Social Stigmas
Every once in a while there comes a fork in the road. One may not know which one to take. They may decide to take the path that best suits them or a path that is most convenient. And then, once again, there is another path. This time, they have to choose between the path that was their original decision and the path that may be just a little better. These forks, choices, are not very rare. And this brings about an endless possibility of paths that you can take. There are so many choices and so many different outcomes that it’s infinite. There are an infinite number of decisions and choices that we can make. This means that there are a larger infinite number of futures that can occur. One of these futures will occur depending on the choices that you make. But, the choice isn’t always easy. For individuals without much worry, these choices still give them stress. Then, an average person who will live their average life expectancy will have enough stress that will allow them to live that long. Then there are the minority of people who were born with, or have developed, an anxiety disorder. These people are almost always uncertain about what they will do next. The thought of the future stresses them and they decide that they will put it off until later. And then, once again, when it arises, the thought will stress them out to the point that they will not be able to function, and they may panic. Many people tell these individuals that they do not need to worry so much. They are overreacting. They just need to calm down. These remarks, often by those who do not understand anxiety or have never heard of the disorder, are ableist. Ableism form of social discrimination against disabled people. An anxiety disorder is much like clinical depression. It isn’t taken seriously and there is not much help for those who suffer from it. But, it doesn’t mean that these people are worthless or useless. They are affected by an illness just like every other disabled person. The fact that it is ridiculed and they are told to simply get over it would be outrageous if the same thing was told to someone with a physical disability. But then, people seem to physically disabled individuals poorly as well. They are not treated as if they were people. There are disgusting comments made about disabled people that should be reprimanded but aren’t. Because abled people have what they need, they have advantages and they are happy with those. They have no problems ridiculing a disabled person for fun. Back to the point on anxiety and depression though, because people do not take these disorders seriously, it is hard to get diagnosed and treated. There is also a very serious problem with the healthcare system, especially the American one, but it also happens with Canadian healthcare. People are not given proper treatment. It is as simple as that. People are not given the treatment they need because others believe they do not need it. Doctors are usually abled people. They may understand and be able to diagnose people with illnesses, but they are not the best of the best. Sometimes they are not the best people. In many cases, black people are given less medicine because it is believed amongst us that they are tougher. Indigenous people are given more medicine, on which they can overdose, because they were going to do drugs anyway, right? This social stigma that is upheld and perpetuated amongst us ends up harming many people. And often, people who will have illnesses will not get a proper diagnosis. Doctors have a lot of power, if they say we don’t need it, we can’t get access to it. This isn’t saying that we should let everyone have access to depression and anxiety medication. That would open up a road that would hurt many people. The solution will never be clear. A better healthcare system needs to be created. No one will ever know how to create a perfect system, but the current system can give doctors, who can be racist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. a lot of power. It allows them to control what we can or cannot access. Transphobic doctors especially. They can act as gatekeepers to a transgender person who needs hormones or a referral to get surgery. It is impossible for a transgender person to transition into a different body otherwise. Too often, one may see stories of how some doctors, even gender therapists, may decide that someone who suffers a lot in their current body is not “trans enough”. There are many stories where people are pressured, misgendered and told they are not who they think they are. This evidently has to stop, but who is going to stop it? There are not many people who decide to become a gender therapist. There are not many people who want that job simply to help others. Therapy costs a lot of money and when doctors and therapists who are transphobic can control whether a trans person can get the support they need, there is a very large problem at hand. In the end, these social stigmas can only be pointed out and talked about until there is a movement. The movement we need isn’t always clear. If people spread the word, that’s how the movement begins. Obviously, there will still be flaws in the newer system someone tries to create. Of course there will never be a perfect system. But people think that they cannot change anything when they can. Rising up and becoming part of the crowd of people who agree is a challenge, but it helps. Everything helps. Every thought. Everything. The choices we make are our own. Making them positive is a choice we have to make.