#94: Fear and Anxiety

The Story Behind Fear and Anxiety

The history of mental health treatment is both terrifying and...nope, just terrifying. Take the Austin State Hospital, for example. Once called the State Lunatic Asylum (subtle, huh?), the ASH was founded with the stated purpose of helping the mentally ill. But that form of help involved electroshock therapy, rooms without windows, segregation and other barbaric methods that would feel more at home in a horror movie than a hospital.

We each experience fear and anxiety at times, it’s as natural as catching a cold. However, it can’t be forgotten that some grapple all their lives with serious and life-threatening mental illness. I feel that the stigma around these conditions and the treatment that is so often provided only makes it worse. We have advanced so much as a society but unfortunately we still treat mental illness like some sort of contagious or mysterious plague. Providing healthy and humane treatment for not only physical but also mental ailments with the same care and compassion is something we should all agree on.

Plain Text Description of Fear and Anxiety

A can labeled, "Fear and Anxiety now with 15% more panic attacks": I hate the taste but sometimes it's all that gets me through today.