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10+ Myths and Facts about Mental Health Issues



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10+ Myths and Facts about Mental Health Issues

10+ Myths and Facts about Mental Health Issues
All last week it was Mental Health Awareness week which was first established in 1990 by the U.S. Congress in recognition of efforts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness to educate and increase awareness about mental illness. And it's a great thing to have since mental health issues are such a huge taboo and there's a lot of stigma attached to it! And I wanted to do a little myths and facts post about mental health issues, talking about some of the most common mental health issues that some people have such as what people think they are and what they actually are! PS. Thought I'd put this one in our Life Hacks section as knowing these things about these mental health issues can be considered life hacks if you ever come across anyone with any of these mental health illnesses.

Myths about Bipolar Disorder

Myth: Bipolar Disorder is just something moody people say they have.
Fact: Bipolar Disorder is a very serious mental illness that comes with very bad mood swings which can negatively affect and interfere with a person to live a normal, happy life and can even lead to feelings and thoughts of suicide.

Myth: Bipolar Disorder is rare and not many people have it.
Fact: Almost 4% of the US population alone is affected by Bipolar Disorder at some point in their life. Some people have it for a while until they get help. Some people develop it late and some people have it for the rest of their lives.

Myth: You can stop taking your medication once you feel better.
Fact: Actually, anyone with a mental health issue or some psychiatric condition like Bipolar will need regular care and maintenance treatment for a fair amount of time and some people need it for the rest of their lives to help prevent it from reoccurring even like those with physical conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Myth: Psychiatric Illness only happens because of broken relationships.
Fact: Relationships are one cause for a mental illness, like depression and or anxiety. But most psychiatric illnesses comer about from our genetics and even environmental components.

Myth: You will never achieve your full potential if you have depression and or Bipolar.
Fact: You may not know this but some of the most famous and successful people throughout all of time have suffered from depression or Bipolar. That includes Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Fry, Issac Newton, Winston Churchill and Beethoven!

Myths about ADHD

Myth: ADHD is basically a modern way of saying people behave badly.
Fact: Actually, ADHD is a medically recognised psychiatric illness that has a whole array of symptom and treatments too!

Myth: Kids who have ADHD will eventually outgrow it.
Fact: While some kids that have ADHD do learn to live with it, it's only through special help and treatment that they do. Actually, ADHD can addect up to 40% of people when they grow up to become an adult.

Myth: ADHD is caused by eating too much junk food and watching junk TV.
Fact: There is absolutely no connection or correlation between watching junk TV and eating junk food. It's not as though they could cause people to lose interest in things after a very short period of time which is what happens to people with ADHD.

Myths about Depression & Suicide

Myth: It's people with weak characters or poor coping skills that mainly have psychiatric illnesses.
Fact: A psychiatric illness is usually biological and psychological like most mental health issues are. Even some of the strongest characters and personalities throughout time have suffered with mental health issues!

Myth: People who have schizophrenia are dangerous to be around!
Fact: Not all people with schizophrenia are dangerous to their self or others around then,. In fact, only a very small amount of people who have schizophrenia are violent to others if they are untreated and treated wrongly.

Myth: Depression is just being sad and not cheering yourself up.
Fact: If it was that easy for some people to just cheer their selves up, then less people would have depression. But depression is a very serious mental health issue that has a high morbidity and mortality rate. Depression can affect a lot of people when it comes. Like a grey cloud that just wont roll away. It's only through the help of loved ones, family, friends and support that it can be overcome.

Myth: Suicide isn't a problem in the US.
Fact: Suicide is a massive problem even if it's just one person thinking about it! But it's the 10th leading cause of deaths in the US alone and can be prevented by reaching out for help to friends, family and your doctor especially.

Myth: Taking multivitamins and food supplements can lead to depression.
Fact: There is no connecting evidence to suggest that vitamins and food supplements can lead to depression.

Question Time!

Did you ever think this way about any of these mental health issues before?

Have you or do you have a mental health issue and come across any of these ways of thinking in people?

How do you deal with it when you do? Do you just ignore them try to replace their myths with facts?

And that must be a hard thing to do and experience so if that is you, I feel for you homey!

Remember, if you do have any mental issues and want to talk you can talk to me!

I've been told I'm a good listener and I'm quite understanding.

Remember
10+ Myths and Facts about Mental Health Issues

And that's the thing people! It's all about understanding!

