So much for weekly posts, . . . right!?
Mental illness is so often criminalized and villianized. Just look at the UCSB shooter we had last weekend. The media is already calling him "mentally disturbed" even though there's a much bigger issue at fault here: ingrained misogyny.
(^^^For more info on misogyny extremism, watch this video above^^^)
But that's not what I'm writing this post about. I'm writing about the myths associated with mental illness.
This past weekend, my father happened to be in town and visited my deranged (and estranged, rhyme intended) mother, and because her and I had a dispute a few weeks ago, it slipped out of my mouth that I have a mental illness and that I'm Bipolar and a sufferer of PTSD as well. I didn't mean to tell my mom, she's ridden with undiagnosed and untreated conditions herself (and she's the reason why I got put into foster care in the first place), and I knew she would blow the news out of proportion, but she made me angry while we talked over the phone because she consistently denied that the years of abuse she put me through ever happened and said that I must be "making them up", "making a false reality." So my shit hit the fan and the secret swept out, and now she has the notion that I'm on medication, which nobody told her! The truth is, I AM ON MEDICATION, because it's very important that someone like myself gets help, stays medicated, and seeks professional therapy and support from others, but these are things my mother will NEVER understand.
Anyways, where I was going with all of this: While my father was in town visiting my mother, she had the nerve to say, "If Sky is taking medication, she's going to end up like the UCSB shooter!"
This is the exact kind of statement I am trying to combat.
See, we constantly frame those who are mentally ill as "mad men" (and women) or monsters, psychopaths, or the most commonly used one of all, as "crazy", when this is not true.
May is
Mental Health Awareness Month, so I think it’s time to set the records
straight! Here are some common myths about mental health and what the truth
really is:
1. Having a mental
illness/disorder makes you ‘crazy.’
Having a
mental illness/disorder does NOT make you “crazy.” What it does make you is
vulnerable. Having a mental illness means that you have chemical imbalances in
your brain that might alter your thinking, destabilize your moods, or skew your
perception of reality to a degree, but that doesn’t make you crazy! It makes
you human! And with proper treatment, you can be as sane as anyone!
2. People with mental
illness are violent & dangerous.
Within
the last few years, we have had an increase in terrorist attacks and mass
violence. Whenever these disasters take place, the media is quick to judge the
suspects and label them as “mentally disturbed”, which is rather inaccurate. In
reality, only 3-5% of violent crimes in the U.S. are committed by persons who
suffer from a mental illness (Reference: Iva Cheung, “Sanism and the Language
of Mental Illness” 2015)
The
unfortunate truth is that individuals with mental illness are MORE likely to be
victims of violence than perpetrators. Disorders like Depression, Borderline
Personality Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder make sufferers more inclined to
inflict self-harm than to harm another person. You have no need to fear a
person with a mental illness just because of their diagnosis.
3. People with Bipolar Disorder are moody.
Bipolar
Disorder (specifically) does NOT necessarily equate to having intense mood
swings.
People so
often throw around the term “bipolar” to describe California weather. When they say this, it downplays the seriousness of the condition and creates misinformation about what Bipolar disorder actually is. They are referring to rapid changes, and Bipolar Disorder
doesn’t always work like this for everyone who has it.
What
Bipolar Disorder DOES do is cause you to have episodes (or periods of time)
where you might experience mania (high energy, rampant thoughts, inability to
sleep, grandiose ideas or perspectives, etc.) and depressive states (the
opposite, feeling very sluggish, sad, suicidal, etc.) These extreme highs and
lows take turns, but do not necessarily appear and disappear within the same
moment.
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is only a military man’s (veteran’s) disease.
PTSD
(specifically) is NOT just a military man’s disease.
ANYONE
can suffer from PTSD. A rape or sexual assault victim, a domestic abuse victim,
a survivor of a natural disaster, someone who’s suffered a loss, or even a
person who did not face any violence or physical threats themselves directly,
but happened to witness someone else who did (i.e vicarious trauma). The symptoms include having
flashbacks of that event or events, nightmares/night terrors, anxiety/panic
attacks, onsets of depression, reacting in a way as if the event is
re-occurring, etc.
And don’t
believe all of the movies in which a person supposedly has PTSD. As a sufferer
myself, I honestly think that super hero movies, (like Iron Man 3, The
Incredible Hulk, etc.) are better depictions of the disorder than other films
out there, and that’s a little pathetic if you ask me!
5. Psychiatric medications
("psych meds") are bad.
People
often tend to believe that psychiatric medicine is harmful or bad. That, or
they believe that "psych meds" are simply “happy pills” and “an easy way out” for
those with mental illness to avoid dealing with their problems. Again, this is
simply not true.
Just like
any other detrimental medical condition, mental illness is still an illness.
For many mental disorders, medication is necessary, just like it would be for a
Diabetic taking Insulin. For some individuals with mental illness, medication
is needed for survival. (myself included) For others, like those suffering from
mild to moderate Depression, Anxiety, or ADHD (for instance) medication can
help ease symptoms quite a bit so that they can function normally. And having
personal Therapy alongside taking prescribed medication regularly can greatly
improve one’s quality of life.
6. Seeking help for such
disorders will lead to being ostracized by one’s community/loved ones and make
symptoms worse.
Seeking
help for such disorders will and should NOT lead to being ostracized by one’s
community/loved ones nor should it make symptoms worse.
I know
it’s hard (really hard) to come out to anyone about possibly having a mental
disorder, especially because they’re so commonly misunderstood and people who
are uneducated tend to think that people are the way they are because of
nature, personality, or attitude. But when you do have the strength, courage,
and bravery to open up to someone else, you are working to alleviate the
stigma, increase awareness, empower yourself, grow as a person, become well,
and promote understanding of mental health! So don’t let being (or seeming)
vulnerable, irrational, or “crazy” scare you from getting the help you need and
correcting society’s false impressions and preconceived notions.
It’s
important that we do our part to protect ourselves and others from the hell
that mental illnesses can put us through, become autonomous and prevent
societal constructs from framing people as criminals and psychos for having
something they cannot control without the proper intervention.
Fun Fact: The stigma associated with mental illness is called Sanism. Just like Racism or Sexism, it is a form of oppression and discrimination. Let’s try our best to become educated and eradicate it!
Fun Fact: The stigma associated with mental illness is called Sanism. Just like Racism or Sexism, it is a form of oppression and discrimination. Let’s try our best to become educated and eradicate it!
Another
Fun Fact: There
is also a thing called the “Mad Pride Movement.” Just like the wonders of “Gay
Pride”, those with mental health issues are a closeted population. It’s time we
come out and stop being ashamed of who we are!
Let's change the world together one step at a time. . . Mad Pride!!!!
Sorry this was sooo late coming! As always, thanks for reading. =)
