Anxiety Disorder And Stigma Revolving Around It

An increase in anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and substance abuse disorder in young people has been noticed by many and this led to great concern as the situation is expected to become dire in the near future. Not only are the numbers increasing, but stigma is also revolving around the issue making those with mental illness refrain from seeking help, especially in the case of anxiety disorder as 7.3% of the world’s population has it and it is one of the most common mental illnesses. Attention has recently turned to finding ways for stigma to be reduced. So far, raising awareness of the rising numbers and the misconceptions are mostly what is going on with programmes working alongside the sufferers, providing treatment. However, I believe that simply spreading information would not be sufficient as most who know of the situation believe someone else would come and solve the problem for them.The concerning news of the health of young people in NSW have reached many as they hear that mental illness is on an increase. Focusing on anxiety disorder, as it is one of the largest group of mental disorders in most western societies. There is stigma revolving around anxiety disorder as some people believe it to be an excuse used by the weak when under stress. This conclusion is made, not knowing the panic attacks and the feeling of impending doom those with anxiety disorder face almost every day. It must be prevented, but should someone be diagnosed with it, treatment can be provided. What should be done so that anxiety disorder and stigma about it can be reduced soon?

25% of 13-18 year olds have anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is not the same as the nervousness one might feel before a test. Anxiety disorder is on a daily basis, feeling restless, irritable, nauseous and fearful. Unwanted thoughts might suddenly race through and nights might be long as they possibly suffer from insomnia. It can cause suicide if severe. To prevent this, exercising, eating well, avoiding unhealthy substances, mediation and keeping a journal would be great strategies to prevent anxiety disorder. The rise in mental illnesses are greatly due to studying and family issues such as reduced parental contact, and increased parental pressure. The three top stressors for teenagers have been shown to be coping with stress, school, study problems and depression. While taking care to prevent the disorder, if someone is diagnosed with anxiety disorder, many different types of treatments are available to help, each with their own specialties. There are cognitive behavioral talk therapies for modifying negative thoughts, behaviors and emotional responses associated with psychological distress. Meditation is also done to provide relaxation and improve mental health. A complete new method would be anxiolytic which is a drug used to relieve anxiety and tension. It may promote sleep too.

Sedatives are another choice for drowsiness, calmness and dulled senses, although there are a few addictive types. If someone has pain from damaged nerves, then nerve pain medication could be used. There is a great range of treatments to choose from. However, only curing and reducing numbers of people with anxiety disorder is not enough. The stigma revolving around mental illnesses in general has to be stopped. Stigma occurs when there are negative opinions, judgments or stereotypes about anyone with mental illnesses, such as thinking they are dangerous or crazy or incompetent rather than unwell. It can lead to those with mental illness to be discriminated and miss out on work or housing. It can also lead to someone being bullied or become victim to violence.

There are some who believe anxiety disorder is an excuse for the weak who are also trying to seek attention in the process, calling it a disorder. These misunderstandings usually happen because they have not experienced the illness and do not understand the difference between normal stress and a disorder. There have been many cases when misconceptions about a person were. One of the many cases in Australia was about a man who had people trying to make stereotyped facts fit into his personality and life. They started wondering if he was in debt, even though this was a man who avoided loans and lived in an average family. Later, they learnt of his wife and her good job. That was when everything clicked into place for everyone. They assumed that his wife made all the money in the family and he was simply lazing in her success, when in truth, he learnt more than his wife did and they were equally successful in their careers. These misconceptions were really hurtful and slowly chipped away at his self-worth and confidence. This is happening to almost a quarter of young people aged 15 to 19, or to be precise, 22.8%. Five years ago, it was only 18.7%.

I believe positive intergroup contact and disclosure of mental health problems is needed for people in all regions, countries and societies. Reducing risk factors is important for preventive interventions. It would not be possible to provide care and support for those with mental illness without public services. Help from the public would be needed to support those who are mentally ill. Starting at a young age, children should attend a compulsory course, guiding their way in life to help prevent mental illnesses in the future. Parents should also be instructed to keep family matters away from the child and lessen pressure on them. A law should also be made about limiting children’ use of devices under the age of 15 to help prevent cyber bullying which has led to a great amount of mental illnesses.

Anxiety disorder is on the rise as problems at home, uses of devices and the pressure of study on students gets worsened. I believe focusing on reducing risk facts is very important and actions can be taken by providing a compulsory course for children to take at a young age to guide them in taking the right path. Parents should also be advised to keep family matters away from children and lessen the pressure. Problems with devices can be solved by having a law about limiting usage of devices by under 15s. Attention must be given to promote the truth about mental illnesses to battle stigma. All it takes is for one person to take action, before the others follow.