Myths vs Facts about Mental Health

(This thread is absolutely great...Someone had to say what you just wrote being so true...I have no words to thank you...)

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

Many, but one of them is calling sufferers of severe drpression "hoarders" or "lazy"...these people may have done in their lives more than you have done in yours or even if they did not, they are a victim, not to be labelaed or stigmatised and due to the silent nature of major depression victims are not counted but it would be shocking to the world tp know how many are afflicted...

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

How do you think duh? Double victims, once we suffer and try to deal with our conditions than on top of that we have to deal with stigma and misconceptions? So how the happy darnnation should that make us feel?

3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!

Every since I was a child I supported mental conditions and faught against stigma. In my soccer team were accepted all kids regardless of their mental condition, ethnivity or sex and we always won since we cared deeply for each other...that was our powerful secret...

Coping tools:

Inform people and warn people about your condition so that they are aware and take notice...

Surround yourself with friends who really care for you...

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

That this person has "problems" they are scary you should be avoiding them. They are "dangerous" "psychopath" Make their kids avoid them because afraid how they act in public seems too weird so they all avoid you like you have a disease and stop belonging to the human race.

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

Not only is that alienating but no one things about how that makes the person living with the mental health condition really feel. It makes the person more depressed and withdrawn from their community and inability to participate as an active member of society not only because of their limitations but also the judgement around their limitations.

3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!

I would support them by giving them a chance to speak and spread their story no matter how unusual it sounds. Coping tools involve doing hobbies or focus on finding new hobbies to keep you busy and you can even get incentives to share you're work with others and participate with people of similar hobbies.

@Tazzie

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?: People with mental issues are lazy, stupid, psycho, abnormal, can't manage etc
2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions? : Seriously!!!, Misconceptions hurts us like crazy and make us feel like crap
3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools! I would help them and talk to them and say to ignore such nonsense. Two coping skills would be revenge in the best form and engaging in hobbies which they like

@Tazzie

Amazing information! Thank you so much for posting and dispeling some of the myths surrounding mental illness.

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

Mental illnesses are just an excuse to be lazy. That sh is just attention seeking behavior. That I enjoy to clean and organize and that I can control my OCD. That mental health doesn't exist and is just an excuse for people to get out of doing certain things.(obviously all this is false)
2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

I think it makes people with mental health concerns less inclined to get the help they need. It causes people to internalize their emotions because they have become afraid of talking about their feelings. People end up going years without getting help because they grow up with the idea that mental illnesses are something to be ashamed of.
3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!

i) I would give them the facts and tell them that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. That mental illnesses are just chemical imbalances in the brain and not some flaw in a person. I would also tell them that having a mental illness aren't the same as how the media portrays them to be.

ii) Try educating yourself and others on mental health concerns so that you can help end the stigma.
Surround yourself with people that are willing to support you and do things for yourself that will help you be in a better place mentally like hobbies or esome form of self care.

@Tazzie

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

Well there are a lot. First being that there is no such thing as mental illness. That it is rich people's hobbies. Second, people with mental illness are lying about it or just doing it for attention.third, that the guys who have mental illnesses are weak.Fourth and the one that disgusts me or you can say makes me feel bad the most is that people believe that the diagnosed people who take pills are weak. That they are not strong enough to fight it so they depend on pills.

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?
It makes such people not talk about their issues. As parents refuse to believe them, the parent-child relationship starts to deteriorate. The child starts hiding things and stops communicating. He believes that his parents won't understand. It becomes hard for guys to speak about their illnesses because if they do they are labeled weak.

3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!
I would listen to them. I would encourage them. Show them empathy. Help them feel better about themselves because all these things let's people's morale down. When they are not able to talk about it because of all these fears they thing they are the wrong ones. They feel bad about themselves and I will help them through that.

@Tazzie

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

That people with depression are just sad or people with anxiety just worry a lot. there is so much more to both and the "solution" is so much more than changing our perception to a single event.

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

Misconceptions makes it harder for people to reach out for help. If someone is told that they are overreacting or that they "just" need to stop worrying or they "just" need to cheer up, then they don't feel they qualify for help. Minimizing the struggles of mental health issues makes the inflicted person feel even worse and internalize thier mental health issue as a fault or failure on their part.

3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!

I support others by simply sharing my own story. Being more open about my expereinces will hopefully remove some of the sigma that the other person might be feeling. I listen to your story, I validate your feelings, and I empathize with your situation.

Coping tool: (1) meditation can do wonders for your general anxiety (2) Journaling has been helpful for both anxiety and depression. Sometimes I write down my racing thoughts and it almost feels like I'm slowing those thoughts down. Or I can write down how my depression has effected how I percieve things around me and I can feel a little better getting those thoughts "out" of me.

@Tazzie

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

That anxiety isn't "real" and that it's just an excuse. Obviously that's very untrue, but that's one of the biggest. The second biggest is "People only self harm for attention." BULLCRAP. Not accurate at all.

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

Having these misconceptions could impact someone MAJORILY, and cause a huge trigger. They could hide away, self-alienate, seclude themselves, not talk about things anymore to anyone, be scared of opening up, and worst of all, it could end in a very bad situation...

3. How would you support someone facing stigma?

I would support them by listening to them, not judging them, being there for them in any way I possibly could, and referring them to the appropriate people if that's something they wanted. ALSO, this is very important. While you're listening, ASK THEM what would be most helpful for them, see if there's anything specific you can do. I'd also confront those who had the "misconceptions", and explain my side of things.

4. Share any two coping tools!

Particpating in hobbies I enjoy, like going to the beach, fishing, etc. Hanging out with good friends, and also, listening to music!

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- fixMorgs 🕊️|| Everywhere you go, Spread love. ~ Morgan Wolf 🐺

@Tazzie

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

"People with mental health illnesses are crazy and need to be locked up."

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

It makes them feel less than and they're scared to reach out for help.

3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!

I'd support them by letting them talk about what they're going through. I think the most powerful coping tool is talking it out with someone but for those who have no one that they trust enough, I think writing/typing their feelings out can help them or doing voice recordings of themselves talking about it. Another coping tool I like is doing things that make me happy. Because while I'm happy doing what I like, I temporarily forget about what I'm dealing with.

1. What are some misconceptions you have heard of in your community or culture?

Lazy, ungrateful and spoiled compared to people in x country, selfish, just looking for attention, why can't you just stop being x, just suck it up. Or, you are crazy and need to be locked up in a mental hospital.

2. How do you think the misconceptions impact people living with mental health conditions?

I think it has a really big impact on one's ability to reach out and actually get the support that they need, like feelings of shame, fear, uncertainty. Like trying to share a bit of what you're going through and being shut down can be extremely demotivating and isolating.

3. i. How would you support someone facing stigma? ii. Share any two coping tools!

Hearing them out and validating their perspective. Maybe sharing some resources about mental health issues, letting them know that they're not alone and tryna spread awareness

One coping tool would be reaching out to trustworthy peers, or places like here, and talking with ppl who are either willing to listen with a non judgemental ear or ppl who have been there themselves. Another one might be writing out those feelings or educating oneself on mental health issues