Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting around 18% of the adult population or roughly 40 million people. There are numerous different types of anxiety disorders, one of the more common types is Social Anxiety. My friend Joel, who I have known for about 3 years now has been suffering from this illness since he was a child and has had an incredibly difficult time overcoming it. Like many people who have an anxiety disorder Joel also suffers from depression. Depression affects about 6% of the adult population and is more prevalent in women. Although depression is quite common, it is still a very serious illness. Over half of the suicides in the U.S. are contributed to a depressive disorder. Joel …show more content…
He heavily struggles with things that most people have no problem with such as, going out to eat or dealing with other people at work. He also sometimes struggles with just getting up and starting his day in the morning due to the dread he feels about having to deal with so many stressful factors and his depression, which just steals all of his energy. Some days I have seen him very happy and excited for his day but most of the time he just looks remarkably exhausted and unenthusiastic. There is a huge fear of going out with friends that haunts him, especially if he is only with one friend. He is terrified of not knowing what to say or seeming boring and disappointing them. A way that he fights his fears is by constantly leaving his house, no matter how much he doesn't want too. He says that even though it causes him major stress and anxiety it still helps him overcome his fears. Going out also helps his depression, because once he is out he is distracted by his friends and other things. These distractions do help him and many other people who suffer from the same disorder, but its when they come home and are no longer distracted that is the hardest time for them. Joel battles this by trying to keep himself busy by putting together computers and making music. Making music and anything creative is a very good idea, as it can be an astonishingly great emotional