I can vividly remember the exact moment when I experienced my amusing anxiety. It was a classic case of funny anxiety mixed with social awkwardness. I felt humiliated, and the heat rushed to my cheeks. At the age of 24, while sitting at a busy café with friends, I began to shake due to an overwhelming sense of anxiety.
My breathing became shallow, and my chest got tight. Another anxiety attack was coming on. One friend saw. She didn’t seem worried; she smiled.
“Wow, Shubhangi is having her daily drama queen moment; perhaps it’s her funny anxiety acting up!” Everyone at the table started to chuckle. I forced a smile on my face and pretended it didn’t hurt, despite my inner turmoil.
That day, I learned something cruel: People frequently laugh at anxiety because they don’t understand it, or worse, because they don’t care to.
Why do people think anxiety is funny?
1. It’s not real pain.” Anxiety doesn’t hurt.
It doesn’t leave marks. People think I’m exaggerating when I say, “I feel like I’m drowning,” since there is no visible wound. A colleague once quipped, “Oh no, did someone look at you the wrong way, or is it just funny anxiety?”
Is it time to call an ambulance? He didn’t know I had spent the night gasping for air on my bathroom floor due to anxiety that some might find funny.
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2. Comedy – Funny Anxiety
Awkwardness People chuckle when they are uncomfortable. Some people comment on my last-minute cancellations, saying, “Classic Shubhangi, always flaking because of that funny anxiety!”
They don’t know how many hours I spent in pain, feeling guilty due to my anxious struggles.
3. The “Just Relax” Way of Thinking
People approach anxiety like it’s a choice. People say, “Stop overthinking!” (Wow. Revolutionary.)
- “You’re too sensitive.” (No, my nervous system is working too hard due to what I might call funny anxiety.)
- “Everyone gets nervous!” (But not everyone has a brain that shouts “danger” at normal activities.)
- The day I stopped playing along, I sobbed the entire way home after what happened in the café.
But then came rage about being mocked for my odd anxiety.
When someone made fun of my nervousness again, I didn’t laugh.
I asked them directly, “Would you make fun of someone who has asthma?” Not really? So why is my panic attack so funny? Shut up.
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How I Learned to Deal with the Ridicule – Funny Anxiety
1. I stopped trying to explain myself
Not everyone needs to know why. 1. I ceased attempting to justify myself. If someone shows disdain for my anxiety, which I find humorous, I choose not to respond.
- There is no debate regarding my mental health, even if some trivialize it as funny.
- I have discovered my community.
- There is no argument about my mental health.
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2. I found my tribe.
Friends that care about you don’t laugh at your sorrow. I was among individuals who asked, “What do you need?” instead of “Why are you like this?”
3. I Used Humor—On *My* Terms Now, *I* own the story.
- “My brain is buffering; give me a second.”
- “Anxiety is yelling at me today.”
- “Don’t pay attention to her.”
It makes people less dangerous, but I’m the one laughing now at what I can label funny anxiety.
4. I taught without saying sorry – Funny Anxiety
When people say things that aren’t true, I stay cool and reply:
- “Anxiety disorders are real medical problems.”
- Would you make fun of diabetes?”
“I’m pleased you don’t get it. I wouldn’t want this to happen to anybody.
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To Anyone Who Has Made Fun of Their Pain
I see you. I know how it feels when laughing hurts more than words. But the fact is, what they say about you in their jokes speaks nothing about you and everything about them.
You are not “too much.” You are not “over the top.”
You are going through something others can’t see. And what if the only way they can deal with it is by laughing? That’s what makes them weak. Not your amusing anxiety.
What I’m Doing Right Now – Funny Anxiety
When someone makes fun of my anxieties today, I don’t back down. I either leave or turn it off. It’s not funny that my mental health is bad; it’s my life. And I won’t be embarrassed of it anymore.
I’m with you if you’ve been made fun of.
I understand how you feel if you’ve been alone.
And if you’re ready to cease putting up with the jokes? Let’s get started today.
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Shubhangi Halande
Anxiety Warrior & Proud Survivor
P.S. Send this to someone who doesn’t take your funny anxiety seriously. Maybe they’ll figure it out. It’s possible that they won’t. You will know who should sit at your table either way. 💙
