My dear sweet new friend, Holly, at Diamond Potential has awarded me with this Awareness Award. At her site, she is spreading the word about the stigmas associated with illness.
"There are often things that others are uninformed of and therefore, they rely on unreliable sources and/or assumptions about things. There is STIGMA in many facets of life. AWARENESS is how we can overcome ignorance. This is your opportunity to help educate others about a cause you believe in."
I suffer from panic and anxiety attacks. I have never received an official diagnosis of agoraphobia, but I have one daughter who has. My mother has shown signs of it for years. Both my mother and I have experienced panic and anxiety attacks for years, probably before agoraphobia was an accepted diagnosis.
Agoraphobia is a condition where we become anxious in environments that are unfamiliar or where we perceive we have little control. Triggers for anxiety can be wide-open spaces, crowds, or traveling. It is also known to be a social disorder, or Social Agoraphobia.*
This disorder occurs in twice as many women as it does in men. My limitations (when I allow them to take over) restrict me to the confines of my house and yard. I find it difficult to leave my own home to get into my own car, and drive somewhere.
Now that I have been encouraged to do so, I'll continue to relay information about this disorder.
My health issues are not limited to the panic and anxiety attacks. I also suffer from depression and before my hysterectomy, I had acute PMS (or what is now called PDD). I have also, in the past two years, had 'spells' that resembled seizures but that official diagnosis has been ruled out. So I have other areas of awareness to pursue.
Please stay with me on this. We have members of our families who find it difficult to grasp the full range and repercussions of suffering from a disorder.
I encourage you to visit Holly at Diamond Potential. She has her own battles to fight and together we can make awareness possible 'one blog at a time.'
*information from Wikipedia; experienced by me.
9 comments:
Oh my, as a teacher, I deal with all kinds of needs for awareness. At home, my husband has chronic degenerative back disease, and my son deals with anxiety. Two of my siblings battle depression--which they don't cop to. I have two young friends who are living with a deadly form of luekemia. I do not have to have a hysterectomy, but I do have to be aware of any worsening issues.
May we all stop and think about what might be causing someone to be a slower learner, impatient due to pain, confused and anxious due to a change in routine, hormones, pain meds, etc.
Beautiful post Weezer! Thanks so much for sharing! One post at a time, people will realize that more of us deal with more than they thought. Hopefully becoming more compassionate and understanding about the daily battles that are fought; take joy in our triumphs and help us through our trials. ALSO, they can see that if they are dealing with any of these things, seeking help to overcome and handle it better is not a weakness, but a necessity for a better quality life! (((HUGS)))
So good to hear that you got the award. It is needed to know that ones with challenges, in life, are great people also.
kim
Wonderful post! As someone who has been dealing with electrolyte imbalance for more than one year now, I can really relate to your post. I believe that many others might be experiencing something similar. The angst about the unknown. Dealing with people who still can't understand. It has been very frightening the first time I got a seizure, since I didn't know the real cause back then. I thought it was a stroke and was devastated. Now that I have learned more about my illness, I'm more capable to deal with it. Everyone who raises awareness about these diseases to help others should receive a big thank you. Congrats on the award :)! Have a wonderful day.
Wonderful post! As someone who has been dealing with electrolyte imbalance, I can really relate to your words. The angst about the unknown can be terrifying. When I experienced my first seizure, I was shocked because I thought it was a stroke. I really think that it is a great help to raise awareness about these diseases, and everyone who does it deserves a big thank you. So congrats on the award. Have a great day :).
Wonderful post - I will email you.
Not only awareness but a sensitivity to the experiences of those around you! It's sometimes more appropriate to watch what you complain about or how you say something because everyone has something they're dealing with on some level!
Not only awareness but a sensitivity to the experiences of those around you! It's sometimes more appropriate to watch what you complain about or how you say something because everyone has something they're dealing with on some level!
I saw your other post about this post and had to come check it out. My mother suffered from agoraphobia when I was a little girl. With intense counseling and medication, she was able to recover. But although she won't admit it, I think she's struggling again. She won't drive and she doesn't want anyone taking the interstate when she's in the car.
Thank you for having the courage to speak up about agoraphobia. May we all be more understanding of those around us who struggle with debilitating conditions.
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