6 Myths and Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

By Dr. Michael Oberschneider

Mental illness is ubiquitous. Four of the leading causes of disability in the US are mental health disorders -- Schizophrenia, Major Depressive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Bipolar Affective Disorder. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 5 children (ages: 13-18) will suffer from a diagnosable mental health condition in a given year.

Numerous research studies have also shown that mental illness comes in all shapes and sizes and it does not discriminate across age, race or socioeconomic status. And while these studies and statistics are alarming, statistics alone do not capture the complicated factors and dynamics of mental illness -- the interrelationship between mental illness with physical illness or drug abuse/alcoholism, the impact of mental illness on an individual’s relationships and home life, school life, work/career life or the pain and suffering that occurs for so many.

We have come a long way as a society with impressive advances in science, medicine and technology in recent years, but, unfortunately, myths and misconceptions surrounding mental illness remain. Here are few of the most common ones that come up in my private practice as psychologist:

“People with mental illness are weak.” To the contrary, getting help for oneself -- working through and resolving painful problems and learning new coping skills and strategies in treatment requires great strength. Depression, anxiety or any of the other mental health struggles or conditions are not moral or character flaws. Mental illness is multi-determined by several factors, including one’s genetics, biology, history/experiences and social and environmental experiences.

“People with mental illness are crazy and not like me.” Emotional and psychological problems occur in a range where an individual could, for example, have mild anxiety, moderate anxiety or severe anxiety. Movies like, “Silver Linings Playbook” or “Girl Interrupted” are entertaining, but those movies represent mental illness in the most extreme light. For many, mental health struggles occur less dramatically as we go through our lives with some degree of compromise.

“People should just push through their problems.” Fathers and mothers sometimes tell me that their child or teen just needs more discipline. While many struggling children and teens indeed might benefit from increased structure and from taking on more personal responsibility, that does not mean that anxiety, self- esteem, learning problems, depression or some other sort of problem is also not fueling unwanted behaviors. In fact, research studies have repeatedly shown that children and teens with emotional problems, ADHD and learning problems have higher rates of secondary behavioral problems.

“Therapy is a waste of time and money.” Large empirical treatment outcome studies have repeatedly shown that for many conditions therapy, specifically Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, reduces symptoms and improves personal wellbeing for the majority of individuals.

“Psychiatric medication is dangerous.” There are side effects to any medications, and there most often is not a one size fits all to psychiatric medications. However, when it comes to emotional or psychological problems, psychiatric medications can be extremely helpful in reducing symptoms and improving one’s quality of life for children, teens and adults. Large empirical research studies have repeatedly shown that, for most mental conditions, most individuals benefit from psychiatric medications. Several studies have also shown that individuals who take medication and participate in therapy simultaneously experience the greatest benefits when compared to individuals that do not take medication or only participate in therapy.

“Problems go away.” Sometimes emotional and psychological problems self- correct over time, but that is typically not the case. In my experience, problems left unaddressed do not remain static and usually get worse over time. Similar to dental care where self-care and preventive medicine is good practice or where getting to the toothache early on is a good thing, addressing mental health problems as soon as possible is also advised.

There is some good news on the topic of mental health awareness. The recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Behavioral Health Barometer shows an increase of 7 percentage points for individuals who are now receiving mental health treatment in the US. That report also shows an overall decline in teen marijuana use, binge drinking and painkiller use amongst

There are excellent psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists in both the private and public sector throughout Loudoun County, and the County offers a number of mental health support services through excellent organizations like, The Loudoun Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services (703- 777-0234), Friends of Loudoun Mental Health (703) 443-1380), National Alliance of Mental Illness (703-968-4007).

Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D, is the Founder and Director of Ashburn Psychological and Psychiatric Services