Once we all know about these facts, the world will be a much better place for those that have them and we'll be able to remove most or all of this stigma that's attached to people that do.

However, one thing I would like to close on, is on medication. I know that medication does have a high success rate. But I'm still not a firm believer that medication is the best thing people need. We all know that it helps when used in conjunction with help and support and even therapy (example: CBT). And that some people can still find help and success in overcoming many mental health complications without medication and just the help, support and therapy.

But I believe that LAUGHTER is the BEST medicine for ALL people REGARDLESS to what mental health issue they have! Yes, you can laugh, scoff and call me crazy but I'm not alone! Many people have been healed by being made to laugh. They've even done studies on patients where some were given meds, and others were sent through trials that were set to make them laugh and those that did had a higher and faster success rate for healing.

So if you want to be free from mental health issues, if you don't want to become depressed or you want to come out of depression, try to laugh more. Even fake it if you have to. Laughter and laughing releases endorphins and dopamine (the feel good chemicals) in your body and mind.

So have a good laugh people!

And remember, I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing. Through every dark night, there's a bright day after that. So no matter how hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up.... and handle it.!

Comments

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Tronia
Aw, thank you for such a nice and inspirational post, Mike. I personally never had any mental illness but you never know what might happen in the future... you can be faced with depression or something else before you even realize.

I have a very close friend that's bipolar and I could relate to your facts about it. Many people don't believe that bipolar even exists but it does. I remember when my friend still didn't have any diagnosis and she kept changing her moods... they are not mood swings because she went from being on top of the world happy and hyper to being the most depressed person ever. Luckily though, she got diagnosed because one person pointed it out - he knew that it could be bipolar. Now that she's frequently taking her meds and mood stabilizers she is a normal functional individual. So I agree with you, meds shouldn't be seen as the enemy but rather as a friend that will help you deal with your mental illness.



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galegatling
Depression, anxiety and loneliness are some of the main causes of having mental health issues. I am thankful that I don't have any of those, at least for now. I feel sad, really, to those who are suffering from mental health conditions. They probably feel that they don't want to live anymore or any of that suicidal thoughts. It's really sad and I hope they can overcome those mental illness.



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jasminemax
I agree the fact 'Laughter is the best medicine'. Everybody in this world is suffering from a mental health issue, maybe not a serious one, I call it ego, hatred, bullying etc..

As a good humam being, we must try to make others laugh. Every soul deserves a hearty smile, so just try to smile at others with heart filled love. Sometimes, they need it, they may feel good. we should always try to spread love and smile, not hatred.



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Barida
I don't hold back laugh when I feel like enjoying the laugh. It's the reason those around me have fun with me as well.



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plasmablutte12
I suffered many times in psychiatric illness, I can't even avoid to suddenly cry, and I always thought of committing suicide.
One thing that could trigger such illness, when you show or tell the
person he/she's a useless. I advised don't take it so much, or perhaps
don't listen to the people's negative comment about you. It will be more
serious when you take it seriously such thing, sometimes I called it a
depression because there's no different from any kind of depression,
depends of how you handle your problem.


How did I handle my depression? here's what I did when I was in high school and college;
  • I Avoid negative topics, if necessary make a problem as an inspiration to find solution
  • i talk about my problems to my friends, in order to release my deep sadness, after that I feel more light.
  • Always smile, just think that everybody had their own problems. Don't listen
    to your negative emotions always rely to positive side.
  • Find your own purpose
  • Think it was part of your trial to make you a strong person



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AlexJPro
Wow thanks for sharing this!

I read all of what you wrote and i can say good job for staying strong man!



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felabruno
I have thought about these issues and I will never understand people who joke about mental issues. They are diseases just like the sickness that happens to your body, but these ones are in your mind. It doesn't mean that they are less serious, if anything they are more serious because brain is the most important part of your body. It was a surprise for me though to see that so many people are affected by these issues.



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overcast
I think it's true about the depression. People get over the depression if they stop finding cause of the things. And that's one good practice for fixing things around. I can tell you that not all people can fix their mindset. But it's possible that some mental health issue may over take the life. And on that basis, it'd be reasonable to understand that sometimes we have to take things very lightly. You can see that mental health is very serious issues. You have to understand how to deal with the issue one at a time.



