Hey, welcome back to my blog! In case you’re new here, make sure you check out my previous blog posts. In my blog post, Mind Matters I explain how mental and physical health are equally important components of one’s overall health. Let’s Be Mindful of Our Sources was written to give you a better idea of what sources can and can’t be trusted, and to remind you to always be mindful of the sites you visit and the information you are given in order to achieve good mental health. In my most recent post, Social Media On Your Mind I give you some key internet safety tips to follow. In this blog post, I am going to be quashing myths about mental health problems to help you form your opinion on mental health based on facts and not myths.
MYTH #1: Mental health problems are not all that common.
FALSE. This can be very easy to believe if you yourself have never had any mental health issues or if you have never met anyone with mental health problems. However, this statement is actually false! Surprisingly, according to MentalHealth.gov, one in five American adults experienced a mental health issue.
MYTH #2: People with mental health issues are violent, dangerous, and unsafe to the community.
FALSE. Sadly, many people do believe that people with illnesses are dangerous, but that is not always true. In fact, according to the American Public Health Association, most people who have mental health issues do not commit any crimes whatsoever.
MYTH #3: Children don’t experience mental health problems.
FALSE. According to MentalHealth.gov, half of all mental disorders are shown before a child turns fourteen years old, and are clinically diagnosable.
MYTH #4: Mental illnesses are not real medical problems.
FALSE. I have already debunked this in a previous blog post. Mental health illnesses are real medical health problems with scientific facts to prove it. According to WebMD, mental disorders can be derived from abnormal nerve cell circuits (in the brain) that are not functioning properly, causing a disruption in neurotransmitters’ communication, leading to mental disorders.
MYTH #5: I can’t do anything to help someone with a mental health problem.
FALSE. This is extremely untrue! If you know someone struggling, forming part of their support system is the best thing you can do. According to MentalHealth.gov, learning about the mental illness, researching ways to help, and letting the person know you are always there for them are great ways to help someone.
MYTH #6: People with mental illnesses cannot hold a real job.
FALSE. According to the Mental Health of America Association, people with mental illness can work just as well as those without a mental illness, and their desire to be in a workforce is the same as everyone else’s. Just because a person has an illness, does not mean they’re incapable of working a normal everyday job.
MYTH #7: Mental health illnesses are contagious.
FALSE. I’m sorry, but this one is a bit ridiculous. Mental health illnesses are not contagious since it’s an illness within one’s own brain that comes from a chemical imbalance, as I mentioned before. According to the Optimum Performance Institute, mental illnesses are not like the flu or a cold that people can catch from other people.
MYTH #8 : People with mental health issues will never recover.
FALSE. This statement is not true at all. Even though mental health issues are hard to deal with, there are so many ways to help lessen the issues and may even permanently help. According to the Mental Health of America Association, recovery can be achieved through medication, therapy, and mindfulness along with others.
In order to help decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness, it’s important to debunk these myths and have some insight. Understanding these will essentially help us all become healthier individuals and better allies. And remember to check for credible sources, like those from the government, from large associations, or organizations that have .gov or .org in their hyperlink. For example, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a list full of myths, as well as MentalHealth.gov that I encourage you to go check out. NAMI as I mentioned in my very first blog is one of the largest mental health organizations that focuses on education and advocacy. Their media presence includes Twitter, so I recommend you go follow them @NAMICommunicate.
That’s it for today. See ya next time!
Keep Your Mind Healthy 