Its amazing how similar all these disorders are. I had a discussion last week when someone claimed that all SA sufferers are mentally ill. I don't want to get involved in whether it is or not because I find it a sensitive issue - I personally believe it isn't black and white like that, I will understand if some people say it is - because only each individual knows what has happened to them. I think there is such a fine line between low self esteem and low self confidence and SA. But my point was that if SA is a mental illness, does that mean anyone suffering with low self esteem or low self confidence is mentally ill too? I mean where do you draw the line between someone who has low self confidence and is shy around people and someone who some people say are mentally ill because of SA?
My example was of myself or another story I read about a woman who married her husband who she adored at the age of 23. In the years after she put on quite a bit of weight and in the end her marriage just went down hill when her husband fell out of love with her. She ended up losing lots of confidence because of her weight issues and losing her husband, she comfort eated and put on more weight and with it she got funny looks in the street for her weight and received put downs by some people. She ended up losing all her confidence and thought she was so ugly and worthless. She didn't like interacting with people and going out because she felt so bad about herself and so worried she would receive more put downs. My point is that - surely there is no mental illness there, she just lost all her confidence because of circumstances. She is not ill in the mind.
I am rabbiting on a bit now, but my whole point is - don't give up this message board just because you think you suffer from something slightly different, because all these things seem to link into one another.
