5 Myths about Mental Illnesses

Mental Health TV - Tips & Advice

A list of 5 common assumptions that people make about mental illness, and the truth behind these myths.

Transcript

00:00 A man by the name of Thomas Sast published a book in 1961 called "The Myth of Mental

00:15 Illnesses" discussing his belief that mental illnesses were unnecessary diagnoses used

00:21 to excuse the behavior of moral and socially deficient people.

00:25 Some people still have this view of mental illnesses, but the majority of the public

00:29 have gone on to understand over the years what a mental illness is really about.

00:34 Although we have come to have a better understanding of it, there are still tons of myths about

00:39 it that can have harmful effects on the treatment of those with psychological conditions.

00:44 So today we'll be talking about 5 harmful myths about mental illnesses.

00:49 First, people with mental disorders are likely to be violent.

00:54 The Sun, a newspaper in the United Kingdom, released an article saying that over 1,200

01:00 had been killed by people with mental illnesses in the past 10 years in England.

01:04 The statistics were true, but what they failed to inform was that 97% of the counted deaths

01:10 were from suicides.

01:12 In actuality, criminal behavior in people with mental illnesses is very small and mentally

01:18 ill people are the ones who are more likely to experience domestic violence and sexual

01:22 abuse.

01:23 They are more likely to suffer an intense psychological reaction to being victimized.

01:29 Second, people can pull themselves out of a mental illness if they really wanted to.

01:34 A popular myth, especially with people with depression and anxiety, is just that the person

01:39 is being over-sensitive and could easily fix the problem.

01:43 This is where the phrases "they just want attention" or "they like feeling miserable"

01:48 comes into play.

01:49 Mental illnesses often have a genetic factor that influences the preposition and chemical

01:55 imbalances that can't easily be conquered by sheer willpower.

02:00 It's difficult to even take the first step by seeking help and working up the courage

02:04 to even admit to yourself that there's a serious problem.

02:07 Finding a therapist and having to go through a trial and error process that takes up a

02:11 large amount of time is difficult as well.

02:15 Some people even choose to fight it themselves.

02:17 Dealing with a mental illness can be scary, emotionally draining, and exhausting.

02:23 Having to pull yourself together and fighting through while taking any ounce of support

02:28 you can get is quite difficult.

02:33 Third, love and support are the absolute cures to mental illnesses.

02:40 Therapists and doctors will always tell you that social support is a very important factor

02:44 when it comes to the recovery process but it may not always be the surefire way to fix

02:48 someone's mental illness.

02:50 We've all seen movies where a child with a serious behavioral problem or a girl who suffers

02:54 from emotional outbursts is made completely better by the end of the movie because someone

02:59 went out of their way to inspire a sudden realization that they too can be loved.

03:04 It's a touching concept but if you expect this in real life, you'll be thoroughly disappointed.

03:09 They can be afraid of rejection and social isolation.

03:12 Although it's great having someone helping and supporting you along your fight, showing

03:16 that they care about you, a mentally ill person could have a hard time even believing that

03:20 in the first place.

03:22 Expecting process from showing love and affection on the same level of support every single

03:26 day will be harder especially on a particularly bad day for the person that's being helped.

03:32 Fourth, having a mental illness is a social death sentence.

03:36 The awareness of mental illnesses and what causes them has more than doubled since the

03:40 1950s.

03:42 Mental illnesses have become highly aware and have become more acceptable, more so than

03:47 physical illnesses in some cases.

03:49 Some even see it that having a mental illness is a sign of a greater understanding of what

03:54 it means to be a human being.

03:56 Ardila Gomez found that even living near a place that offers mental health services can

04:00 raise the rates of acceptance and understanding from 21% to over 80% of the population.

04:07 People without mental illnesses are understanding what some people go through and are willing

04:11 to go out of their way to help if they can.

04:14 Fifth, you will become your label.

04:18 This is a big fear when it comes to making the decision of going to a mental health professional.

04:22 Instead of a person, you'll feel labeled as a manic depressive, an aneuristic, a schizophrenic,

04:28 etc.

04:29 Some clients end up feeling like they aren't seen and valued as a person.

04:34 Bougie and therapists have pushed for first person terminology.

04:38 For example, instead of an autistic child, you use a child with autism.

04:43 This puts emphasis on the person and not the illness.

04:47 Some researchers have even debated if telling their clients their official diagnosis is

04:51 beneficial for their recovery process.

04:54 If the client's feeling like the mental disorder itself is the only thing his or her therapist

04:59 or doctor is focused on, it's highly recommended that they find a new one.

05:05 If you enjoyed today's video, subscribe to Sci2Go.

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