Hey Pandas, What Mental Health Problem Do You Have That You Wish You Could Raise More Awareness About? (Closed)

Misophonia.
eating with people is hell and i can't even say anything without coming across as rude. a girl eats a cracker three seats away from me and i feel lik throwing up. I eat with my family and i want to cry because my brother is eating with his mouth open making a lot of noise on purpose. My mother is helping me proofread my paper and I can't concentrate because she is drinking coffee. I can hardly even stand the sound of my own chewing. it is awful.

Being transgender is not a mental health problem, but it can lead to mental health problems, especially when people refuse to accept a trangendered persons identity/gender/pronouns.

Mental health problems are often to a large degree self inflicted, and we need to work on ourselves to deal with them. However when people do not accept transgender people, the cause for a lot of the mental health is external. A transgender person cannot help that, it takes the ignorant and the abusive to learn to treat people with respect. Unfortunately, for those who simplistically think sex and gender are the same, that your genitals ultimately determine who you are, not your mind, your identity, your personality, they see nothing "wrong" with their thinking and continue, knowingly or not, to bully, abuse, harass and CAUSE the mental health problems of transgender people.

Clinical depression. I was diagnosed as a pre-teen and it runs in my family. I know a lot of people suffer from depression due to circumstances but those are often the same people that fail to realize the limitations/severity that come with clinical depression. If you've ever struggled to take a shower, brush your teeth, eat or just get out of bed I want you to know that I see you.

Hi ADHD is not just hyper or attention problems it legit sucks a*s sometimes and makes me want to cry on occasion thank you goodbye

also adderall is a b***h bc you get used to being functional and when the supply chain is f****d up you have PROBLEMS and also adderall + ADHD + caffine does not work for me and that just happened so my brain is going zoom

People think an anxiety attack is like a panic attack where you're all jumpy and nervous but it's all in the mind and so the person is actually quiet and fighting their mind.

I have paranoia that has been caused by severe anxiety, both GAD and social anxiety. It's not the only mental illness I have but I feel like many people just categorise it under "anxiety" when it can sometimes be very different. Paranoia is not just trusting people, its when you think that others are actively trying to hurt or deceive you and it can be seen in many different forms for different people. It can range from just a general distrust and suspicion, to always being defensive or aggressive, to believing in unfounded conspiracy theories. For me, I find it very difficult to build and maintain relationships and I am always suspicious of my friends so that makes it very difficult for me to share stuff with them. I hate it when people ask me personal questions and I usually get angry when they don't accept me not wanting to answer. I change my passwords to all websites regularly, usually at least once a month, and I have multiple email addresses for different website accounts. My paranoia also makes it very difficult for me to share things with my family or my therapist which makes it difficult for me to get help as I am afraid of what they might do with the stuff that I tell them. I constantly feel like I am being followed and watched and I used to have delusions of seeing random eyes wherever I went (but thankfully I am getting help that is slowly managing and fixing this). This led to me staying home and avoiding communicating with anyone which worsened my depression. (Just reminding that this is how it manifests in me, it is a different experience for everyone with paranoia.)

If someone you know has paranoia or paranoid delusions, do some research on how you can help them. This can include (for me, it differs with each person what works for them) always being brutally honest, being kind and understanding and patient when I may stop contacting you for periods of time, learning more about the disorder, making strategies so I feel safe and lastly please ask me how I feel and what they can do. Even though I probably won't be honest, it makes me feel a little bit better and more validated.

Sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to educate. There is many other things that I can't explain because I don't have the words, but I just want people to understand that anxiety and paranoia are not the same and having one does not mean you have the other. Also, please don't treat us like we are crazy freaks that always have 20 locks on our doors and are violent conspiracy theorists. Fiction always takes the worst parts of a mental illness and turns it into something worse. We are still people who have feelings.

