Are people with anxiety disorder or depression "weak"?

ADD/ADHD is a neurological disorder. There's nothing a person can do about it.
But what about anxiety disorder and depression?
According to some people I know, people with these two disorders are simply weak people. What are your thoughts?

anxiety and depression are also neurological disorders, and are due to an imbalance of chemicals, such as serotonin, in the brain. Clinical anxiety or depression has nothing to do with being weak, that is why it can be treated with certain drugs. the exact basis behind these disorders is not fully known, but it is clear that certain proteins and receptors are altered in people with these disorders.

Also, people are born predisposed, but I would hate to call that weak...Its a combination of environment and heredity....so if you are predisposed and have a better environment, its not that your weak, its that your lucky.
Depression is mostly biologically based but can be overcome with cognitive treatment, which would make me think that someone who has done so is exceptionally strong, rather than weak. It depends onhow you look at it, I guess. Is someone with asthma weak? I guess you could say yes...but why would you want to?

are you kidding me? we are some of the strongest people.... look what we endure and over come every single day of our lives while we are dealing with this! We are only weak when we give up and actually i wouldnt say we are weak.... only tired! Whoever is saying that obviously has not had to deal with this on a daily basis.... this is real and yes you can learn to control it through meds and therapy but it will always exist in you. it is a disease.
lisa

I hate when some people talk to me with the attitude of "What do you have to be depressed about?" or "It's all about how you choose to feel about things. If you want to be happy, make yourself happy."
If it was that easy, there wouldn't be millions of people suffering from depression and anxiety all over the world. It's like they think we are too "lazy" or something to make ourselves feel better. It's really
easy for people to talk about things they don't understand.
I wouldn't go around talking about brain surgery, but they think they
can say whatever they want about psychological disorders, etc.

Absolutely not........

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itspeaks said:
I hate when some people talk to me with the attitude of "What do you have to be depressed about?" or "It's all about how you choose to feel about things. If you want to be happy, make yourself happy."

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I think when people say that, they are confused with what depression is and being sad. With depression, it doesn't matter your mentality of certain things, you will still find yourself upset about things.

When I went in to see someone about my anxiety at school, she asked me if I experienced depression and I had a hard time answering that because I still don't really know if I have it because I know there is a difference between being sad/upset and clinically depressed. But I don't think a lot of people care to see that there is a difference.

As far as being weak.. No, we are not. But having it questioned on us is not very encouraging either. When I first discovered I had this problem I treated it as a weakness. I felt like I was. But I have no control over this. Trying to take control of something you have no control over shows strength.

I wish people would stop thinking we could control this solely. That's just a general statement.

Yeah, we're weak. So?

Surffering from severe anxiety from childhood thru present - it took such courage on my part to get up every day - to live life as best as I could with crippling anxiety. Medications back then weren't available to me so each and every day I would gather my strength to make it thru just one more day with as much dignity as I could. My family blamed me for my depression and anxiety...

I guess I see people with depression and anxiety as brave, strong people.

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Pickle said:
Yeah, we're weak. So?

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Did you see this on "Tyra"? lol..

No-I don't watch Tyra. What was it about?

oh they just have a thing going on...its a "so what" campaign... for kids who get picked on...like if someone says youre fat or whatever youre supposed to say "yep so what" and they have so what t-shirts and all... youre post reminded me of that...

Haha, that's kind of weird.
But I love Tyra..

"Weak" is such a relative, personal perception. A broken arm is "weak" too but bones don't generally get broken by soft forces acting upon them? I'd ask people who thought anxiety or depression meant a person was weak to consider what had to happen to those people to get in that state. Babies generally aren't "anxious" or depressed yet and toddlers/little children who are, it's usually obvious they started with some sort of genetic predisposition so that's not their fault either. People who "become" anxious or depressed, usually fall out of a few trees and get broken and battered in some way?

No. Only some people think that, I'd like to hear an actual doctor tell me that! Won't happen. Why? Because a doctor/pdoc are the ones who have been educated on the human body and mind, where *people* just have uneducated opinions. Something they heard on Dr. Phil or Oprah. If someone who has an anxiety disorder or depression is weak, then how come reading some self-help or inspirational books doesn't help instantly? I mean, if they're that weak...

this attitude that part of society has placed on people with depression and anxiety disorder as being weak is exactly why people that suffer usually do so alone and dont reach out for help. WE ARE NOT WEAK!!! it is a clinical disorder, a chemical imbalance in the brain, and also hereditary. this talk of weakness really upsets me! so many people suffer in silence and in shame because of this label that has been placed upon people like me. they dont reach out for the help they need because they are fearful of being labeled and feel guilty for not being able to control their feelings and emotions which only makes their lives harder. so tell whom ever is telling you we are weak to go to h*ll!!! it is a fight we fight every freakin day of our lives! we are not weak, WE ARE FIGHTERS!!! AND WE ARE SURVIVORS!!! it is they that are weak minded for speaking out on things and placing labels on people they dont understand!!!

recluse1

IMHO......I think ppl who suffer from depression and anxiety disorder are the bravest ppl on earth. You face the world every day. Get up , function, do your best. Weak , I think not.
Strong , yes, because everyday they are here,
My Dad suffered for years with this. My son to at one point in his life. One of the smartest , bravest, kindest, ppl I know has this. I could go on but i will not.
Just my thoughts ...........

I have battled clinical depression for years. I consider myself one of the strongest people I know. Both "strong" and "weak" people can become depressed, just as can people of different races, genders, political parties, etc. Depression knows no boundaries. Yes, depression is related to the balance of molecules in our brain, which are in turn affected by outside events, our past, our thoughts, and our feelings. The mind-body connection. It's all interrelated. That's why both meds and psychotherapy can help depression.

depression is an inbalance of chemicals in the brain as is adhd or other neurological complications. there is a lot of ignorance about mental health and attitudes like this dont help.
like muffy said people who have depression and anxiety fight it every day of their lives, carrying on - so people who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused and struggle with emotions and get depressed because they were violated, robbed of their virginity and threatened and have anxiety because of all that are weak? as the americans would say tell your 'friend' to go figure and i hope to god he/she never has to suffer any of the above mentioned.

grrrrrrrrrrrrr pathetic

jinnyann

oh yeah and way to go recluse my friend tell em how it is!!!!!

oh yeah recluse you go gal!!!!
i agree! jeez! i mean come on! if people could friggin control it, there woudnt be anyone depressed! noone wants to be that way!if i could control my hormones i wouldnt get scared every few days with the "omg i hope i aint pregnant" thing. i havent ...you know, but its hard to explain....
whoever invented the female reproductive system was a man....
take care all
recluse keep on rantin!
self

nooooo ,they have an illness ,do you call someone with ms weak? to survive the onslaught of mental illness and its typical cyclical nature is nothing short of heroic, we are some of the strongest people around , i've survived so many severe bouts of depression friends tell me it's made me more sensitive, compassionate ,caring ,thoughtful ,is that being weak?

well said jefftele

respect to you and you opinion

I'm serious, I have no idea what you're talking about relating to Tara, could somebody please explain? You're starting to bug me. Thank you.