Rand Paul said that over half of people on disability are on because of anxiety or back pain. He then goes on to say that everyone over 40 has back pain once in a while. The worst thing he said though, was that everyone gets a little nervous before work.
Anxiety can be a serious mental health issue. It can be debilitating. It can cause people to lose jobs, friends, and even keep them from leaving the house. According to WebMD, "There are several types of anxiety disorders including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder."
Rand Paul has no clue about how someone with an anxiety disorder experiences day to day. He should take the time and sit down with a few people who suffer with anxiety disorders and get his facts straight.
Dear Rand Paul,
I read your take on disabilities as reported by MSNBC Jan 30th, 2015 where you said that everyone over 40 gets back aches and everyone gets a little nervous before going to work. Both of your statements may be correct but you don't get disability because you are nervous or have a back ache. You get it because your issue has caused you to not be able to work for at least 5 months before you get it and will last at least 12 months or lead to death.
Please with anxiety issues live in their own personal hell. It can make someone fearful about leaving the house or talking to another person they don't know. Anxiety disorders can be general or they can be specific, such as a severe phobia or social anxiety. Someone with social anxiety cannot be around a group of people. It is debilitation.
You are very insensitive to people with real health issues. Mental illness is as real as diabetes. You wouldn't tell someone with diabetes that we all get a sugar overload every once in a while so you aren't really disabled.
You should sit down with a group of people who have anxiety issues and talk to them to see what they really go through. This will help you to have a bit of empathy.
