Don't Tell Her This Isn't Real

He quickly dismissed the idea of an anxiety disorder being real with one big blanket statement to the group gathered at the table. The mother, at a nearby table, overheard his remark and wanted so much to say something but couldn't.

She wanted to tell him how real the panic attacks are.
She wanted to tell him how manic the text messages can be when her daughter is in crisis.
She wanted to tell him about the sobs and tears expressed about never being good enough or understanding what needed to be understood.
She wanted to tell him about the periods of faintness and nausea that sometimes arrive with an anxiety induced episode.
She wanted to ask him if he knew what it felt like not to be able to catch your breath in public places.

She wanted to tell him all this and more but couldn't.

As she shares her story with me, I become frustrated. I am frustrated for the mom. I am frustrated that just because someone doesn't have experience with a disorder, that they can write it off as not being real. The logic doesn't fit.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, "one if 5 adults experience a mental health condition every hear. One in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition every year. One in 17 lives with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. In addition to a person's directly experiencing a mental illness, family, friends and communities are also affected. Half of mental health conditions begin by age 14, and 75% of mental health conditions develop by age 24."

I sit with her and assure her that I believe her story and her daughter's story. She seems a little relieved.
She needs much more than that ephemeral relief from me. Mom to mom, we are all doing the best we can.

Human to human, she deserved so much more from that gentleman than his blatant dismissal.

Superman (It's Not Easy) - Five For Fighting

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More about mental health conditions can be found at: https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions

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