Surprising myths and prejudices about mental illness

Mental illnesses are complex and difficult to understand health problems, giving birth to several myths that deform people’s perception of the real implications of a mental disorder.

Canadian researcher studies show that one in five adults aged over 65 years each year will be diagnosed with a mental illness. Moreover, psychological problems exist in a larger proportion of Earth’s population than we tend to believe.

The Truth About Psychic Disorders

Psychiatric disorders are, in generic terms, functional disorders of the brain that occur both on the background of hereditary influences and under the influence of specific environmental factors. Official global statistics show that more than a third of the world’s population suffers from mental illness, but the number of patients may be much higher if the millions of undiagnosed cases are taken into account.

Because these affections are difficult to understand, manage and accept, they have given rise to many myths about what it means to have a mental illness. Let’s have a look at some of the most common.

People with mental illness are violent and dangerous

The image that the media are promoting about the profile of mentally ill people committing atrocities has led to of a general view that people with mental disorders are always murderous and cold-blooded.

Although some psychiatric disorders may involve recourse to unhealthy actions, official statistics show that generally speaking, patients with mental illnesses are no more violent than the rest of the population. Moreover, people with mental disorders often come to be victims of violence and aggression by others due to side effects such as poverty, social isolation or problems with the use of dangerous substances.

Schizophrenics have multiple personalities

Hollywood movies have somehow shaped the general public’s perception of schizophrenics, unfortunately in a direction that does not depict reality. Schizophrenia is not a disease that involves multiple personalities, but an incurable chronic illness that prevents the patient from distinguishing between real and imaginary. As a result, patients with schizophrenia suffer psychotic episodes in which they experience hallucinations, delirium and paranoid ideas that they need to keep under control with medication.

People diagnosed with mental illnesses remain like this for their entire lives

This analogy would be similar to the situation where a person is diagnosed with diabetes and can no longer lead a normal life. This is without a doubt false. Considering psychiatry has evolved so much, there are nowadays many ways of treatment that allow patients to enjoy a satisfying lifestyle.

Some mental illnesses are even treatable by psychotherapy, so the support patients receive during treatment provides allows them to lead a happy and productive life.

People with mental illness have a low intelligence

This myth is completely wrong and discriminatory. Psychiatric disorders can not be associated with personal intelligence, socio-economic status, location, education, culture, religion or gender. Mental illness can affect anyone, anywhere and at any age. No one is immune to mental health problems.

Instead, it is true that an untreated mental illness can interfere with a person’s normal lifestyle, such as education or opportunities to get a job. For this very reason, it is important to start therapy as quickly as possible in order to have maintained quality of life.




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