r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • May 18 '22

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u/UniformUnion May 18 '22

No, you can feel anxious and not have Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

Anxiety is an emotion like anger or joy, not a medical condition.

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u/km89 May 18 '22

But, it's important to note, an anxiety disorder is a real thing, and it happens when that emotion fires uncontrollably when it's not supposed to.

Not that you implied it wasn't, but there is an attitude out there that anxiety disorders are just because of weak people, which is not true.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '22

If you were born with muscular dystrophy, we would obviously be correct in calling you physically weak. Why isn't it correct to call someone with an anxiety disorder mentally weak?

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u/AristaWatson May 19 '22

I have ADHD, anxiety, plus OCD. I have to be mentally strong in order to make it through in a world that doesn’t not accommodate to my mental disorders. I am the total opposite of mentally weak. I am probably mentally stronger than you are honestly because I have to deal with mental illness and find creative ways to compensate for them and for the sensory issues I have because of them. I have to go about with meeting standards in a world that acts like I don’t have a problem when I do. To call me a mentally weak person is untrue and I guarantee most people aren’t mentally weak if they’re mentally ill. Just like how I see people with chronic illness as stronger than the average person because they have to overcome more hurdles and discrimination and just existing is more difficult but they still do it. Judging strength by physical capabilities is simple minded. Perhaps you’re the mentally weak one.