belbet:
fun tip:
anxiety is not cured by forcing a person into the situation that makes them anxious
EXACTLY GOD BLESS YOUR GOOD SOUL
it’s called systematic desensitization and/or flooding and it’s one of the most effective treatments for anxiety and phobias
but you know, whatever, let’s keep being fucking stupid and demonizing treatment because it’s unpleasant to go through
But you have to do it properly and in the right environment. (Which is what I did.) I imagine what people object to are their friends/family pressurising them into situations they’re not comfortable in. And with all the countless taboos on mental health that exist, that is…still pretty much what happens.
In other words, if someone wants to conquer their fear of the water, they should be able to trust someone to take them to a swimming pool (as scary and horrible as the swimming pool may look)…not jump up on them unexpectedly and push them off a bridge.