MYTHS & FACTS ‘bout Mental Health

Understanding Mental Illnesses:

• Everyone feels anxious, worried or stressed out sometimes and life can seem overwhelming. It\'s easy to see why when you think about all the pressures that are heaped upon us: society, family, work... where does it all end?
• People get caught up with all kinds of destructive thoughts that have a negative effect on their perceptions and behaviours. This isn\'t uncommon or unnatural - it\'s just part of our brain chemistry and there are certainly things that can be done to help get you back on track.

What are mental illnesses?

• The different manifestations of these symptoms are termed mental illnesses. Mental illnesses are no different to any other illnesses - they have a biological basis. In the same way as cancers develop as a result of both external and internal factors, so too do mental illnesses.

Common mental illnesses include:

• Depression
• Anxiety/ Phobias
• Eating Disorder
• Stress

Severe mental illnesses include:

• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder (Manic depression)
• Clinical depression
• Suicidal tendency
• Personality disorder

        Myths and Facts about Mental Health

Mental illnesses are very common. They are also widely misunderstood. People with mental illnesses are frequently stigmatized by others who think it\'s an uncommon condition. The truth is, mental illness can happen to anybody.

Top Ten Myths about Mental Illness
Myth #1: Psychiatric disorders are not true medical illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. People who have a mental illness are just \"crazy.\"
Fact: Brain disorders, like heart disease and diabetes, are legitimate medical illnesses. Research shows there are genetic and biological causes for psychiatric disorders, and they can be treated effectively.

Myth #2: People with a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are usually dangerous and violent.
Fact: Statistics show that the incidence of violence in people who have a brain disorder is not much higher than it is in the general population. Those suffering from a psychosis such as schizophrenia are more often frightened, confused and despairing than violent.

Myth #3: Mental illness is the result of bad parenting or bad character.
Fact: Most experts agree that a genetic susceptibility, combined with other risk factors, leads to a psychiatric disorder. In other words, mental illnesses have a physical cause. A serious mental illness cannot be willed away. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away, either. It takes courage to seek professional help.

Myth #4: Depression results from a personality weakness or character flaw, and people who are depressed could just snap out of it if they tried hard enough.
Fact: Depression has nothing to do with being lazy or weak. It results from changes in brain chemistry or brain function, and medication and/or psychotherapy often help people to recover.

Myth #5: Schizophrenia means split personality, and there is no way to control it.
Fact: Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder. Actually, schizophrenia is a brain disorder that robs people of their ability to think clearly and logically. The estimated 2.5 million Americans with schizophrenia have symptoms ranging from social withdrawal to hallucinations and delusions. Medication has helped many of these individuals to lead fulfilling, productive lives.

Myth #6: Depression is a normal part of the aging process.
Fact: It is not normal for older adults to be depressed. Signs of depression in older people include a loss of interest in activities, sleep disturbances and lethargy. Depression in the elderly is often undiagnosed, and it is important for seniors and their family members to recognize the problem and seek professional help.

Myth #7: Depression and other illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, do not affect children or adolescents. Any problems they have are just a part of growing up.
Fact: Children and adolescents can develop severe mental illnesses. In the United States, one in ten children and adolescents has a mental disorder severe enough to cause impairment. However, only about 20 percent of these children receive needed treatment. Left untreated, these problems can get worse. Anyone talking about suicide should be taken very seriously.

Myth #8: If you have a mental illness, you can will it away. Being treated for a psychiatric disorder means an individual has in some way \"failed\" or is weak.
Fact: A serious mental illness cannot be willed away. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away, either. It takes courage to seek professional help.

Myth #9: Addiction is a lifestyle choice and shows a lack of willpower. People with a substance abuse problem are morally weak or \"bad\".

Fact: Addiction is a disease that generally results from changes in brain chemistry. It has nothing to do with being a \"bad\" person.

Myth #10: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as \"shock treatment,\" is painful and barbaric.

Fact: ECT has given a new lease on life to many people who suffer from severe and debilitating depression. It is used when other treatments such as psychotherapy or medication fail or cannot be used. Patients who receive ECT are asleep and under anaesthesia, so they do not feel anything.

The Biggest Myth of ALL # ##: I can\'t do anything for a person with mental illness.
Fact: You can do a lot, starting with how you act and speak. You can create an environment that builds on people\'s strengths and promotes understanding. For example:

• Don\'t label people with words like \"crazy,\" \"wacko,\" or \"loony\" or define them by their diagnosis. Instead of saying someone is \"a schizophrenic,\" say he or she \"has schizophrenia.\" Don\'t say \"a schizophrenic person,\" say \"a person with schizophrenia.\" This is called \"people-first\" language, and it\'s important to make a distinction between the person and the illness.
• Learn the facts about mental health and share them with others, especially if you hear something that isn\'t true.
• Treat people with mental illnesses with respect and dignity, just as you would anybody else.
• 
  Respect the rights of people with mental illnesses and don\'t discriminate against them when it comes to housing, employment, or education. Like other people with disabilities, people with mental health problems are protected under federal and state laws.