Mental Health Myths
With so much happening that is out of our
control and so much uncertainty clouding our lives, it seems like a
shared feeling has become this awful impending sense of doom. Words like
depression and anxiety are becoming commonplace as people struggle to
cope with loss, addiction, employment changes, and social isolation.
With so many people facing new and
terrifying odds, it's important to look at what different mental health
problems really look like and how they can be dealt with. Many still
deny the very existence of mental health disorders and others have a
fundamental fear of them. It's hard to know what is true and what isn't
in the midst of all the confusion. So let's take a look at some of the
common misconceptions surrounding mental health.
1. People with mental health disorders cannot be employed
The long-standing belief has been that
people with mental health problems are incapable of functioning in a
normal workplace and unable to hold down steady jobs. While certain
severe mental health conditions can impair a person’s ability to work,
this belief is by and large, untrue.
A 2014 study conducted by American scholars determined that employment
becomes affected negatively as the severity of the mental illness rises.
Keeping that in mind, the study also determined that nearly 55% of
people with severe mental conditions maintained functional employment,
as well as 60-70% of people with mild or moderate conditions. Compare
that to 75% employment of people without any mental illness.
The study also found that employment rates for people with mental health
disorders decreased as age increased. Though it can be difficult for a
person with mental health problems to adjust to different working
environments, it is by no means impossible or even uncommon.
2. Mental health problems are permanent
When people find themselves or someone
close to them experiencing symptoms of and being diagnosed with a mental
health disorder, their immediate assumption may be that they are being
slapped with a life sentence. This is not always the case as the
severity and longevity of mental illness usually differ from person to
person.
Symptoms of depression, addiction, or schizophrenia can include
everything from fatigue, insomnia, and mood swings to seizures,
restlessness, and sensitivity to light. Some people may suffer from the
symptoms during infrequent episodes. Certain forms of depression are
triggered by particular events or external factors, like Seasonal
Affective Disorder, which results in mood swings only during certain
seasons.
For the most part, with regular treatment, people with mental illnesses
can recover, with the help of medical and therapeutic treatments, and
live a full and satisfying life. In some cases, recovery may mean a
return to normalcy, while others see it as relief from prolonged
symptoms which didn't allow them to function happily. Depending on the
disorder and its severity, the road to recovery may be long and arduous,
but it is in no way a life sentence.
3. Only women are affected by eating disorders
Much like the idea that women can’t play
sports, and men cannot cook, this statement is merely a stereotype,
usually associated with young women from wealthy backgrounds and, of
course, models and actors. While it has been largely women that suffered
from eating problems, men have also been affected by anorexia and
bulimia. In fact, a 2014 study showed a shift in the demographics for
this type of mental health problem.
The study was conducted over a 10 year period from 1998 to 2008 and
investigated the eating habits of different demographics, like age,
gender, and socio-economic status. It found that there was a significant
increase in behavior associated with eating disorders in men from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds and people above the age of 45.
Many were found to be engaging in cycles of binge-eating, extreme
purging, and heavy dieting. This behavior is often carried out in the
pursuit of greater physical health at the risk of quality of life. Other
research shows that men constitute 25% of all cases of binge-eating
disorders, bulimia, and anorexia.
4. Mental health problems aren’t that common
It may seem like mental disorders are a
rare illness that only affect a few, but the numbers are much larger
than you’d expect. An estimation made by the WHO (World Health
Organization) in 2001, noted that “1 in 4 people in the world will be
affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their
lives.”
More recent studies have shown nearly 300 million people across the
globe are affected by depression. A study published in September 2020
revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in people developing
symptoms of depression at triple the rate before given the multitude of
new triggers, from lower-income to extreme isolation.
There are a variety of other mental illnesses that affect people, like
bipolar disorder which nearly 5% of adults will experience at some point
in their lives, and even anxiety. 3 in every 100 American adults,
that’s nearly 7 million people, suffer from Generalized Anxiety
Disorder.
5. Substance abuse is caused by an inability to resist
While it does take an immense amount of
willpower to avoid or recover from a substance abuse problem, like
alcoholism or drug addiction, it is not the only factor that comes into
play. Substance abuse disorders have been linked to environmental,
genetic, and physiological factors, well beyond the reach of willpower.
Alcoholism has been recognized as a disease since as early as the 1950s.
Drug-addiction has more recently joined the
ranks of acknowledged mental health disorders as the role of mental
illness, stress, trauma, and genetics in addiction has become more
evident. A 2008 study showed that genetics influence reaction time to
substances, instinctive repetitive behavior, and even an inability to
feel the negative effects of drugs, all of which contribute to the
development of an addiction.
In addition to the hereditary development of addictions, environmental
factors like stress and trauma can also act as triggers that incite
addiction. Most chemical dependency recovery programs focus on
determining methods to cope with and control environmental triggers,
thereby preserving willpower and enabling greater functionality.
6. Children do not have mental health conditions
We like to associate children with
innocence and joy, and while that is absolutely the case, that does not
preclude them from vulnerability to mental health problems. There are
numerous factors that can affect the mental health of children from
physical appearance and popularity among peers to grades and other
academic pressures - all in addition to genetic and physiological
factors.
A Canadian study conducted in 2019 surveyed the mental health status of
over 10,000 kids in Ontario. This study made use of data collected from
families and children and observed that nearly 1 in 5 kids between the
age of 4 to 17 have or will develop a mental health problem. Signs of
mental illnesses seen in adults begin to manifest themselves when the
person is as young as 14 years old.
The study also determined that age, gender, and socioeconomic factors
played a role in how the symptoms of various mental health problems
manifested themselves. Younger boys were more hyperactive while older
boys showed signs of emotional disorders. Children from low-income
families living in high-poverty areas internalized symptoms more than
those living in high-income areas. This further adds to the importance
of understanding mental health problems and illnesses on a
person-to-person basis.
7. You can die from a panic attack
Panic attacks can come in a variety of
symptoms depending on severity, the most common being hyperventilation,
headaches, sweating, and shaking. These symptoms do not cause death.
That said, the symptoms together can be extremely damaging to the body
and the mind, and should be treated promptly.
Since panic attacks have physical
manifestations, they can leave lasting physical effects. They can also
leave a person immobilized by fear, increasing their heart rate to
extreme levels. Frequent panic attacks and chronic stress result in
heart palpitations, chest pain, and numbness in the extremities. Over a
period of time, this can lead to cognitive impairment, memory loss, and
even heart problems.
Deep breathing exercises can be highly effective in battling panic
attacks and recovering from them more quickly, reducing the impact on
your body. Staying active and practicing muscle relaxation techniques
can also help bring down the frequency of attacks and symptoms.
Mental health problems are more common than
we realize but far less fearsome than we first thought, and most of
them can be treated successfully. In the case of all mental health
problems, it’s important to talk to people close to you, stay aware of
recent studies on mental health, and talk to a mental health
professional about symptoms you or someone close to you has been
experiencing.
Exercise, diet, positive thinking, and mental exercises can go a long
way in improving one’s mental health, and medicinal treatments are also
available. Though they may seem daunting, mental health problems and
illnesses do not have to keep you or your loved ones from living a happy
and fulfilling life.