Seven Dumbass Myths about Mental Illness

Hey you, yes you. Do you know someone with a mental illness, but know nothing about it whatsoever? No worries. Read on. Ignorance ain’t a sin ... or is it? Dun dun dun!!!!

Do you have a mental illness and are tired of people talking about mental illness because they think they sound like Stephen Hawking but they actually sound like Donald Trump? Feel free to send this article to them. Are you saying you aren’t any of these people? Are you some intelligent being who knows everything about everything? Stop reading this article then and go invent something smartass. Seven Dumbass Myths about Mental Illness: 1. It's just a phase. No, it's not a damn phase. This isn’t your typical common cold that goes away in a week. It's a serious problem in someone’s brain. In some instances, a person can have a depressive phase that might take months or years to go away without any help, but research has shown that professional help can make the recovery much faster (Meyers & Dewall, 2015). Most mental illnesses do not usually go away just like that. 2. It's "Rich People High Society" BS. No, it's not. Research has shown that mental illness is more common for people who come from poorer backgrounds (Meyers & Dewall, 2015). So if you thought you were safe from mental illness 'cause your wallet looks like the inside of Jayden Smith’s brain (it's empty for the people who live under caves and don’t understand witty sarcasm), you are so wrong my friend. 3. Dude, it's all in your head. You are making this up yourself. Um, no dude. Well it's true that “all that” is in my head, but believe me when I say I am not making this up myself unless I like seeing hallucinations that torment my life. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP FOR ENTERTAINMENT. People with mental illness can’t just tell their brain, “Hey brain, stop being crazy, brah.” I really wished it worked like that, but it doesn’t, so believe someone when they tell you about their problems. 4. It doesn't even make sense; how could you think like that? I never wash my hands and I am fine. Stop washing your hands 50 times over. OCD is a mental disorder that makes you obsess about things and makes you do compulsions. It won’t make sense to you because you don’t have the disorder! How would John Cena understand Kim Kardashian’s back problems? He can’t 'cause he doesn’t have huge breasts. 5. Well, my aunt was abused as a kid and if that wasn't enough, her husband and first son died in a car crash, she is paralysed, she can’t talk, she doesn’t have a job, she has no money, a wild panda stole her glasses, and she doesn’t have depression. Why do you have it? You just had a lousy break up. Props to your aunt for not suffering from any kind of mental illness after suffering so much trauma, but people are genetically predisposed to depression (Meyers & Dewall 2015). So I AM SORRY ABOUT MY GENES, MAYBE YOU SHOULD BLAME MY ANCESTRY. Some people are just more prone to have mental illnesses than others, so it's not anyone’s fault or lack of resilience. 6. It's just a phase, brah. All these disorders and stuff, it's all a phase. It's gonna disappear in a decade or so. Um no brah, this ain’t POKEMON. Mental illness has existed throughout the centuries. It's only in recent times that we are able to categorize and provide treatment for it. With the age of TV and internet, it's just getting more traction than ever before. 7. People with mental illnesses are dangerous. Uh, no we are not. Most people who are diagnosed with mental illness don’t want to strangle you to get your Pikachu for free (even if they really want to). There are some exceptions, however. Someone who is diagnosed as a psychopath feels no empathy and therefore can commit cold blooded murders, but guess who else can commit murders: people who are not psychopaths. Most psychopaths that exist don’t commit crimes. In conclusion, please be a little more empathetic and understanding when someone complains about their mental health. I advise you to seek professional help if you ever feel like you have a mental disorder. Better safe than sorry mate. Source Myers, D. J., & Dewall, N. C. (2015). Psychology (11th ed.). Worth Pub.