Your friend is a moron.

How long has your friend been a practicing mental health professional and which college/university did he receive his degree from? Some people do think that they know more than the people who spend years studying the subject. "With friends like that who needs enemies ?"

Your friend is quite ignorant to what is out there in the world... you and i have spoken at great length, and i know that you're quite aware of many things. i also thank you greatly for keeping that to yourself as it allows me to operate here freely such as i do, and it's nice to know that for once i can actually "trust' someone. you can as well...what we've spoken of stays between you and i alone. mental illness IS real, emotions are also real. but there is indeed a border, and a crossing of those borders. And i know that you're intelligent enough to know better. i'd be willing to speak with you about the other portions(mine) if you would like, if not that is fine too. but not everything, nor everyone is so cut and dried as simply "happy, or sad"

Most people do get sad and anxious at times. But when it reaches a level where a person's functioning is impacted (e.g. They can't leave their house) it's beyond a matter of will power. The mental health field is still evolving and mapping the human genome is providing better insight into the clinical nature of various mental health diagnoses. A more enlightened view of mental health is holistic and multidimensional- rather than looking at the label and symptoms, look at the environment, physical health, spiritual health, etc to help someone rather than take an attitude of "pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get over it".

Your friend is mistaken. Mental health conditions are very real. It's not a matter of willpower for those who suffer with anxiety and depression. Jeez, hasn't he known anyone who suffered with those.

I think I hope he can keep that sunny outlook. It means he isn't suffering from any mental or emotional disorders. That's a happy circumstance. It's a little narrow minded, but its better than knowing from first hand knowledge that these things aren't just us whining.

June 2/17
11:19 pm
EDT

So your brilliant friend believes PTSD is not real?

Yes.

I think your friend is likely poorly educated on the topic, and lacks the compassion and understanding needed to accept situations and experiences different to his own.

Depression and anxiety are very real and are even associated with some medical conditions like Parkinson's Disease, MS, Lupus and polymyalgia rheumatic (similar to rheumatoid arthritis). Any condition where there movements are painful. Hormones can affect emotions and nervousness. People with autism can also experience high levels of anxiety. It's inherent in their diagnoses. PTSD is also very real. Have you ever given first aid and CPR and have someone die on you? Have you been in any other situation that caused you trauma (for example, a house fire). The way your brain is wired could also have an impact on whether or not you tend to get depressed or anxious. Now coping is another thing. Medication can help you cope. Yoga and meditation can also work. Cognitive behavioural therapy to help you alter your thought processes. Self-help books..... journaling, NLP (neurolinguistic programming). Bottom line.....it's not whether or not you experience it, but how you cope so you can get the best quality of life possible.

While every can have anxiety and depression. It's a whole different storybook with someone who has clinical anxiety or depression. Situational anxiety and depression are way different than having a full blown panic attack sitting in a corner, or someone going through a low point in their life it's not the same as clinical depression at all.

Your friend is ignorant. Like a lot of people.

I think normal emotions have been given high sounding names and turned into mental illnesses. It's such a shame because people then blame that invented illness for their problems. Maybe 5% of the population really have mental illness. The rest is false belief.

Chip on the shoulder = bipolar
Stuck in a rut = obsessive compulsive

I think many people who think they have it don't have it. But those who actually do is different than being down or nervous it's much, much worse. Feeling bad is a normal part of life, feeling unrealistically bad for stuff that shouldn't bother you at all is a disorder.

He's mistaken. There's a biological component to these conditions that differ from mere "sadness" or "anxiety". People like him are the reason many who suffer are so private about it.

Your friend is an idiot.

I think they can be real, but I also think people able to overcome their mental issues are being babied and taking advantage of the respect they have in modern society.

I agree. People need to just suck it up and get right.

Yes. Simply because I've had anxiety since I was 8 yrs. Old and still suffering from it today.

You need a better choice of friends.

No just drink alcohol

They're real.

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I've known people who believed what your friend does. It's easy for people to think that such disorders don't exist when they have had no experience with them.