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Myths and misconceptions are common in the medical world and even in everyday life. These myths and misconceptions can come from people not fully understanding a concept or a medical condition. A common breeding ground for myths and misconceptions is mental health/illnesses whether it is concerning diagnoses or symptoms. The mental stigma I am choosing to write about feels close to my heart. This stigma in particular stood out to me because of how harmful it could be if told to a person who is deeply struggling with their mental health or fighting a mental illness. Propelling myself in this journey of rediscovering myself, I wanted to give back to teens in hopes of granting them the belief that everything happens for a reason and mental health illnesses should not be perceived as taboo from our societal perspectives. Read below as I destigmatize two common myths about mental health.
MYTH: “Mental health struggles = weakness”
False.
Just reading that statement in my head makes me mad. To be honest, it seems kind of funny to me in a way; who would say something like that while not having their bearings? When statements like these are made without proper knowledge, they can cause a great amount of harm. Every single person, no matter how good or bad their life is going, has struggled with their mental health at least once in their life. Struggling with your mental health can include troubles with anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders, and so on. Many factors in our everyday lives can cause our mental health to suffer. Per a study completed by the Washington Post, 83% percent of teen participants said that school was their significant source of stress. School is a breeding ground for all kinds of sources of stress. Drama, inconsistent friendships, social norms, peer pressure, and grades are just a toe dip in a swimming pool full of stress and anxiety.
So, to destigmatize this myth:
No.
Mental health does not equal weakness.
2. MYTH: “If you would just worry less, you wouldn’t be so anxious.”
False.
Just, no.
Sadly, comments and unhelpful advice like the one stated above are still made to this day. Most times we imagine parents/grandparents or people from a different generation from us saying these things. Yet in reality, teenagers and those from our same generation are saying these hurtful remarks as well. Hearing comments like this can make a person feel unseen and unheard. Instead of being given helpful and uplifting advice, the person affected can feel ashamed of their anxiety or even guilty. Comments like these can damage others more than we know; I know from experience. Hearing others say, "You need to calm down, you're worrying about nothing," makes me feel more anxious and lowers my confidence. Those who struggle with anxiety are most of the time self-aware of their anxiety. The last thing they need is for someone to put them down or make them feel less than others.
Even though mental health stigmas surround us every day, we can still make an effort to reduce them. Regardless of your mental health journey, you can still help eliminate the stigmas that surround certain areas of mental health. together, we can bring the truth to light.