So technically more of a mental disorder, but ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder. First of all, stop calling it Asperger’s syndrome, Asperg was a Nazi doctor who did horrid experiments. Second of all, stop with the puzzle piece, use the golden or rainbow infinity symbol instead. Third it is not a linear spectrum, but more of a pie chart of sorts. Fourth of all, if anything has the words Autism Speaks on it, don’t support it, they are a vile and disgusting organization. Fifth of all, we are not all the same and we all have our own needs that differ from each other. There is so much more I can say on the topic but those are the basics. I would also encourage you to do your own research and ask other people with Autism about it if they are comfortable.

All of them.

...Adhd...
It's like bees in my head, I do something, but they say, nah bro let's go play with the cat. Then I for some reason listen to them. It's made learning hard for me, and I can't control it. I'm not sure why. I've taken the medication for a bit now, and it's gotten a bit better.
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I feel like there's something off that I don't know, or like I'm being judged by everyone, that everyone hates me, I'm a terrible person, and that I'm so useless and stupid that I'm a waste of air to the world. I sometimes get these weird swings a few times a week, and I just feel like a blob of sad patheticness. I feel pathetic because my only job is to learn, my parents have my entire education planned, and I'm just a waste of their time because even with the help, I fail so hard and badly. It's like being a fish in the perfect pond but doesn't know how to swim. I wonder if my future is worth living through, and even if I did, would I do anything with it? Or sometimes I feel nothing. Just blank. I still cry, but I don't feel anything with the cry.just blank. It's like cold rage but no rage. I'm not sure what this is. I'm confused. Anyone know or have any ideas?

Writing this is kind of hard, as this is the first time I've posted, let alone be about my issues... I'm sorry if this was long.

OCD. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it is so much more than wanting things tidy or turning the lights on and off 16 times. As a matter of fact, OCD has very little do with wanting things clean. It is intrusive thoughts that you obsess over so much that you tick/create rituals (like flipping the lights on and off) in order combat these thoughts. The ticks or rituals are almost like you are creating your own "superstition" to deal with the obsession or hyper-fixation. My OCD is anxiety driven so when I am anxious, I may tick or start to have an episode of obsession.

For instance, if I am having an episode, a coworker can walk by and say "Hi," and my brain will think something is weird about that "Hi" and immediately start obsessing over what I could have done, I will go back and read every email I sent her, I will start replaying every conversation I have had with her, etc. I will not sleep for days trying to figure out why that particular "hi" was off and what I could do. Then, if the next time she walks by and says hi to me and it isn't weird to my brain, I will try to keep things exactly the way they are at that moment in time so she won't be weird to me any more - that is why there is always a blue notebook in the upper left corner of my desk.

Yeah, medication helps, but sometimes the thoughts get through.

To anyone going through something right now:
I feel you. It's hard. I know. It's scary sometimes, or sad.ive been there. Keep going
. It's scary and can be sad, but keep going. I'm rooting for you. Stay determined. You got this.
-Biusness Shark

Extreme phobia. I have a extreme case of needle phobia. Some day there may come a situation where i have to choose between needles(bloodwork, dialysis etc.) or dying and for me its an easy choice as I've had time to process it but for the people around me it will seem unbelievable that i will choose death. For me it isn't a choice any more than for the average person it would be to step off a high building.
I am in therapy for this but do not see it helping enough to chainage the end result

I have severe anxiety. I wish people would realize how hard and unpredictable it can be. Last week I had a panic attack Becuase I had 7 pages of notes due, 3 worksheets and had to ask for a new eraser. I didn’t finish any of my work becuase I was crying in the bathroom. My friend made fun of me and told me it’s not that hard to just do your work stop being a wimp. We are obvi no longer friends. I’ve had panic attacks at the possibility of doing something wrong, or realizing I might forget to do something tommorow. It sounds stupid but you have to understand it’s a really hard and unpredictable disorder

A panic disorder; everyone's experience is different, but I can speak to my own.

Sometimes I can go from fine one moment to mentally overwhelmed and hyperventilating the next without knowing the trigger. I try my best to excuse myself if I feel one coming on, because it can be messy. It feels horrible, but it always passes. I just need that time to let it run its course. Afterwards for an hour or two it's pretty hard to concentrate. I've had to learn what I can do ("mental hacks") in order to reduce the time and disruption they have to my life. Things like sitting near a window, keeping my cane with me if I'm particularly anxious, having something really sour like an airhead to eat, etc.

