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"Mental health is a myth"

SienaSiena Posts: 15,463 Skive's The Limit
edited January 2019 in Politics & Debate
I just wanted to share this article
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/df13daea-9aa8-4956-8cd1-e28076210fbf

At first when i read the title i was like thinking well i am going to be reading a load of shit cause mental health isnt a myth but then read whole thing then questioned it all. 

Cause we do all have a mental health
Its not saying what you feel doesnt exist- or the serverity of it - its saying how normal all these feelings are normal - anxiety, paraninia ect


though at first i though maybe true - now i dont think it is

 But it did make me think for awhile & that maybe the increase awareness may make people more ill. Cause feeling some anxiety is normal but then start questioning if have anxiety disorder cause was anxious for one day that it may be start of anxiety disorder even tho is normal and then the more think about it the more feed into it. 

Im not sure what i think about it, think probably load of shit
 but still wanted to ask others
“And when they look at you, they won't see everything you've been through. They won't see the **** that turned to scars that began to fade with time. They won't see the heartbreaking things that shook up and changed your entire world. They won't know how many tears you cried or even what it was you were crying about. They won't see how strong you had to be because you had no other choice. What they will see though is how compassionate you are because you experienced pain. What they will see is how kind you are because you experienced how cruel the world is. What they will see is how good you are because you've seen how bad things or people can be. The difference between you and your experiences are who you choose to be, despite everything that could have turned you cold and unkind.You are the good the world needs and the best of us.” ~ Kirsten Corley

Comments

  • MaisyMaisy Moderator Posts: 617 Incredible Poster
    I'm conflicted on this too. 

    There does need to be an understanding of when feelings are just emotions and when they may be part of a 'disorder'. It's normal to be anxious about exams or public speaking and it's understandable when someone is distraught over losing a loved one or pet. So in a way, these things are a 'normal' part of being human. But it's important to know when things actually become a disorder- by looking at the length of time of the symptoms and how they impact your life. And then again, the stats say 1 in 4 of us will have mental illness during our life time, so in sense, that could be 'normal' too. 

    When we realise that we have struggled for a while or things are affecting us on a daily basis, it's always good to seek help. For many people, this may mean going to the doctors and then being prescribed medication and/or referred for therapy. My personal view is that everyone is different and different things work for different people. There is a lot of money to be made in the pharmaceuticals industry, but if some people feel that medication is for them and it helps, then there isn't anything wrong with that. 

    However, some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, can often be very severe and debilitating. With these conditions, medication is necessary to help manage the symptoms. While talk therapy for these conditions can be helpful, without medication, many people simply won't be able to function let alone attend therapy. 

    Then again, I did like the suggestion that friends and family and a community should help with recovering from mental health. Unfortunately though, not everyone is in position where they could get family and friends on-board.
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  • AzzimanAzziman Moderator, Community Champion Posts: 1,826 Extreme Poster
    There's a lot to unpack here. The reason it's called mental illness is because it lies outside the norm, and therefore it's seen as something that we can try and improve, which I think is good! Of course, there's room for abuse too - overuse of the term, politicising the issue, profit-making from pharmaceutical and private health firms. 

    I think part of the problem comes with the greater awareness. In a panic, many people look to online resources and self-diagnose, and this 'colloquialisation' of mental illness effectively aims to normalise a condition that is best considered medical. It's an awful dilemma - do we promote awareness of mental health, but risk making it more 'normal'? 

    About the discussion on genetics vs environment, I should mention that general consensus in research states that the genetic component creates a pre-disposition for mental illness, which is activated by certain environmental factors. Some think it's entirely genetic, others entirely environmental (both widely disproven and disregarded).

    I think she's trying to question this social barrier we've placed between 'mentally ill' and 'normal' in an attempt to control this phenomenon that we still don't completely understand - while she's right to question it, her ideas in practice don't improve it so I don't think it's time to change! :)
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  • SienaSiena Posts: 15,463 Skive's The Limit
    edited October 2019
    Thank yous! 

    I was just reading a similar debate on this on debate.org and it was interesting, on how society created MH. Saying how as a society we create social norms then anything out of those norms can be seen as a menta health problem so take pills to be more "normal". When these symptoms could be the new norm since its starting to look like everyone has some mental health challenge. 

    I don’t know sometimes i think just shitty life & my personality doesnt fit ah
    “And when they look at you, they won't see everything you've been through. They won't see the **** that turned to scars that began to fade with time. They won't see the heartbreaking things that shook up and changed your entire world. They won't know how many tears you cried or even what it was you were crying about. They won't see how strong you had to be because you had no other choice. What they will see though is how compassionate you are because you experienced pain. What they will see is how kind you are because you experienced how cruel the world is. What they will see is how good you are because you've seen how bad things or people can be. The difference between you and your experiences are who you choose to be, despite everything that could have turned you cold and unkind.You are the good the world needs and the best of us.” ~ Kirsten Corley
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