Busting Myths About Mental Illness
It is very possible to survive and thrive after being diagnosed with a mental illness. Nearly 20 percent of American adults will suffer from a mental illness at some point in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The condition can range from a mild, short-lived bout of depression to severe schizophrenia that may require hospitalization or lifelong medication.
As common as mental illness is though, certain myths are surprisingly persistent and prejudice continues to be widespread. “Busting Myths About Mental Illness” on CaliforniaHealthline.org, provides insight into some of the common beliefs shown below:
- You can “snap out of” mental health problems. You can’t just magically think your way out of a mental illness, whether it’s mild or severe.
- If you have a mental illness, you can’t hold down a job . While it’s true that those with a serious mental illness are less likely to be working, many people are able to successfully manage their conditions and find success at work.
- Mental health problems breed violence. The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent. Although people with severe mental illness are up to three times more likely to be violent than those who are mentally healthy, they contribute to just a small part of violence in society. And only about 3 to 5 percent of violent acts can be attributed to mental illness. In fact, researchers have found that people with mental illness are about 10 times more likely to be victimized by violence than the general population.
- You can’t recover from mental illness. Many people do make it through mild or moderate episodes of mental illness and never experience them again. Others with more serious conditions are able to successfully control them and live the life they want, just like people with such chronic diseases as diabetes.
Read the full story to debunk these myths and learn this must know information.