Myths of Mental Health

There are many misconceptions about mental health. It is necessary to dispel these myths. Let us talk about what mental health myths are and what their realities are. 

Myth 1:  Personal weaknesses cause mental illnesses.

This is false. Mental problems are not a character defect. It has nothing to do with weakness or lack of willpower. No one is mentally ill by choice. It can happen to anyone.

Myth 2:  People will call me mentally unstable if I go for treatment for mental illness.

It is insulting and wrong to use the words crazy, insane for mental illness. Asking for help with mental problems is not a sign of weakness, but it is a wise and courageous thing because the sooner the treatment is done, the quicker and more superficial it is diagnosed.

Myth 3:  Mental illness is a single and rare illness.

When portraying or thinking about mental problems in Nepal, many people understand the severe mental problems in which people run out of tune and out of reality and who walk the streets alone talking in a ghostly manner. 

This understanding of mental illness is quite incomplete because mental illness is not a single illness, but it is a broad classification that includes many illnesses. Severe mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders, substance abuse and addiction, are seen in many people. 

It is not rare cases as the World Health Organization estimates that one in four people, or about 25 per cent of the world’s population, can get mental illness at any time of their life. Since it is rarely discussed and hidden in society, people find it rare, not suitable.

Myth 4:  People with mental illness are never cured.

With the proper treatment, mental illness can be cured. Its treatment is possible. After treatment, people can return to their everyday lives and work.

Myth 5:  People with mental illness are less intelligent.

Many studies show that most people with mental illness are more or average intelligent. If only the less intelligent people had a mental illness, then the famous people like Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, Deepika Padukone, our great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Priyanka Karki, Kedar Ghimire, etc. would not have a mental illness. Mental illness can happen to anyone, just like physical illness.

Myth 6:  People with mental illness are violent and dangerous.

Mass media, such as movies, magazines, and news outlets, are responsible for such misconceptions. Making sensational news about an event creates such misconceptions among the people. No study has shown that people with mental illness are more violent than the general population. People with serious mental illness are ten times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population.

Myth 7:  People with mental illness cannot work.

With the exception of severe and severe mental illness, most people with mental illness can do their job. They need a short leave and some help from the office, but the work is not entirely interrupted. People with mental illness can continue their work with treatment.