Seeing posts like this scares me.

[Desimal]

I was checking my front page on a website called reddit and unfortunately it seems like i forgot to unsubscribe from an anxiety related sub that i was following when i was in a really bad place. I noticed this post (sorry but i cannot post links yet):

reddit.com/r/Anxiety/comments/4lzsrz/how_do_you_deal_with_the_fact_that_your_anxiety/

Because of it's title i couldn't resist the urge to read it. What a bad decision....

Now i am worrying that i will always have GAD and struggle with anxiety no matter what i do. I realise i have made huge steps since my struggle with this condition started 2 years ago but when i see posts similar to this i cannot help it but feel hopelesness and even despair because they make it seem like a permanent condition.

Is it true that this is something we will always struggle with? Or are these people talking from a bad place themselves?

[Fishmanpa]

IMO, there's a difference between "healing" and "cured". I think they're both possible depending on your situation. "Cured" insinuates that there are no lasting side effects from your illness. Much like a cold, once the virus is eradicated, you no longer have any symptoms. "Healing" to me means there are scars and side effects that remain but you adapt and move on. This, IMO is what most people with mental illnesses deal with.

I believe most will "heal", meaning that you will recover from your illness but still may have niggles now and again. Some can get over their illness and never have a relapse but those instances are not as common.

I think of it like a serious physical illness. You recover and come to adapt to the "new normal" whatever that may be. You learn tools to cope and have to work on it regularly to maintain the "new normal".

I don't think it's something to be scared or depressed about as much as it's a goal to reach. For some there will be a limit to their recovery and that's Ok. Strive to heal and perhaps you'll be end up cured.

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well according to the title it is also depression. I haven't read it, I have a feeling I know what I would see as it's all over such places and skewed like the rest. Does is mentioned you can't cure depression too by the way?

My dad had 2 years of depression. He was on meds for a while. He found his way out of it and returned to the life he had before. 40+ years on and he has never had it again. So, poke a hole in anyone's statements about depression being life-long with relapses, you will find people saying that. My dad has proved them wrong.

This is important. There are many unqualified, and often ignorant of mental health issues, that may such sweeping generalisations. They are not based on any science, merely opinion. If a single human being exists who has beat their anxiety completely, and there are, then it proves them wrong. There are ex anxiety sufferers who live better lives than before and do things that would be triggering for them. That's not "managing" a disorder.

The medical community don't accept these disorders are lifelong either.

You always have to ask yourself where you are seeing this stuff. If it's on a blog or somewhere like reddit or Yahoo Answers, it could be an old person with varying knowledge on the subject posting. Does that make it true? I could tell you what I believe but then I'm just a name on an internet forum, nothing more, so how would that make it true.

Science proves it's possible. The only question is whether WE will get that result.