National Social Anxiety Day - Your views?

[fallenfeather]

How would everyone feel if they created a national SA day to increase awareness to the condition? Would you be pleased about it? Do you think it would benifit us sufferers or make life harder? Would you prefer everyone around you to know of the illness and thus be more likely to realise you may have it or would you dislike the risk of your secret being more easily spotted?

I myself am in two minds about this hypothetical idea. Part of me thinks the general public should be made more aware of the condition and how hard life is for it's sufferers. The other part of me wishes to keep my problem a secret from work collegues and general day to day associates. Being an sa'er, I hate too much attention and if everyone knew about sa and understood what to look out for in possible sufferers they might discover I have it and look differently upon me or treat me like some kind of unfortunate victim.

Please share your thoughts on this.

Thanks.

 

[cLavain]

I pretty much agree with your thoughts. I'm sceptical. It would be great if other people could understand SA, but how likely is that? Most people would probably either ridicule or pity us, and how much of an improvement is that?

 

[Gloomy]

How would this holiday be celebrated? Would everyone just stay home and not answer the phone?

 

[scatmantom]

even if there was a national day....it wouldnt matter or get noticed. Think of some of the other national days we have e.g national waffle day, national sandles day...no1 cares about them.

 

[freakalmightee]

its international womens day today! make a chick smile today!

i think i would be embarrassed if it was sp/sa awareness day!!!

 

[triceratops]

How would this holiday be celebrated? Would everyone just stay home and not answer the phone?

lol that made me laugh

 

[Horatio]

I'm more for raising public awareness about mental illness in general, not specifically social anxiety.

 

[qipuqipu]

I'd be afraid some obnoxious loudmouth would figure out I had SA, come up to me, and start asking really personal questions in their ignorance, leaving me cornered and defenceless. The same sort of stuff happened when the TV programme Fat Friends was on over here, back when I was overweight... people asked me stuff like "do you eat because you're unhappy?". That was such a horrible moment. -_- My personal fears apart, I'll just say that public awareness needs to be backed with public understanding.

 

[jamez]

I think there are too many national days.

 

[testobot]

I'm more for raising public awareness about mental illness in general, not specifically social anxiety.

I agree with Horatio. I think there should be something like International Mental Health Day--- something to destigmatize all mental problems.

 

[cLavain]

Well, here it is!

http://www.wfmh.org/wmhday/about.html

Hmm, seems this year's world conference is to be held in my country.

 

[scatmantom]

they all ready have mental health WEEK in the UK. Im not sure when it is but Ive seen stalls up at my Uni for the past 2 years informing people about it.

 

[longlivesolitude]

I too agree with just having a national mental illness day. Hm. Or just a internatiol generousity/tolerance/altruism/compasion day..

 

[testobot]

they all ready have mental health WEEK in the UK. Im not sure when it is but Ive seen stalls up at my Uni for the past 2 years informing people about it.

that's cool. maybe they have one in the US too, but obviously nobody notices here. Do you think that it actually makes a difference in the UK as far as increasing tollerance and acceptance of mental issues? From the looks of this site, I suppose not.

 

[LibertadIlusoria]

Assuming anyone would even know about it (which they probably wouldn't; no one pays attention to those kinds of holidays), it would probably just end up turning into "Let's-point-and-laugh-at-Jennifer day" at school. Having a holiday wouldn't change anyone's opinion on a disorder. If they knew about SAD, they would know I have it, and hate me more.

 

[lovestobehated]

I'm already scared just walking to class that people will know have SA. If I didn't have my sunglasses I don't think I could make it. If it were publicised, people might guess and then my plight would be that much worse... and people like others drama, it makes their own lives seem better, so I guess I'm against it...

 

[frightened]

I'm sort of halfhalf with this. I'd like people to be aware of this disorder so they can understand and they can be less ignorant but I also don't want people to take advantage of me if they found out I had SAD which has happened in the past.