World Mental Health Day 2018: Myths to be unlearned



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According to the World Health Organization, every year October 10th is considered World Mental Health Day. The goal of the day is to educate people about mental health issues and to mobilize their efforts to support them.

The day gives people an opportunity to talk openly about mental health issues and how to make mental health care easy and accessible.

In the United States, one in five adults – 43.8 million, or 18.5% – have mental illness, according to data provided by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). In the United States, one in 25 adults suffers from serious mental illness that hinders or severely limits their lives in a year, according to the same data.

Although the stigma associated with mental health has diminished considerably, many myths surround it, giving it a negative reputation. Lack of understanding, coupled with misunderstandings, prevents people with mental illness from talking openly about the problems they face.

"Prejudice and discrimination related to mental illness are as disabling as the disease itself. It undermines people who achieve their personal goals and dissuades them from pursuing effective treatments, "said psychology scientist Patrick W. Corrigan of the Illinois Institute of Technology, according to a report by the Association for Psychological Science.

Here are some prejudices and myths about mental illnesses that should be unlearned.

Everything is in your head

Perhaps the most important myth about mental health is that people assume that all of this is just a concept. Many expect people with mental illnesses such as depression to come out or tell anxious people to calm down. Depression and anxiety are serious illnesses, and people who suffer from it usually have no control over the direction of their thoughts and emotions. Diseases can often lead to physical symptoms including loss of appetite, indigestion, headaches, etc., as well as feelings of guilt, worthlessness, hopelessness, pessimism, and insomnia. Anxious people can sometimes have weakened immune systems and cardiovascular problems.

People with mental health problems are poor employees

Work capacity and mental health are not always linked. While it is true that extreme cases can sometimes affect work like any other illness, research conducted by the Mental Health Association in Pennsylvania found that employers reported that people with mental illness had better attendance and greater punctuality. He also noted that the quality of their work was good or, in some cases, better than that of people not suffering from such diseases.

You can improve yourself with a positive attitude

One of the most common tips that people with mental illnesses receive is to keep a positive attitude in life in order to cure their illness. This way of thinking almost amounts to accusing the patient of the disease. Some mental disorders are organic, which means that they would require professional help. Even in the case of mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, professional help is required.

People with mental illness are often violent

According to NAMI, only 3% to 5% of all acts of violence are committed by people suffering from mental illness. In most cases, people with mental illness are victims of violence. They are no more violent than people without mental illness.

World Mental Health Day 2018: Myths to be unlearned According to the World Health Organization, World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on October 10th. In this image, a patient's room is visible through a long slit in the doorway of a special Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire, for the sake of the authors because of their mental state. Photo: Getty Images / John Firth

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