Mental Health Myths

Lately there has been a lot in the news about mental health. Every time there is a school shooting or a tragedy like the crash of the Germanwings plane where the co-pilot intentionally crashed the plane killing all 149 passengers we start a discussion about mental illness and what should be done to prevent these kinds of horrible tragedies. While it is always a good thing to have an open discussion there are several myths about mental illness that need to be addressed so we can make progress.

When events such as a school shooting or the crashing of a plane happen the media and those who contribute to social media via comments tend to use inflammatory words such as “crazy” or “mad” to indicate violent behavior. The fact of the matter is someone who is mentally ill or disturbed is not more inclined to be violent against himself or other people. That’s just one of the many myths about mental illness, here are some others.

People with mental illness are violent – Most people with mental illness are NOT violent, in fact only about 3% to 5% of violent crimes or acts can be attributed to those who suffer from a mental illness.

People with mental illness can snap out of it if they try hard enough – The perception is that people just need to suck it up or deal with it and they will be fine. Sadly mental illness doesn’t work that way. People who have mental illness are not weak and they are not lazy, they often need help to get better. Help can include medication and treatment by a professional.

People with mental health issues never recover – The truth is if treated early many people with mental illness can make a full recovery.

There is nothing I can do to help someone with mental illness – Friends and family can be a great source of support for those with mental illness. People with mental illness often do not seek help and instead try to self medicate, ignore the problem or refuse to see that this is a problem. Friends and family can help the person who is trouble find the right kind of help they need.

These preconceived beliefs about mental illness push someone who might seek help further into the closet. Someone with depression might be afraid to seek help for fear his job could be at risk if his co-workers found out. A student with an eating disorder might not seek treatment because she doesn’t want to be labeled as mentally ill. The words mentally ill still carry a big stigma to them but through acceptance, support and education we might better understand those who suffer from mental illness without making their situation worse by believing the various myths about mental illness.