Busting the myths around mental illness

Living with a mental illness is hard enough, but the judgement from others can make it even harder. 

We know that the myths and stigma that surround mental illness is stopping people seeking the help they need. If we all re-evaluate what we think about mental illness, we’ll be supporting the millions across the UK living with a diagnosis. 

As a part of Let’s Rethink, our campaign to end the stigma faced by people living with mental illness, we’re here to bust the myths. 

Mental illness is a health issue, not a character weakness

"You just think too much." 

"Snap out of it."

"We’ve all faced hard times; you’ve just got to be strong and get on with it."

We’ve all heard people say things like this. So why isn’t it that easy? Because mental illness is not a choice. It can’t be turned on and off, and there certainly is no quick fix. 

Mental illness is common, in the same way that physical illnesses are. They can affect anyone. People can be physically strong but live with an illness like diabetes. People can be mentally strong and live with a severe mental illness.

The fact that genetic, environmental and psychological factors can impact mental illness, and that it can be treated, shows that it is an illness and not a character flaw or weakness. This is recognised by NHS services and in law. 

People living with schizophrenia are 14 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than to be perpetrators*

All too often people who live with schizophrenia or psychosis are believed to be violent. This is fueled by the way the condition is presented in the media.

Films like Joker, and the Netflix programme You, for example, reinforce the stigma that people living with severe mental illness are dangerous criminals. This ultimately scares people, causing them to actively avoid someone if they know they have schizophrenia.

Complex symptoms can make it difficult for people with personality disorders to engage with health services*

People with personality disorders are often considered to be manipulative by mental health professionals. This stigma leads to poor access to, and quality of services. 

People with personality disorders can find it difficult to build trusting relationships which can make working with mental health professionals more challenging. As well as this, people with personality disorders often find that their symptoms fluctuate which can make progress towards recovery very slow. This can lead to clinicians to become frustrated and less empathetic, and the treatment can be finished early.

People with bi-polar experience extreme moods for long periods of time which can have a significant impact on their life*

The term ‘bi-polar’ is so misused. If something is temperamental or changes suddenly – a pen suddenly not working, or the weather suddenly changing, people refer to it as bi-polar. If a person is moody or unpredictable, they are described as bi-polar.  

Bi-polar is not the same as being moody. Bipolar mood changes are very different to the day-to-day mood changes that are typical for every person. Episodes of intense mania or extreme depression can last for several weeks, if not longer, and can affect someone’s mood, energy levels and ability to function. This kind of stigma can minimise and make light of the severity of bi-polar disorder.