Breaking The Stigma: Debunking The Myths About Mental Illness
In recent years, mental health awareness has exploded, not only paving the way so the much-needed conversation and education surrounding mental health could grow as a public concept, but also by making the conversations that already existed more open and inclusive, yet many misconceptions and stigmas persist.
Breaking these myths is a crucial first step in breaking the chains of mental slavery and knowing anyone can make redemption their drug by promoting understanding and encouraging people to seek help when needed.
In this blog post, we’ll debunk some of the most common myths about mental illness and explore the impact of increased mental health awareness.
* Side note for those who like links;
Most of the following numbers and factually correct information have been taken from the various pages on the World Health Organization website, such as the one linked here: WHO
Not much I can do about that, I like to link factually studied info and sources, and they talk about it and study it a lot so I can’t not cite them, on that note please rest assured anything quoted as being WHO was stated by them and can be found on their webpages to avoid having to link to the same site.
I will also be referencing harrowing figures from the following study for suicide rates in England from March 2023 to May 2024 linked here; Gov.uk stats
Thanks, sorry back to the article.*
Myth 1: Mental Illness Is Rare
Reality: Not according to the World Health Organization. In fact,
“In 2019, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world, were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common. In 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial estimates show a 26% and 28% increase respectively for anxiety and major depressive disorders in just one year” World Health Organization (WHO)
We talk about “sweeping things under the rug” but it would need to be a pretty big rug for 970 million people. Not trying to make light of a number like that but as the old saying goes “If we didn’t laugh we’d cry”
If we think of it that’s 12.64% of the total population (approximately 7.674 billion people as estimated by the World Bank) diagnosed with a mental disorder in a world where the sheer thought of mental illness being a genuine condition and not just something “we pick ourselves up and get on with it” is a relatively new concept, so just think how high that number could be if we considered the undiagnosed conditions labelled as “just another bad day, every day”
Myth 2: Mental Illness Is A Personal Weakness Or Character Flaw
Reality: This myth is not only incorrect but also harmful. Mental illness is a medical condition affecting the brain,
According to the World Health Organization statistics cited in one study:
- About 1 billion people worldwide suffer from mental illness.
- One person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, which equates to about 800,000 suicide deaths per year globally.
As an off-the-cuff comparison and to show the magnitude of this fact;
- The WHO fact sheet on cancer states, “Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, or nearly one in six deaths.”
- A global health statistic mentioned that 14.3% of deaths worldwide, or approximately 8 million deaths each year, are attributable to mental disorders. However, this figure is not specific to 2020. As stated by HopeChest.org
- During my darkest times, it was a character flaw as in that’s how it was and nothing would ever or could ever fix me, because of every single person in the world I was the one person nothing would work for. Saying that now makes me realise hating my life and feeling like I didn’t matter made me incredibly self-centred. How ironic is that?
- When I decided to change myself and research mental illness I learned no one can fix me but me! So I started to fight and to train (mentally not physically, don’t get too excited yet but if I could get “ripped” by talking about going to the gym I would put Eddie Hall to shame, but the dude owns a tank and I don’t, not saying that’s why he’s worlds strongest man and I’m not, just I mean there’s differences?)
This attitude in theory seemed to work however very quickly led to the downfall of feeling like if I had an off day or a day that I just wasn’t productive, I made myself worse by spending the next few days telling myself I was hopeless, lazy or whatever else.
- Finally, it clicked for me, it is an illness, the same way my pain and muscle death are illnesses and in the same way my pain means I’ll never be able to somersault (Yeah Jamie, because that’s the only reason you don’t do somersaults, no but it’s definitely one of them) The fact I have never felt the need or desire to is the reason I have never tackled that particular hurdle, and no in case you’re wondering, I don’t see not doing somersaults as a “weakness or character flaw either”
- In life, there are wants, needs, passions, desires, dreams, loves, whims and many other amounts of ways to rate the things we chase and in doing so we learn to employ a sort of equation of; energy levels required to get them, what adaptations would be needed to get there and then decide if it’s worthy of the effort.
- For example, if I run out of milk for coffee, I weigh up my pain levels now, how great they will be by the time I walk to the shop and back and how much I dislike black coffee or indeed require coffee to get through that day.
- Based on this calculation if it’s a day that I physically feel like walking to the kitchen would kill me, then I’m more than likely not going to make it to the kitchen to make said coffee let alone the shop.
- If on the other hand, it’s for medication or a really important engagement or emergency that you absolutely have to be physically there for, then I am sure you see how this changes matters and you would try to do anything you can to adapt for it or turn up and seem brave while in the back of your mind you know your going to pay for it for the next week at least.
- So in conclusion mental illness is no different, yes we may not be capable of doing everything we have ever wanted and even simple tasks can become brutal, but with treatment, medications, talk therapy, lifestyle changes, and education to take those tools, learn why we feel how we feel and address it and adapt.
Myth 3: Only Women Experience Mental Health Issues
Reality: This one may seem to be very easy to debunk by simply saying that mental illness doesn’t discriminate between genders and that men and women can be and are affected by Mental health issues.
However when we take into account certain societal expectations and stigmas such as; “men are meant to be strong and be the support or the rock of the family or relationship, and be able to deal with everything and hold it together”
It reminds me of the scene in 300 when his wife hands him his shield and sword and says “You either come home with your shield or on it” Men have been engrained to be fighters or dead.
That’s not today’s standards though right? Were past that right? ….right?
Let’s think of your general run-of-the-mill working guy with a steady job, wife, couple of kids, car, dog and white picket fence life. You think happy, but they have bills like everyone else, they have their stresses like everyone else and he’s holding it together like everyone else. He’s “the man of his house” If someone breaks in at 3 am, who is sent to investigate? Because somehow his basic desk 9-5 at 3 am turns him into a vigilante killing machine, doesn’t it? No, but he goes to protect his family, same when he gets sick and can’t afford the time off, he tries to carry on without treatment or in secret, greats the day with a smile and I’m ok.