I am a researcher so depending on the timing, I could have ample time alone, be highly alert out in the forest, or be communicating with people. Thankfully in the latter two cases, adrenaline seems to push them off a bit?

A lot of people assume that it's something people do for attention; as someone who has to go out of their way to conceal it from others I can assure that it is a legitimate thing. I really hope that diverse mental health topics continue to make their way into mainstream conversation. I am just as capable as my colleagues, and just as others may have their means of managing migraines or other health concerns, this is mine.

Suic!dal thoughts...

No one ever talks about them, but most people have them from time to time. In schools we NEED to have more tools to help with anxiety, depression, mild autism, and so much more. I have a 504 plan to help with my anxiety, but they can't just give these out to everyone, so there needs to be more tools to help cope with all of this. And for once can schools actually get a qualified and good counselor/therapist that kids feel comfortable talking to? We need more than just health classes, but mental health classes because not everyone can afford therapy/counseling. Suic!dal thoughts are a huge part of anxiety and depression and more tools in schools can cause school to be less stressful and prevent these thoughts. Thank you for reading because this is a very important topic that is never discussed and needs to be. Thank you.

Borderline Personality Disorder. It does not always go with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. They are two separate things. Yes, some people have both, but they are not the same thing. Please stop stigmatizing BPD and automatically assuming the BPD person is a narcissist. People with just BPD actually care a lot, sometimes too much, about other people. I'm afraid to tell people I've been diagnosed with it for fear of them leaving me because that has happened before. I know we can be very scary when we're angry, but can be VERY difficult to control. I'm not trying to justify our behavior, just trying to shed some light in it. We are VERY black and white thinkers and tend to take things to the extreme. Therapy is really the only treatment for it and it takes a LONG time. If you know we're actively working on ourselves, PLEASE be patient with us and PLEASE don't leave us. We need support, we need reassurance that you care about us. We need to hear you say it. I'm not saying that if a BPD person is being abusive to just put up with it. If ANYONE is being abusive, cut them out of your life, especially if they don't own up to their shítty behavior. Just stop stigmatizing BPD. Sorry this is so long, I just need people to be aware of exactly what this is.

Arthritis. I have arthritis in my spine which (obviously) causes a lot of pain, not just in my back, it also affects most joints in my legs. Because I currently can work, I do and my employers are very good at adapting my role so I can continue working (eg when I need to clean on low surfaces I use a mop or broom instead of kneeling on the floor, generally things like this so while it may not be done as well as should be, it's still done). I used to love going out doing long walks, going to a gym etc. I now can't do this because of the pain. I do yoga stretches, but the teacher and I have adapted them to the level I can do. I can't - or won't - have a dog because there's sometimes days/weeks when the pain is bad and I can't walk far so I feel it would be unfair to the animal.When my pain is worse I do park in a disabled space - and I've had customers film me leaving work and getting into my car but not said one word to me. I think their 'slogan' is arthritis doesn't kill, but can end your life. For me that says it all/

Pediatric Bipolar disorder. Kids can have mental health issues too!

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). A long-term condition that causes an individual to feel anxious about a wide range of situations and issues, rather than a specific event. People with GAD feel anxious most days and often struggle to remember the last time they felt relaxed.

I was diagnosed with GAD as a post-covid complication and now it's been more than a year that I'm dealing with this. Different people have different opinion, and none seem to help. The thing with it is that I have a chaotic mind and there's so much going on at a time. I suffered a panic attack due to this and I'm on medication since.

I cannot stress enough how this hampers my daily life. People think I'm lazy. The medicines make me feel sleepy and drowsy. It messes with my mind. I'm trying my best to come out of this.

Bi polar disorder...
Growing up a lot of people would claim to be bi polar like it was cool. Up and down all day every day is not cool.