. Educating kids, teenagers and adults could prevent worsening their mental health.

On the contrary, some believe being vocal about anxiety could only worsen the situation, seeing it is a type of promotion. Constantly talking about it may make the disorders seem as normal mental states. Hence, the number of people, who suffer from these disorders, will increase. Or they will only think they do.

In addition, some of the awareness can be bad awareness if it gives people perceptions about anxiety that are not accurate. It can misinform people and the counteraction to it, sometimes, can be harder.

Our mind might, sometimes, take control over us and our thoughts, therefore intervening with our lives in a bad way. Anxiety can do harm in someone's life just as much as any physical illness can. Maybe it affects in different ways, however, it is not right for people to see those, who suffer from anxiety, as their illnesses and judge them for it as if it was their fault; as if they did that to themselves on purpose. It is important that we are aware of where this comes from and how can we improve the social conditions for these people or where we, as a society, play role in it. Encouraging them to seek help and treatment does not benefit only them, their families or friends; but the society as a whole. A healthy population means a happy population. Workers and students will be more productive, leading to economic growth. Raising awareness might have a slightly little chance to bad outcomes, but doesn't everything around us have that risk?

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