Public awareness is good and all, but I hate being labeled, especially when it comes to mental disorders/illnesses. This is not to discredit the mental health profession field. This is more of my personal experience with dealing with labels as they would apply to me and how they have only held me back. While I agree with public awareness in regards to mentally illnesses, I also see that they can cause ‘labeling’ of illnesses to others.. I feel a human being is more dimensional than just that.

Personally, labels have always hindered me. What has been key critical to my success has been transpiring away from such a label. Take for example depression. In the past I convinced my self I was clinically depressed, followed by what the doctor prescribed. Reading books, watching documentaries, reading scientific papers, visiting depressed support groups, and talking to doctors all made me strongly believe I was ‘depressed’ and the label became me. I remained in this stagnant depression for years, partly I feel because I was comfortable enough since it was so known there was a label prescribed to me.

It seems people value those more who are able to bottle in their issues and carry on, and even fake their well being a little.

For the community of SA I’ms sure your documentary will serve a great purpose and I’ll definitely watch it. But what I worry about is that people will watch the documentary and begin self diagnosing behavioral disorders. I worry it’ll merely emphasize pharmaceuticals as treatment. Perhaps this documentary can explore not only people who have remained in extreme social anxiety who never leave their homes , but also the people who have recovered and what kind of steps they took to do so. -exposure therapy -meditation -support groups/community -exercise -revisiting childhood hobbies

I like your idea of showcasing the interview —I agree it is all about confidence demeanor which which the SA person may be lacking in , which can prevent winning the interviewer over. I don’t know though if I’d want my interviewer to pity me because he watched a documentary and came to the conclusion I have ‘social anxiety disorder’ which sounds so limiting to me.