Kang Daniel was recently flagged for making comments about Street Woman Fighter. He mentioned that with ‘Street Man Fighter’ he was “really comfortable because they’re all men.” And that he was “happy that it’s not energy -draining” compared to hosting ‘Street Woman Fighter’.
As I am a female, I’m always rooting for gender equality and such statements can rub off the wrong way. But Kang Daniel apologized for that private message.
“I am sorry for causing unnecessary misunderstanding by exaggerating the meaning of “I was nervous and shaking.”
While I am reassured by his apology and that he respects both genders, I can’t help but rethink the words that he said, ‘I was nervous and shaking’.
When he released his mini album ‘Yellow’, Kang Daniel revealed that it was about that chapter in his life where he experienced cyberbullying.
“How they edit everything to make me look bad. How the music and performances that I love are being treated like trash, how the fans that I love are being ridiculed… how it’s suddenly become a crime to say that they like me, just everything is really too difficult. The fact that I am me is too difficult.”
At that time he was also struggling with a legal tussle with LM Entertainment. With the weight of all that stress piling on him, he slipped into depression and anxiety. Diagnosed with panic disorder as well, Kang Daniel took a hiatus from work to recover. He shared that he stayed home without going out at all.
“I try not to go outside because I don’t want to provide the opportunity of having even more rumours going around.”
Kang Daniel’s experience resonates with those of us who suffer from depression and anxiety disorder. While there is recovery from depression, anxiety and panic disorder, the journey may not always be smooth and clear cut. For many sufferers of the disease, there will be many moments when a situation can just be too much.
The feeling of being ‘nervous and shaking’ which he mentioned while hosting ‘Street Woman Fighter’ are experiences that are common for people suffering from anxiety and panic disorder. Certain situations that that person is in may just unwittingly trigger a fear, resulting in a cascade of negative emotions and reactions. While the reaction may seem silly to some people, the fear is very real and often uncontrollable for someone who suffers from panic disorder. Such episodes can be very disruptive to normal life and nobody choses to be like that.
Though I will never know if what Kang Daniel said about his experience hosting Street Woman Fighter are the remnants of a recovery journey of Anxiety disorder, I want to see it in the best possible light. I am glad that he took those fans comments in his strides. For those who are on the journey of a mental health recovery, we see Kang Daniel’s reply as progress, an ability to let things slide and not beat himself up over a mistake. That is encouragement that is so much needed.
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