Although we are more educated than the generations that came before us, we’ll always have some common mental health misconceptions floating around. That makes it harder for us to overcome mental issues.
In the past, mental health barely had any significance regarding the well-being of a person. This was because of the separation of mental health from our physical health as people ignored the fact that mental and physical health are one and the same. Also, since a mentally-ill person would seem physically fine, they simply dismissed their mental state. If you can walk and talk then you are ok.
Luckily for us, we are now more open to talking about mental health and dealing with it instead of ignoring it. I personally find pride in admitting that I’m not mentally well. It helps diminish my problems and identify them.
Common Mental-Health Misconceptions:
However, just because some of us are willing to deal with mental health doesn’t mean that everyone is. Unfortunately, talking about mental health tends to make some people uncomfortable especially with all the misconceptions floating around.
These common mental-health misconceptions not only make it impossible for people to get the treatment they need but also make it easier to dismiss symptoms.
There are some hilarious misconceptions that make me crack up laughing. They are like antidepressants to me in a way.
1- People with mental illness cannot work:
Ah yes, some people, unfortunately, believe that those with mental illnesses cannot maintain and keep a job as most of their efforts would go towards their mental health. Em, what?
Not only is this wrong but also contradictory. This is similar to saying that people with physical illnesses cannot keep a job. Yes, their sickness would affect their performance but with treatment, they’ll be back on their feet, better than ever.
If we can apply the same logic to mentally-ill people it would solve this problem.
2- Only weak people have mental illnesses problems:
I swear a friend said this to me once. He was like if you had a strong will you wouldn’t get depression. He said that my own weakness is the reason behind my illness, not my surroundings. Let’s just say he’s no longer a friend.
This is so wrong because I personally know strong-willed people who suffer from depression and anxiety. My close friend is a CEO of a growing company and is driven and ambitious yet she suffers from depression and social anxiety.
Mental illness has nothing to do with one’s will. If it was, no one would be sick.
3- Mental illnesses are incurable:
This is not only wrong but also stupid. Most mental illnesses are easily curable with the right treatment. All a person needs to do is visit a therapist or a psychologist to get a proper diagnosis. Once the illness is identified, treatment is offered.
Schizophrenia is one of the most severe mental illnesses yet it’s manageable with the right medication.
4- Mentally ill people are crazy:
I do get called crazy often but not because of my mental illness, trust me. This misconception does nothing but causes further problems. If a person gets called crazy for having a mental disorder, they are more likely to close on themselves and refuse to get treatment. This would only make them feel worse about their mental state.
Also read: How Do You Define Mental Health And How Can You Protect It
5- People with mental health problems are violent:
The least violent creatures on the planet are people with mental illnesses. I cannot imagine myself being violent when my depression is taking over. Harming others is the last on my to-do list. The list’s three top choices are sleeping, binge-watching tv-shows, and starving myself.
6- Mental illness is rare:
My list of friends begs to differ. Being mentally ill is more common than anyone can think.
According to a study, 1 in 5 people had an experience with a mental disorder. Imagine that you are at a family gathering of over 20 people. At least 4 of you are mentally ill. Wouldn’t that make a person feel better? Knowing that they aren’t the only ones suffering surely will take the load off their shoulders.
7- Therapy is useless and pointless:
When I started going to a psychologist last year, a friend told me that I was wasting my time and money. Yes, you guessed it right, this was the same friend I mentioned earlier who said that only weak people get mentally ill.
In going to therapy, you pay a professional to listen and analyze your problems. A professional will pick on the things your friends ignore during a rant session.
My dad once told me that I should consider reading a religious book instead of going to therapy but that’s an entirely different story for another time.
8- It’s impossible to prevent mental illness:
Just like keeping a healthy diet can prevent certain physical illnesses, there are some precautions a person could take to prevent mental disorders, such as:
- Exercising: This can differ from taking a daily walk to going to the gym. It doesn’t need to be a full workout routine.
- Healthy diet: It’s scientifically correct that maintaining a healthy eating diet can improve a person’s mood and therefore protect their mental health.
- Hobbies: You can pick up anything as a hobby these days. It can be drawing, knitting, singing, and much more. As long as a hobby makes you feel better then it’s important and will help keep you sane.
- Having a support system: Everyone must have a support system, a group of people you can lean on when you are in a dark place in need of help. They can be there for you whenever you need them.
- Meditation: This doesn’t have to be a full Yoga session. It can be just a couple of breathing exercises done once a day. Meditation can be really calming. This is my favorite meditation tutorial:
9- People who have good faith in God can’t get mentally ill:
This final misconception on the list makes my blood boil. Because it’s simply wrong. Religion has nothing to do with mental disorders. I used to have severe mental problems when I was a religious person and I still have them now that I’m not. So where is the logic in that?
This misconception makes it hard for religious people to admit that they have mental issues and that makes the road to recovery longer and harder.
Unfortunately, no matter how advanced we are as a species, we still have a long way ahead to be fully accepting of mental disorders. I believe that people who spread these misconceptions and believe them are just afraid of facing their own demons. After all, we humans tend to fear what we cannot understand.
I believe that sometimes I have to add a touch of sarcasm to what I write to conceal my anger. This is because nothing makes me angrier than false information that does nothing but harm others.
Please only spread information that you are sure of because you can never know the consequences your words can have.