Why do I always want to talk about mental health with people?

Last night, during a mixer game of two truths and a lie, one of my truths was "I almost had a panic attack the other day". I feel like I often talk about my panic and anxiety.

Is this coping? Am I trying to normalize it? Am I trying to find friends like me?

Why do you guys think I do this? Anyone else do this?

It's important to you; we talk about what is important to us, yes, to try and cope, to try and normalize, to try and find friends who understand, etc.

If you feel uncomfortable always seeming to talk about your anxiety; find other interests of yours you can talk about too? Sometimes we do get hyper focused on just one interest or problem or another and forget there's a whole lot more to life.

I do this same thing. All too readily I will share my history. I think part of it is insecurity.....kind of like...let me go on and put this out there so if you think I'm weird then at least I won't lose a friend because we're not friends yet. I have had a truly bizarre life. Even my t and my pdoc cannot believe how much one person has had to endure, along with a group of diagnoses. With so much trauma in my history, it seems some part of it is always in my mind.

Because you're trying to find out what's normal and don't want to feel alone in your struggle? If you feel talking often helps you to come to terms with it i don't see the harm but remember you aren't defined by your illnesses - you have your own personality and interests and these don't have to be overshadowed by whatever it is you're suffering from. I hope your situation improves.

I think sometimes we talk to others about it because we're trying to find those who can relate. Anxiety and panic can be isolating especially if everyone around us appear so confident and anxiety free. I don't know about 'normalise' because define 'normal'. I don't think there is a typical normal.

I do this too and I think it's partly all of those things.

I think we're unconsciously testing people to see what reactions they give / whether they are a safe person to be around etc.

I think there is still some kind of taboo against talking about mental health, cause society operates in some kind of "survival of the fittest" manner: if you do not conform you are of no use to society, basically. And everyone has to follow rules, even those that aren't written in some way (common sense, they call it). And talking about depression, anxiety etc. is like telling people that you want to drop out of society.

i admire your ability, as I've always hidden mine. When I was a kid I did it out of survival. We were often punished for crying when Dad beat up Mom. I learned to bottle it in and as the other kids exploded in other areas, I did not. I became known as "the strong one" and mom said she could keep it together as long as I did, but she knew if I ever lost it, things were bad. After hearing this I felt pressured to keep a cork on it and now in my adult life i have a really hard time discussing it. The only person who I opened up to who understood the depths of it is no longer in my life and I feel lost. I find myself wanting to tell everyone, but I'm far too afraid so I am instead trying to figure out how to put the cork back on.

i tend to bring up mental health with friends because its so interesting to me. I have ADHD and I know that it tends to be a topic of hyperfocus for me, but I think even if you don't have it, people talk about what interests them.