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Anxiety as a Disability

Anxiety is a condition that can wreak havoc in a person’s life, should that person either be unaware of the condition, or should that person simply choose to ignore its effects. Unfortunately, for many, if not most people, any problem has to rise to a fairly significant level before a person decides to seek help, as most Americans buy into the concept of being independent and relying on no one but themselves. Further, anxiety can reach such a point in the lives of many people such that it can be objectively labeled a disability. It seems that when social anxiety or any other anxiety disorder causes difficulties such as inability to hold down a job, an inability to make friends, an inability to form romantic relationships, and inability to go out in public without severe anxiety levels, that this then is when anxiety becomes a disability. Whether or not a person can become a part of a social welfare system citing anxiety as a disability is a whole different case altogether, but in reality, there is no doubt that any anxiety condition, including social anxiety, can be quite disabling.

The important thing for people to remember about anxiety acting as a disability is that it is perfectly okay to rely upon others, including the government and taxpayers, for help. However, it is also important to remember that relying on disability is only a last ditch effort and that one should make every attempt to move off of it and become independent. It is much better to become an independently functioning human being because it leads to much more happiness in a person’s life. This abstract concept (much like the others mentioned in Human Essentials for Happiness) of independence is one that seems to apply universally to all people in all cultures. Each culture seems to have a different level of independence that is expected of each person, and when a person in that society achieves the generally expected level of independence, that person feels happy and others around him or her give that person respect. However, if that person becomes far too independent or far too dependent, that person tends to lose the approval and respect of others. America is a very independent society, sometimes too much so, but it is important for people to achieve the level of independence expected of the average American. People who do not achieve independence are looked down upon by themselves and others, and there is no need to go into great detail on this, as most anxiety sufferers are familiar with this concept. For a person in America to achieve the generally expected level of independence (speaking of a single person), he or she must hold down a job, pay the bills, maintain a residence, have a group of friends, and then eventually sacrifice some of that independence by finding a healthy partner to share life with.

Disability applies in that it can be a great place to go when all these things are difficult to do. Accepting help from the taxpayers of America is a good idea to help one out when all other options are exhausted. It will cover that person and hopefully provide that person with access to the help that he or she needs in order to get back on track in his or her life. However, the quicker a person moves off of disability, the better off he or she is, emotionally speaking (after everything is in order emotionally, everything else that is needed in life tends to follow), and the goal of every person should be to move off of disability as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, there are some people who have been so overwhelmed by mishaps in life such that they need some sort of help on a permanent, or very long-term basis. This is okay, so long as the person actually is in need of the help. If a person only experienced anxiety, it seems that he or she should be able to move off of disability and out into the real world after some period of time, which might run several years in some cases. But, very often people do not only suffer from anxiety, they also suffer from some other disorder such as bipolar disorder or a physical or developmental disability that makes life very difficult. In this extreme case, which is the minority of all cases, it is perfectly okay for people to remain on disability for their entire lives, but again they should be challenged to maintain as much of their independence as is possible.

Overall, the point to keep in mind is that most people, whether they know it or not, strive toward independence and freedom, and this is really the best thing for each and every person. Disability, on the other hand, means that a person’s freedom is being restricted, and in this case, it is being restricted by a problem that a person can work to resolve in social anxiety. Using governmental resources to solve anxiety problems is perfectly acceptable, such that they are used as a safety net and only a place of last resort. Good luck to those who are severely affected by social anxiety such that they must consider using disability!

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