Society: Are they Right? – How the world should view mental health

Chris and Chris write about how society view mental health incorrectly and how mental health should be viewed to make positive progression in dealing with it.

- Chris & Chris

"My anxiety causes me to panic whenever I think I'm doing something wrong or predict the worst case scenario. It also causes me to tell myself how worthless I am and how much of a failure I am at anything I do.”

"My anorexia makes me obsess over my weight all the time and even when I'm hungry, I see how long I can go without eating. If I binge eat, I force myself to throw it up and if I don't I hate myself."

"I have PTSD. Once in a while it causes me to have an attack where I basically shake and feel like I'm going insane over past memories. It causes my body to shake even though I consciously don't know why."

The above lines are three statements made by three individuals who learned to live with mental disorders. Something that has sparked my curiosity since a young age was the fact that mental illnesses always have so much stigma. Isn't it just like a fracture or a fever or any other ailments? These differences are created by society's notions of disorders.

Here are a few of society's believes about mental illness and myth busters that can answer these correctly:

Society: Society believes that people with mental health problems are violent and dangerous.

Truth: Society itself is more dangerous and forces these people to harm themselves or point out what they are trying to hide.

Society: Mental illness equals delinquency, crime, evil nature, abnormal lifestyle, and unfulfilled lives.

Truth: Most of the people who struggle with mental disorders emerge as fully contributing members of the society, who are braver, stronger and have unique perspectives.

Society: People diagnosed with depression are dependent and introverts who have a ruined self-image.

Truth: They are usually smarter than an average individual, have better perspectives and see situations realistically.

Society: ADHD means reckless adrenaline junkies who fail to fulfil roles and responsibilities.

Truth: They thrive in disruptive situations, embrace adventures and apt at multitasking.

Society: OCD is the epitome of perfection. People diagnosed forget themselves in the drive to be perfect and fail in most relationships.

Truth: They have higher levels of determination, naturally good at memory and compelled to learn new things frequently.

Society: Bipolar disorder ruins a person inside out. Either it is a high or a low or it makes them crazy.

Truth: They are four times as capable in art, creativity and observation.

All the stigma are based on perspectives and by changing these perspectives and the world opinion on mental health will change to a more positive one.

For more information on seeking support click here.

For more information on eating disorders click here.

For more information on understanding mental health click here.