Are people unaccepting of mental disabilities, such as GAD or panic disorder?
Do you find that people, especially at work, are unaccepting and have trouble understanding that mental disorders (such as GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) or panic disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain) are TRUE disabilities?
To gurlygirl20000: You do need to check the Federal regulations and see this is not just “trying to be PC” but it is considered a real disability and one that deserves job accomodations, such as possibly different breaks because of medication making you drowsy, changing hours or allowing work-from-home due to mental disability, and other things like that. It is more serious than just trying to be PC….it’s real and I was asking a serious question.
Tagged with: disabilities • Disorder • mental • Panic • people • such • unaccepting
Filed under: Panic Disorder
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every one these days has something. I think it is almost expected
I think it’s hard to accept it because people do have anxiety, it’s a natural feeling. Some of these disorders so to speak aren’t really disabilities they are like an exaggerated version of a normal characteristic.
Hot_tamale’s right, for some reason we seem to want to categorize everyone these days and I think that’s why we come up with new disorders and such.
Not to mention I think this is an overly exaggerated attempt to be PC about disabilities.
Only if they have personal experience.
Sad but true
Most people dislike mental health persons.
Even today you came across people not accepting of any disability. I have not heard of these ones but I think you could study a new disability every week for the next 4 years.
Then people confess one with another disability or they met one person with this disability and think the next person they met with the same disability would be the same.
Today we find even milder disability and 5 children who would have been diagnosed with the same disability when I was 3 could all have 5 totally different disabilities
I agree many people with mental health and or psychological disorders do indeed have problems with acceptance from co-workers and others in society . Especially those who are unaware of such disorders and think it’s being made up to seek attention or get out of work. I’ve worked with people who have had panic disorders and GAD and their symptoms are very real and very scary not only for them but for those who have interacted with them.
Living with a mental disability is considered a permanent disease. I have it. I have PSTD from being a victim of domestic violence. It can be misleading cuz I tried to sue my previous employer for my disability which you don’t have to tell anyone cuz its confidential. I get vertigo from my disease so I have to put down another illness so I did. I lost my case. They claim I didn’t use the proper word. A person with a mental disease cannot know that so I lost. All because I didn’t put down on paper during my Interview that I need to sit when I get any type of vertigo effect. Even if I had other hard evidence that protect my case or disability. I just lost. I agree people don’t and will never understand. Its not us nor our imbalance that makes us not understand that they mean no harm nor are they really picking on our disability. I do have good and bad days with my panic. No one can help me nor any meds. Its here for life. This is why I come here to read other posts and ask too many dumb questions which is part of our disease. You do what makes you feel safe. If its to vent than do it. If its to cry than do it. One day we may surprise ourselves and it will be gone forever. Good luck and be safe. I care. I understand. I live in it. We are twins. We have the bond. Just smile. Even if you cannot. My son commented to me one day and said, “Just hope that tomorrow will be a better day than it is right now” even if you know it isn’t just pretend.”
yes society has an awful habit of being unaccepting of anyone who is disabled or “different”
I am not allowed to work because my brain doesn’t do certain things properly and yet i went to a mainstream school and i am actually intelligent I can eloquently put words together without really having to think about it
I live in Scotland unfortunately
I’m sad to say it’s an international problem with any and all illneses, mental or physical. People are just uneasy around those who are different, unless they have direct experience. The friends I have had over the years, were always drawn to me because they know someone with the same disability.
Mental disabilities are not inclusive, I have very real, well known physical illnesses yet I still comfont the exact same attitudes.
Personally, I don’t really see it as being anyone’s business. If it doesn’t affect them, doesn’t affect my work, then it has nothing to do with them.
Unfortunately, I have lied in order to secure a job and have enough to eat. It’s sad, and I don’t justify it, but I have done it. What’s even sadder, is that I had to do it in the first place.
In a perfect world, my friend, there would be no discrimination.
If you and I live to see such a perfect world, champagne on me ;)
I don’t trust Doctors and Psychiatrists, they think they can Cure everybody but Reality is Some People can’t be Cured so society needs to Give Up their Biases and Accept People for who they are.
People fear what they don’t understand, i get payed from the gov, for having PD, AD, and depression, in fact its much easier to get ssi or ssdi for a mental, than a physical disorder, Why? because mental disorders are far more disabling than a physical one, you can make accommodations at work for physical, but how do you make accommodations for a chemical imbalance?? The Fed Government knows that.
They are true disabilities, but people have been known to fake them since it is hard to disprove. Maybe that is why some people are skeptical.
People tend to brush them off as false because they aren’t visible, and usually the people with such attitudes haven’t dealt with the consequences of the disorders. I have dysthymia, and I’ve been treated for around 13 years so far. As long as things work out fine, I’m fine, but at work they’ve seen how difficult it can be for me if I forget my medication, for example. They’re the absolute best when those rare moments occur.
Other than that, though, I don’t honestly consider it a disability. It’s listed as one, but in my case it only rears its head if something isn’t right biologically (maybe I didn’t eat enough, which is rare, or maybe I forgot my medication.)
As for people fearing what they don’t understand and trying to categorize, that’s the way the human brain works. Humans fear new things because back on the savanna, a difference could have equaled an enemy group of humans. We have to categorize to understand our world.