Quick Thought #3 – Emotions are Not Disorders

I was reminded of this last week, when I was tasked with doing some presentation work as part of my job. Going in to it, I had some pretty serious anxiety. It startled me a little because I used to do this kind of work without as much anxiety, but then I remembered that it’s actually been a couple of years in between, and feeling anxious isn’t necessarily out of the question when being in this situation.

Which got me thinking about anxiety in general. We hear a lot about the increase in anxiety and depression, and naturally we worry about whether the people we love are experiencing that. That’s a good thing. We should actually care about the people around us.

But, there are times when it crosses over into needless worry. Sometimes, it’s normal to feel anxiety. Just like sometimes, it’s normal to feel sadness. Neither one of those things is a mental health issue, or a disorder. When you’re about to do some public speaking, or have a difficult test coming up, feeling some level of anxiety is normal. It’s, dare I say, expected to feel that. On an anniversary like today, it’s normal to maybe feel some sadness.

Life is full of situations that cause us to feel both of those emotions, and that’s not a mental health issue. It’s being human.

Let yourself be human. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But, while you’re allowing yourself to actually feel without going into needless panic, remember that even if there is a normal reason to feel anxiety and sadness, ain’t nothing wrong with asking for support. We all need it. We all should be willing to provide it.

And, if you can’t shake it, and it moves past the level of normal response, seek out help. Don’t be ashamed of it. You are not alone in that.

See also, another view –

The Big Myth About Teenage Anxiety