Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act as we respond to life’s daily challenges. It is important in every step of our life, from childhood to adulthood.
It is in view of this that one needs to be careful of certain key myths in the popular perception regarding mental health that I believe need to be corrected and eventually debunked.
1. You either have mental health problems or are mental healthy.
Health, in any form it presents itself, can be presented in a continuum of degrees and variety. After all, each case merits its own uniqueness and attention. Just as not every problem of depression presents the same symptoms, so also, not every case of depression is alike in its gravity. Whereas some individuals can still be functional in daily life despite their depression, others may not.
Like physical health, mental health is also a continuum. Thus an individual with a mental health condition can fall anywhere along that spectrum. However, there is a persistent myth among many people that mental problems signify vulnerability and weakness, due to the fact that there is no middle ground but rather a categorical reality where you either are mentally healthy or not. To start with, it is wrong to assume that a person with a mental health condition, say depression, is necessarily ‘mentally weak’. Just like someone with diabetes can still be physically strong, so in our case, one with depression can still be mentally strong.
2. Mental health problems are not curable:
Although some may not be curable, such as schizophrenia, most mental health problems are. For example, the US National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that between 70 and 90 per cent of people experience symptom relief with a combination of therapy and medication. Moreover, complete recovery is also possible on a number of mental health issues.
Experience shows that every person can take steps to improve their mental health and prevent further complications. One area that can potentially enhance and facilitate this is integrating healthy habits in one’s lifestyle, such as having a healthy diet, good sleep and regular physical and mental exercise.
Likewise, containing and rectifying bad or destructive habits, such as negative and pessimistic thinking, using self-pity as a defence mechanism or ruminating about past mistakes can also serve the same purpose.
One’s identity is always superior to what one can be challenged with
3. Mental health problems produce aggression and violence in patients
In the past, patients with mental health problems used to be institutionalised. In reality, many such places were literally society’s excuse to ‘contain’ those vulnerable individuals, often with the use of inhumane practices, in view of the difficult circumstances and lack of treatment and/or knowledge on the subject. Thus a lot of stigma and prejudice was created around mentally ill people and institutions.
The American Psychological Association reports that only 7.5 per cent of crimes directly result from people with mental health challenges. Other reasons for crime include unemployment, poverty, substance abuse and homelessness, among other factors. Unfortunately, the media often mention mental health issues with reference to some violent act, domestic violence, childhood maltreatment or mass shooting.
4. Language that leads to stigma.
Stigma refers to negative attitudes (prejudices) and negative behaviour (discrimination) to-wards people (in our case) with mental health problems. One area that may inadvertently promote such stigma is the wrong use of language, especially by healthcare professionals. Some may speak of a ‘depressed patient’ rather than a ‘patient with depression’. Thus, the patient becomes the problem itself, as if one’s identity becomes equivalent to depression. However, this is surely far from the truth. A person may have depression, or any other condition for that matter, but the person should never be reduced to the condition per se. One is always superior to the condition at stake.
Having something does not mean you become diluted somehow in it. One’s identity is always superior to what one can be challenged with. I can have depression problems but it does not mean that I am doomed to it.
With appropriate treatment, therapy and perseverance, I can overcome it and become mentally healthy once again.
Emotional and mental well-being is obviously a key topic that falls well within the spectrum of the Mental Health Department at the University of Malta. This department offers a wide array of training programmes to help train courageous and energetic students, irrespective of their age, to become professional helpers in mental health. Becoming a professional psychiatric nurse is one such offshoot, among others. Those interested can contact us on 2340 1158 or via e-mail at mentalhealth.healthsci@um.edu.mt.
One area that is known to give personal satisfaction and meaningfulness in life is assisting others professionally to reach their own mental well-being.
mgalea00@yahoo.com
Michael Galea is senior lecturer at the University’s Department of Mental Health.