Social Anxiety Support

RubyTuesday · 11-06-2009, 05:17 AM

One day I envisage a world where the mentally ill don't suffer from such immense isolation. Where the average person with a mental illness does not die in their fifties.

...When a person with social anxiety does not have to suffer the added burden of incredible shame and of feeling like a social leper, simply because they are genetically born hyper-aware and hyper sensitive.

...When a person with a mental illness won't suffer from the added insult and intense hardship of feeling and of being ostracized and excluded by the community around them -a modern-day leper, essentially.

...and where people understand and accept adequately, if not well, the fact that -far from warranting and being deserving of any added insult on top of the injury- that people with a mental illness did not choose to suffer (perhaps their entire life) their problem. That, much as average people who function in society and who appear "normal" are a lot less deserving of the credit for being allowed to be normal, that people who have mental illness are just as undeserving. That, generally speaking: they did not earn it; just as people who are permitted to function under the label of normal and who enjoy social inclusion, generally speaking, in this life did not earn this anywhere near so much as society would -with its taboos and its level of understanding- have all of us believe.

And lastly, it has taken me a number of years to stand up for my self as far as having a mental illness and one called "Social Anxiety".

-But having Social Anxiety is not my fault. Not only is being born, or having inherent within you, something so strong and overwhelming that it is has taken away so much of my life (and is even, officially speaking, an actual disorder) not ONE's FAULT... -but the experience of being within a world (full of so very many different sorts of people) as well as the lack of understanding in the world today about mental illnesses and about social anxiety disorder, have contributed to a sense of shame.

...And with this, a sense that having a mental illness like social anxiety disorder means that you should cower away; hide and hope that you just get better on your own so that you can rejoin the human race. That you are fundamentally inadequate and inferior for being this way.

-And I am discovering more-and-more, of late, that this is all basically a bunch of total B.S.

...In years to come, people will look back at the mentally ill and realize how very badly such people were treated in times before. And how very much for granted the average "normal" person took their ability to function in society (have a job, have friends, have a partner etc) for granted -never actually EARNING all of it anywhere so near as much as they took for granted they did.

And people without such advantages will not be shunned and viewed and treated as the (social) lepers that they are pretty much regarded as in today's world.

In short: the mentally ill, to my mind, are (one of the minority groups that are today) regarded just as black people and homosexuals and other minority groups were regarded in eras (or decades, even) before -discriminated against, is what I mean to say.

...because we ARE discriminated against.

-We are quite alone, quite isolated and misunderstood. That is certain. And on top of this, we even may suffer discrimination and ridicule.

One day, however, people like us will have more understanding ...and more help. We will not feel and be so alone, or feel so undervalued and outcast.

One day: We will have more help. Future generations will be better off, will have access to better medication and better therapy -and, more importantly perhaps, better understanding and overall acceptance.

-Hell, I just know this, if for no other reason than, because of how much I have suffered trying to be included in society.

(Hope I made sense: even if I am just speaking out loud my own thoughts!)

pixies · 11-06-2009, 05:56 AM

Well said

odd_one_out · 11-07-2009, 12:30 AM

That would make a good article. (Is there a source for the dying in their fifties?)

Neptunus · 11-07-2009, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubyTuesday

...When a person with social anxiety does not have to suffer the added burden of incredible shame and of feeling like a social leper, simply because they are genetically born hyper-aware and hyper sensitive.

Someday...

Quote:

-Hell, I just know this, if for no other reason than, because of how much I have suffered trying to be included in society.

This part made me very sad, because I know.

Good post... and very well said.

secretlyshecries · 11-07-2009, 02:34 AM

Amazing post, it's all so true.

11-06-2009, 05:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
RubyTuesday Status: Has B... a ..nNed herself Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Australia Age: 31 Posts: 4,419	Mentalism One day I envisage a world where the mentally ill don't suffer from such immense isolation. Where the average person with a mental illness does not die in their fifties. ...When a person with social anxiety does not have to suffer the added burden of incredible shame and of feeling like a social leper, simply because they are genetically born hyper-aware and hyper sensitive. ...When a person with a mental illness won't suffer from the added insult and intense hardship of feeling and of being ostracized and excluded by the community around them -a modern-day leper, essentially. ...and where people understand and accept adequately, if not well, the fact that -far from warranting and being deserving of any added insult on top of the injury- that people with a mental illness did not choose to suffer (perhaps their entire life) their problem. That, much as average people who function in society and who appear "normal" are a lot less deserving of the credit for being allowed to be normal, that people who have mental illness are just as undeserving. That, generally speaking: they did not earn it; just as people who are permitted to function under the label of normal and who enjoy social inclusion, generally speaking, in this life did not earn this anywhere near so much as society would -with its taboos and its level of understanding- have all of us believe. And lastly, it has taken me a number of years to stand up for my self as far as having a mental illness and one called "Social Anxiety". -But having Social Anxiety is not my fault. Not only is being born, or having inherent within you, something so strong and overwhelming that it is has taken away so much of my life (and is even, officially speaking, an actual disorder) not ONE's FAULT... -but the experience of being within a world (full of so very many different sorts of people) as well as the lack of understanding in the world today about mental illnesses and about social anxiety disorder, have contributed to a sense of shame. ...And with this, a sense that having a mental illness like social anxiety disorder means that you should cower away; hide and hope that you just get better on your own so that you can rejoin the human race. That you are fundamentally inadequate and inferior for being this way. -And I am discovering more-and-more, of late, that this is all basically a bunch of total B.S. ...In years to come, people will look back at the mentally ill and realize how very badly such people were treated in times before. And how very much for granted the average "normal" person took their ability to function in society (have a job, have friends, have a partner etc) for granted -never actually EARNING all of it anywhere so near as much as they took for granted they did. And people without such advantages will not be shunned and viewed and treated as the (social) lepers that they are pretty much regarded as in today's world. In short: the mentally ill, to my mind, are (one of the minority groups that are today) regarded just as black people and homosexuals and other minority groups were regarded in eras (or decades, even) before -discriminated against, is what I mean to say. ...because we ARE discriminated against. -We are quite alone, quite isolated and misunderstood. That is certain. And on top of this, we even may suffer discrimination and ridicule. One day, however, people like us will have more understanding ...and more help. We will not feel and be so alone, or feel so undervalued and outcast. One day: We will have more help. Future generations will be better off, will have access to better medication and better therapy -and, more importantly perhaps, better understanding and overall acceptance. -Hell, I just know this, if for no other reason than, because of how much I have suffered trying to be included in society. (Hope I made sense: even if I am just speaking out loud my own thoughts!) __________________

11-06-2009, 05:56 AM	#2 (permalink)
pixies Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: England, UK Gender: Male Posts: 143	Well said

11-07-2009, 12:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
odd_one_out Status: Active-but-odd Join Date: Aug 2006 Age: 32 Posts: 1,207	That would make a good article. (Is there a source for the dying in their fifties?)

11-07-2009, 02:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
secretlyshecries Status: In hiding Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Australia, hiding under a rock somewhere Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 569	Amazing post, it's all so true.