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PedroP
Personally, I have been struggling with paranoia lately. It's true what you said that the fix is merely in your head but still I can't grasp how something from within ourselves can be so destructive. I have had several proofs that my concerns are not true and still, I keep on imagining things. Such a destructive feeling!



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overcast
Only option for clearing the paranoia is instead of avoiding the things. Just have to accept it. For example if we think all people are bad as part of paranoia. We have to meet people and talk to them. That's how it works in many ways for the mental health acceptance. So this can clear paranoia, depression and also some of the anxiety issues. Not a lot of people can manage that but its possible to work around this.



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Mida
Thanks for sharing. This helped me understand the behavior of some people around me. I'll try talking to them more to help them cope with problems they are facing. Some don't visit psychiatrics even when that's a recommended route for solving their mental health issues. Sometimes you just come across people who still deny they have issues that need the attention of professionals like psychiatrists.



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saygorem
Thanks for this added information. I have a relative that has bipolar disorder and he copes up by the help of his family and friends. He admits and accept that he have the disorder. That way he lives a life as a normal as we do.



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AmieBotella
I believe all of the myths you put here are what the general people think. I am no different to the rest of the world but it is good to learn these things now to understand each of us. Education and right information will help resolve these myths and correct them. Unfortunately, most people still think narrowly when it comes to mental health issues. I am currently reading the book Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. In this book she tells her story and her journey with the issues of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. It's a harrowing event in her life during her illness and she also accounted her life after treatment. It is such an eye opening book in the world of mental illness. Personally, I realized that so many types of behavior we see in humans these days may be associated with mental disorders. We just don't know about the types and its symptoms but, really, each one has a concrete evidence proving the illness. I suggest to those who haven't read this book to read it and learn a lot from this story.



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kielrivera
Thank you for sharing this very informative post. I learned some behavior facts and I know now how to face and cope up to the people with their behavioral problems.



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jaymish
Thank you for this useful information and for taking the time to deal with this issue. Mental health is a serious issue and many people take it for granted. Especially those who still strongly believe in the old ways and tradition, where mental illness was seen as evil. All of us am sure experience depression at one time or another, especially when things are not going well for us.Yes that dark cloud hanging over our heads, that you can't seem to lift, no matter what you do is depression. In my family I have two cousins with mental illness. One has down syndrome and because it has been ignored, he has not been able to live a normal life. Another has Bi-polar and I can see him wasting away because his parents are ashamed and unwilling to get him the help he needs. My cousin is really clever and he is wasting away because of his parents ignorance.It's really sad. Thank you for helping us all reflect on this issue.



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augusta
This has confirmed my assertion that mental illness brings about bipolar disorder and not the other way round.I have been insisting that one of my friends that is always moody should visit an expert or a therapist for mental checks and people thinks I spew rubbish a lot.Thanks for sharing this and for setting the record straight.



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Barida
I think your friend need to read this post and see reasons to visit the clinic foe a checkup to avoid stories in the future.



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vinaya
My father had to cope with clinical depression for over 10 years. Generally, people had two notions: one, depression is not a disease and it is just a state of being sad and dejected. Two, having depression means being crazy, therefore, they should be put in mental institutions.
There is a stigma associated with mental diseases. either people are too easy on mental illness or are very hard on mental illness.



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overcast
This is true. Depression is being viewed as mental disease. It's more or less an issue of negative thinking. So people have to view it like that. I suffered from the social anxiety and agoraphobia. And it had lead to the depression. And I know how people look at me the wrong way. As you can see that in some of the cases where people have to take things slow and learn. Hope in near future people take depressed person seriously and they suffer less.



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vinaya
My father had to cope with clinical depression for over 10 years. Generally, people had two notions: one, depression is not a disease and it is just a state of being sad and dejected. Two, having depression means being crazy, therefore, they should be put in mental institutions.
There is a stigma associated with mental diseases. Either people are too easy on mental illness or are very hard on mental illness. Most of the people do not understand mental illness much like physical illness.
.



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PedroP
This is a very sad thing to hear. Fortunately, there are people out there willing to help those who need to identify and cope with their problems. I was lucky to have a friend who took kindly to me and listened to my problems. I owe him a lot even nowadays



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ColdFlameChris
Great post! I love every detail of it. It's great that you post this for those who are having issues with mental health and having a hard time dealing it. Thank you and have a nice day. 10+ Myths and Facts about Mental Health Issues



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gelotologist
I agree it's a great post and definitely a helpful post for the all people who are suffering mental health issues right now. It's sad to know that most people usually die from a depression, like I know there is a solution but once it attacks you there's nothing you can do but to fight it and pretend like nothing is happening.



