Mental health myths vs. facts
Myths surrounding mental illness perpetuate stigma. Stigma relates to the negative attitudes and fixed, yet false, beliefs that people hold relating to those who live with mental illness or mental health concerns. These negative attitudes have an impact on people in all areas of their lives, employment, housing, food security, health care, self-esteem, and overall wellness. People who live with mental illness and who experience stigma, are far less likely to seek help and support.
Myth: People with Mental Illness are violent.
Fact: It is more likely that people with Mental Illness will be the victim of other people’s violence.
Myth: People with Mental Illness are crazy.
Fact: Someone with a mental illness should be treated the same as someone who has a physical illness. It is just an illness of the brain, as opposed to an illness of the body.
Myth: People with Mental Illness will not get better.
Fact: People with mental illness can, and do, get better. With proper treatment and support, those with mental illness can live well and healthy lives. For some, recovery may be a longer process, but it is possible.
Myth: Only First Responders get PTSD.
Fact: PTSD is a result of any kind of trauma. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, difficult childhood, bullying, harassment and exposure to even one traumatic event can cause an individual to experience PTSD.
Myth: Mental Illness is a weakness or a character defect.
Fact: Mental Illness is caused by biological and environmental factors, and sometimes it can be a combination of both. Some people are more susceptible based on difficult life circumstances and some people are genetically predisposed to illness.
Myth: Schizophrenia is caused by poverty and/or bad parenting.
Fact: Schizophrenia is a brain disease and comes from the Greek Words - Schizo (means split) and Phrenia (means mind). It is the mind splitting from reality. Early intervention with Schizophrenia and other forms of Psychosis is important because the longer it goes untreated, the more damage it causes to the brain.
Myth: Mental illnesses are not real illnesses.
Fact: The words we use to describe mental illnesses have changed greatly over time. What has not changed is the fact that mental illnesses are not the regular ups and downs of life. Mental illnesses create distress, do not go away on their own, and are real health problems with effective treatments. When someone breaks their arm, we would not expect them to just “get over it.” Nor would we blame them if they needed a cast, sling, or other help in their daily life while they recovered.
Myth: Mental illnesses will never affect me.
Fact: All of us will be affected by mental illnesses. Researchers estimate that as many as one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point in their life. You may not experience a mental illness yourself, but it is very likely that a family member, friend, or co-worker will experience challenges.
Discriminating Language: Crazy, Psycho, Psychotic, Whacko, Loony, Nuts, Schizo, Loony Bin, Shrink.
All of these terms are used when referring to people who are unwell or experiencing some form of mental health concern, or illness. This type of language further stigmatizes those who live with a form of mental illness as no one wants to be referred to as “crazy.” People are unlikely to seek help when these terms are used to describe them.
We also do not want to label people by their illness. For example, we do not want to say “he, or she, is a schizophrenic.” They are not their illness. They are a person who lives with an illness called Schizophrenia.
A person is not “Bipolar”. They are a person who lives with an illness called “Bipolar Disorder”.
We would never call a person “a cancer” or “a broken leg”. We should not refer to people by their mental illness.