For the people they love Men still carry the shield until being on it is the only other option.
I also appreciate that the stigma mentioned above is not exclusive to men, and women can find themselves equally scared of judgement in their lives, but that is why we must recognise that everyone can suffer from mental health issues, regardless of gender, background, social status, age etc.
Sadly the Suicide rates for England between March 2023 and May 2024 in the Gov.uk study linked at the start of the article directly shows us how serious this particular misconception can be:
Between March 2023 and May 2024 out of 5,324 deaths:
3,942 (74.0%) were in males and 1,382 (26.0%) in females
In May 2024 out of 324 deaths:
241 (74.4%) were in males and 83 (25.6%) in females
Myth 4: Children Don't Experience Mental Health Issues
Reality: Our children are our future, our lights, our monsters, our reason and our lives. However, it’s very easy to become dismissive of their needs with such schools of thought as “children are versatile, they will get over it” or simply “You are too young to understand, you’ve just heard it from somewhere”
As a man who currently has a 10-year-old daughter the thought of her suffering from the same thing that I suffer from daily doesn’t even bear thinking about, although it’s true they can. As you probably noticed in the stats pictured in the previous point 519 (9.7%) were aged 10 – 24…
I honestly have no words to follow that with, I have been thinking about all the different terms and phrases that would portray the inconceivable heartbreak and hurt at the thought of a child committing suicide let alone 519. Yes, I know it includes some young adults in that number, but I don’t think a 24-year-old or any age is better.
I know my daughter doesn’t suffer from mental illness though she has been through a lot and continues to go through life as we all do, I can see the toll of her life on her at times in the things she says or the days she’s a little more clingy than others etc, and that’s what it’s about it’s remembering our kids are human, its picking up on those queues and allowing your kids to be open and be able to support them as you would anyone else.
Myth 4: Mental Illness Is A life Sentence
Reality: Many people believe that a mental health diagnosis means a lifetime of suffering. This falls apart but in a rather ironic way, mental illness prevents us from genuinely living life, and the best cure to mental illness is learning how to live genuinely and not just survive.
So I ask you can it be a life sentence when you haven’t started living yet?
Or as Jordan Peterson puts it “Are you depressed or is your life shitty”
For example; A woman walks into a doctor’s surgery and says “I don’t know how to carry on, I don’t want to live any more, I’m depressed, I’m not sleeping, eating, washing etc”
The doctor decides this woman is depressed and hands her tablets and says “Take these and they will make you feel better”
seems like a normal scenario right, however, what you don’t know in this scenario, is the woman isn’t depressed, her granny has just died, she grieving and no amount of those “happy pills” is going to bring her back, so they can only hope to dull the pain, which again sounds like a good trade-off, but dulling the pain doesn’t teach us to deal with it the pain or indeed let go, it just makes us happier about being in pain.
A sentiment that is more harmful than anything she walked in with, so it’s not just about “take one of these and you’re healed” it takes a healthy combination of the right methods, time and effort.
So while having mental illness may not have a simple quick fix with proper treatment and support, most individuals with mental illness can recover and manage their symptoms effectively. Recovery is a personal journey often involving learning coping skills, making lifestyle changes, and building a strong support network.
If this mystical magical world has taught us anything it is that there is nothing that can’t be accomplished with the right amount of time and effort, we are gifted with a full 24 hours every single day and out of how many of those hours do we do more to put ourselves down than build ourselves up?
Has the Increase in Mental Health Awareness Been Good?
The rise in mental health awareness over recent years has brought both positive and potentially negative effects. Understanding these impacts can help us navigate the complexities of mental health advocacy more effectively.
Positive Impacts:
Reduced Stigma: Increased awareness has played a crucial role in reducing the stigma associated with mental health issues. This cultural shift has made it easier for individuals to seek help without fear of judgment.
Increased Access to Support: As awareness grows, so does access to mental health resources and treatments. This has led to more support systems and services for those in need.
Better Understanding: Awareness campaigns have significantly improved public knowledge about mental health conditions, their prevalence, and available treatments. This education helps to demystify mental health issues and promotes empathy and support within communities.
Early Intervention: Greater awareness helps people recognize the warning signs of mental health issues earlier, potentially leading to earlier intervention and better treatment outcomes.
Potential Negative Impacts:
Prevalence Inflation Hypothesis: Some researchers suggest that increased awareness may contribute to a rise in reported mental health problems. This could be due to over-diagnosis or the misattribution of normal life experiences as mental health issues.
Risk of Over-Medicalization: There is a concern that the growing focus on mental health might lead to the over-medicalization of everyday emotions and challenges. Not all emotional struggles require medical intervention, and it’s important to differentiate between clinical conditions and normal emotional responses.
Potential Harm from Interventions: While well-intentioned, some awareness campaigns or interventions may not be appropriately designed and could inadvertently cause harm or exacerbate symptoms in certain individuals.
Conclusion: Striking The Right Balance
Overall, the increase in mental health awareness has brought many benefits, including reducing stigma and improving access to care. However, it’s crucial to approach this awareness with caution and thoughtfulness. Striking a balance between promoting mental health awareness and ensuring that diagnoses and interventions are appropriate and evidence-based is key to supporting those in need without causing unintended harm.
By challenging misconceptions and spreading accurate information, we can help end the stigma surrounding mental illness and foster a culture of acceptance and understanding. Remember, mental health is just as important as physical health. Let’s work together to create a world where everyone feels comfortable seeking the help they need and deserve.
