The sheer number of myths and invalid opinions surrounding mental health is staggering. Now, you might think that calling an opinion invalid is not very fair. However, when you read through some of the points in this post, you’ll realize why they’ve been labeled as such. Everyone is entitled to an opinion on everything – not just your mental health – but that doesn’t mean their opinion is valid or worth believing.
This sounds like a hard stance, and it is. But, that’s only because so many people have struggled for years with mental health issues and done nothing about them because of opinions or myths like the ones we’ll discuss below. So, if you hear or see anyone say or write these things, don’t believe them!
Myth #1: Mental health problems are rare
You’re often made to feel like an outcast if you suffer from mental health conditions because people claim they are so rare. As a result, you stop yourself from talking about them because you don’t want to be seen as weak or different. In reality, mental health problems affect pretty much everyone. We all struggle with our mental wellbeing to some degree, at some point in our lives. It’s not rare, you’re not alone, and there is a lot of help waiting for you out there.
Myth #2: Mental health problems mean you’re weak-minded
Again, many people are of the opinion that mental health problems only affect the weak-minded in society. There’s a general consensus from some populations that you need to ‘man up’ or ‘just get over it’ when you suffer from mental health issues. You’re made to feel like you’re less than others, or that the problem should be easily fixed. Mental health is a difficult thing to handle and understand, so it takes time to deal with your problems. Likewise, some of the strongest-minded people suffer from mental health issues – they don’t make you any weaker or any worse than anyone else.
Myth #3: You shouldn’t take medication to help your mental health
Medication exists for a reason; it’s there to help you deal with the symptoms of a health condition or disease. With mental health, you absolutely can and sometimes should take certain medications if they help you deal with your problems (as prescribed by your doctor). There’s nothing wrong with taking antidepressants for depression or Abilify for anxiety. It’s no different from taking medication when you have physical health problems. The important thing is to avoid relying on medication alone to solve your problems – supplement it with therapy and get to the root of the issue.
There are so many other myths and terrible opinions relating to mental health. These three are some of the most prominent throughout society, and you can see how damaging they can be to people suffering. If you have mental health problems that have plagued you for years, be sure you don’t listen to these points or believe them if people say them to you. Suffering from bad mental health is common, it doesn’t make you weak-minded, and there’s nothing wrong with taking something to help you deal with it.