Mental illnesses are too often thought of as a sign of weakness. There is no such thing as a mental illness that makes a human being weak.
There are so many misconceptions that come with mental illness and these misconceptions do even more damage to people’s mental health than the actual illness.
In this post, I will run through some of the big misconceptions of mental illnesses and how we can remedy these misconceptions together.
People With Mental Illnesses Are Crazy
Alright, obviously this is not true it’s just my heading. But read that heading again and try to imagine being called crazy because of an illness. No one ever calls a person with a physical illness crazy. A common theme throughout this post will be that mental illnesses are not something to be used against people. Mental illness should bring people closer together because everyone struggles with some form of mental issues. You might be reading this thinking that there is no way that anyone would call someone with a mental illness crazy. I am here to telly ou that is unfortunately not the truth. Sometimes people don’t realize the extent of the situation or people might make fun of them. That is why it is important to never assume anything about someone because you just never know as much as you think.
Mental Illnesses Are Exaggerated
By now I’m sure you have noticed my headings are my assumptions. Mental illnesses must always be taken seriously no matter how minor they might seem. I will make the comparison to physical illnesses again because I feel like that is so powerful. If you had a cold and you felt really bad you would not want someone to say “Oh you are fine”. Now say you are having a bad day and you are mentally exhausted and someone says “Oh you are fine”. In both cases, that person is not taking the time to understand you empathize with you.
People Fake Mental Illnesses To Get Attention
Now this one is more complicated. Mental illnesses in that of themselves are complicated and it might seem like someone is saying something that is not true. It is important to remember that just because you might not understand what they are saying does not mean it is not true. People have limits as to what they can do to help. It is important to remember that you are an ally to someone that needs your support. Sometimes, actually most of the time, all people really want to hear is that they are loved. There can never be enough love and support for everyone.
The Bottom Line
Everyone, and I mean everyone, can always be more educated. Understanding the human mind is a lifelong process and we still do not know nearly everything. But every day that we all try to learn we all get closer. Mental illnesses are very real and odds are you at least know someone who struggles with mental illness and/or mental health issues. One remedy that I have found that works for me if I feel like my mental health is unstable is a program called The 60 Second Panic Solution. This really has become a daily routine for me I simply listen to the message and everything feels a little more simple. Sometiems in life, complex problems have simple solutions. The bottom line really is that the mental side of the human existence is full of misconceptions, and becoming more knowledgeable of those misconceptions and how to live above them is vital to our overall mental wellbeing.
Thank you for dealing with this topic. Yes, we need to be educated on how to treat others about this and also how to deal with our own case, if we have some illness in this regard. I like you simple but effective way of explaining things. Thank you very much for providing me a post worth sharing on this very important topic.
I love this topic because everyone has different things to say about it! Spread the word!
Hello, Thank you for sharing your info with us and for bringing this topic to peoples attention. Mental health issues use to be hidden and hushed and still kind of are but they are becoming more and more brought to attention and with great support. There are a lot of really good resources out there now that were not there before. Thanks again and have a wonderful day.
Hello! Yes, resources are everywhere! No one is ever alone. Have a great day!
Unfortunately its the wrong treatment of mental illnesses that can make people weak. Too often, pressure can crush people who are struggling to cope already. When the Welfare Site they have become secure with is suddenly in Jeopardy, many fail to cope and unfortunately some even commit suicide.
For years, an all too often still, mental illness has been categorized as a weakness, for years in the same category as completely different illnesses. The more information and support like this the better.
Thanks.
Kev
I look forward to reading your 60 second Panic solution.
You are so right. Mental illness is no weakness at all and societal pressure and advice often portray it that way, even if it is not intentional. That is exactly why I wrote this article. No one ever deserves to feel this way. That is why I included the line about the difference between a bad day and mental illness issues. I totally agree with you. the more information shared, the more conversations had, the higher our quality of life will be.