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Judas2018
Even despite all the science and drugs produced to fight it as a problem - there are still people who deny that depression within humans is a real problem. They write it off as weakness or people being sissified. These people obviously don't realize how far the ability to diagnose complicated human issues and behaviors have evolved compared to the 50's and 60's.



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cess08
This is a very nice topic. Mental health is one of the most fascinating and concerning issues in modern society.Mental illness isn’t just a problem with your mind—it can also lead to serious physical diseases. Personally, mental disorder it will come and go as it pleases in our lives, even if we’ve successfully treated one episode of it.This means that many people who have a mental illness, and are treated, recover well or even completely. However, because there are many different factors contributing to the development of each illness, it can sometimes be difficult to predict how, when, or to what degree someone is going to get better.



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Pixie06
My cousin suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prior to her diagnosis, she was suffering a lot. She had suicidal tendencies and didn't want anyone around her. She was also having panic attacks regularly. This was a very difficult time for the whole family. It took more than a year for her to get better. She needs to visit the psychiatrist on a monthly basis. Mental Health illness is not something that we must take lightly.



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jpk0007
Very beautiful and informative post about a topic that is not given much importance by most of the people. Mental health is definitely the most neglected topic all over the world, particularly in developing countries. There is a lack of proper knowledge and symptoms of most of these mental diseases. In my country for the number of trained mental health professionals is very low. people won't even know the names of most of the mental diseases and problems. Due to this, there is a large number of suicides happening every day. I think the initiatives like the mental health awareness week can definetly help in increasing the awareness on this topic



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M1ndPrototype
I would say that your post should be taught in schools.
We just can't be compassionate with people who suffer from mental illnesses without realizing that it is not their blame.
I must confess I also had never been compassionate with people who suffer from mental illnesses, but when I got depressed and lost my job, I realized how serious and dangerous is this mental illness.
I couldn't talk with people, and my life was torment.
Thankfully, I stumbled upon a site where I found that I could take online mental health services.
Thankfully, that was all I needed, as the psychiatrists told me that my situation could have been worse, but I contacted them on time.
After a few online therapies, the situation got better.



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milaniagreen
It is very strange to think that dietary supplements can somehow negatively affect your mental health. This is a valuable tool that, in the right quantity and with high quality, can only have a positive effect on your health. In addition, many sellers use a ready-made formula of an effective remedy from private label gummy manufacturer, which is only a plus for you



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MirtdCarol
When I was examined in one of the clinics https://melbournefunctionalmedicin...tional-medicine/, I noticed that I was gradually getting less hair on my head. In short, I began to go bald. And the doctors immediately told me that all the drugs that supposedly improve the condition of your hair on your head are untrue, and such medications will never help you. In such a situation, the only thing to do is a hair transplant, which is a costly and complex operation. When he did a similar procedure, my friend then for half a year, he could not restore the skin of his head. It was always red and itchy. Good luck to ya.



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zorroditt
How do I beat anosognosia after the death of a loved one? I don't know what to do anymore. Every minute I think that I'm alone and that I can't leave without him. I'm desperate. My sister shared with me https://fherehab.com/learning/anosognosia-denial/ and said they could help me. Significant changes in a person's life can trigger a depressive state. It can be either good or bad events, such as the birth of a child, a divorce, or the death of a loved one. And these are strictly my symptoms. I'm confident that this will help me.



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milaniagreen
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PaleShade
If you don't talk to someone you trust about your problems, about the negative emotions you experience, then it's harder; that "black dog" in your life keeps growing and growing. I've had many moments where I went through depression, and now I'm going through it because I still haven't found someone to trust, I don't have friends, and I don't have a family. I'm alone. At least I trust the doctors from https://www.cameronmch.com/services/psychiatry/ where I am undergoing special treatment to get over this condition. I sincerely hope to feel better because I am working in this direction.



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milaniagreen
Suicide is always a very scary topic. There are problems in the life of each of us, it is important not to accumulate them, and fight the state of depression. And even if you are unable to do it yourself, you can always get help here https://nwacrisiscenter.org/



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