363 - 369 Perspectives

One individual can be impacted by one situation that differs from that of one other person.  Mentally, this impact can be negatively intoxicating and overwhelming, though externally, a stranger wouldn’t even know anything was wrong.  Mental health is an issue that is difficult to discover in a friend, neighbor, or colleague, because it mainly regards the internal.  How, then, can any awareness be made? How can society help the mentally ill? Questions such as these arose in my mind when I began my own battle with the mental disorder of post-traumatic stress disorder, which relates to other mental anxiety disorders such as depression and panic disorder. In my experience, I have found that by better understanding certain mental anxiety disorders, awareness can be made to act on improvements of mental health.

            Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that the Mental Health Association of Canada defines as being “characterized by reliving a psychologically traumatic situation, long after any physical danger involved has passed, through flashbacks and nightmares” (2012, para. 8). PTSD is one of the most common anxiety disorders, and can affect people of all ages. You don’t take over PTSD, PTSD takes over you. Since PTSD most commonly arises when one has been faced with a near-death, or death, experience of themselves or others, it is quite clear as to why one would be scarred by such anxiety. These initiating events can cause PTSD symptoms within weeks or years of the event, and this disorder generally deals with 3 groups of symptoms (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2012, para. 6, 7). The first category involves re-living the incident in a variety of ways, either through nightmares, flashbacks, or situations that relate to the experience (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2012, para. 7). The second group is that of emotional stillness and avoidance of anything that has to do with the scenario, where a disinterest or fear towards everyday activities that were once enjoyable and normal arises (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2012, para. 7). The last and most severe of the groups is a major re-experience of the event that can last for an extended period of time, causing the victim to have extreme alertness and a change in sleeping pattern (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2012, para. 8). While the severity and strength of each kind of symptom does vary between each person, the reality of mental anxiety disorders clearly affects one’s life in a negative way, no matter the severity.

            I have personally been affected by all the symptoms PTSD has to offer. Three years ago, I was involved in a major car accident. It was quite simply the most horrifying event of my life, and occurred at the worst time possible. I had gotten my license three days before the accident, and had literally just picked up my new car to own it for five minutes before slipping on a patch of frozen rain. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I almost hit a woman in the other lane, and to avoid this collision I turned my wheel to fly into a very steep ditch. My car was totally flipped over, crushing me. This car crash should have, according to multiple police officers and paramedics, killed me. The symptoms of PTSD enveloped me instantly. I became emotionally unavailable to my family and best friends, I constantly had flashbacks to the accident, and whenever I had to drive I became intensely panicked and paranoid. One of the worst parts of this experience, though, was that hardly anyone knew that something had even happened to me, let alone it was an event that gave me an anxiety disorder. I am quite a meek person, and to speak about this personal issue was not in the cards while in high school. Mental health is completely invisible if you don’t know what to look for, and unfortunately only those who I trusted most even knew I had been in an accident. However, I have gained the most information on mental illness by being affected by it personally. I hope to gain a deeper knowledge of other disorders, and because of this I believe it is something everyone should strive to educate him or herself in.

            Regarding anxiety disorders of mental illness, knowledge is power.  Knowing what to look for when a friend or family member seems ‘off’ can help them incredibly, and can even save them from a lifetime of mental illness. Since my accident, the only way my symptoms have improved have been by my family and friends giving me their time to talk about my situation, reminding and comforting me of the joys life has to offer, and ultimately just being there when I need a shoulder to lean on. When first struggling with PTSD, the most incredible question someone could ask me was if something was wrong. Genuinely wanting to hear about someone’s day, genuinely wanting to know what is wrong, or genuinely wanting to give real help to someone who may seem ‘off’ is a foundational place to begin in curing mental health illnesses.

In university, we often get so entwined in our studies and the stresses they bring. When you go home to your family or best friend, how good does it feel to just sit down and vent about school? That prof you hate? That test you failed? Verbally addressing these issues takes a majority of the weight off, and the same goes for mental anxiety illnesses. Talking about an experience can make it seem not as bad as when built up in one’s mind, and to be that shoulder to lean on is an incredibly kind and powerful position to hold. The Canadian Mental Health Association states that 1 out 10 people suffers from PTSD alone (2012, para. 2), so someone you know is most likely affected by this disorder. By being the person to come into someone’s shadow, you can help to pull them into the light.

The ultimate form of dismissing mental anxiety illness, however, is a step that has to be taken by the victim. Truly recognizing in your heart of hearts that you are depressed, emotionless, or paranoid, is a difficult yet monumental step in ridding the disorder. So many good people have bad things happen to them, but I have learnt that no one can really change anything except for taking action themselves. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a direct approach that any victim can take. Exposure therapy is common in this, where the victim is literally faced with their fear to overcome its baggage. Also, by addressing the issue verbally, the victim can develop a sense of reassurance. The scenario happened in the past, it is not happening now, so why be worried about it? This is a mindset that can aid those who have come to terms with their condition, and by allowing oneself to speak openly of the pain the scenario has brought, a clear mind can begin to unfold.

Whether professional therapy is pursued or speaking openly about the event is addressed, the victim of any mental anxiety disorder will be freed from the chains their mind holds on them. Life is beautiful, it is joyful, and it is not meant to be ruled by fear. In educating oneself on different types of mental anxiety disorders and their treatments, peace of mind and a freedom of self are very possible for the victim at hand. Trust me.

For further information:

Canadian Mental Health Association. (2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd). Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#.ULaZmI6hDFI

Canadian Mental Health Association. (2012). Anxiety disorders. Retrieved November 28, 2012, from http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness/anxiety-disorders/