MENTAL ILLNESS: MYTH

VS. FACT

WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

Generally thought of as an individuals ability to

function adaptively across important facets of
living, such as work, school, and interpersonal
relationships

WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?

Mental illnesses are conditions that disrupt a

persons thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate
to others, and daily functioning.

NAMI (2011)

COMMON TYPES OF MENTAL

ILLNESSES
Mood

disorders (e.g., depression, bipolar disorder,

dysthymia)
Psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, delusion
disorder)
Anxiety disorders (e.g., GAD, OCD, panic disorder,
phobias, PTSD)
Addiction disorders (e.g, substances, gambling,
pornography)
Eating disorders (e.g., anorexia, bulimia)
Personality disorders (e.g., narcissistic PD,
borderline PD, antisocial PD)

WHAT CAUSES MI?

The

causes of some mental illnesses are

complex, and not all are fully understood
but a thorough description of each would
require much more than a one-hour
workshop!
In general, mental illnesses can be
associated with one or more of these
factors
Genetic
Biology

predisposition

Environment
Experience

MYTH VS. FACT ( CAN DO THIS AS A

T/F TEST; POSTERS, ETC.)
Myth: Mental illness is rare.
Fact: 1 in 4 people experience a mental illness in a
given year.

Myth: Someone like me wont ever develop a mental

illness.
Fact: While some mental illnesses do have a strong
genetic component, mental illness does not
discriminate. No one is completely immune.

Myth: Mental illness is a weakness or a character flaw.

Fact: Mental illness is not a weakness, and it cannot
be cured by willpower alone. You cant just snap out of
it.

MYTH VS. FACT

Myth: Mentally ill people are violent
Fact: Mentally ill people are no more violent than
people who do not have a mental illness. In fact,
mentally ill people are far more likely to be victims of
violence than perpetrators.

Myth: Mental illness cannot be cured.

Fact: The majority of mental illnesses can be treated
successfully. Some types cannot be cured, but can be
controlled and managed, just as with diabetes on the
physical health side.

Myth: Only people who have gone to war can get

PTSD.
Fact: PTSD is associated with trauma of all types.

MYTH VS. FACT

Myth:

Youre either mentally healthy or

mentally ill.
Fact: Mental health exists along a
continuum.
Myth:

People with mental illness are less

intelligent.
Fact: Studies show that most mentally ill
people have average or above average
intelligence.

DECONSTRUCTING MYTHS

Possible answers include:

Fear

Ignorance
Media

portrayals
Sensational headlines
Lack of contact with people with mental illness

Point out that its more likely that there is lack of contact with
people you know to have a mental illness

TREATMENT
For

many disorders, the main treatment

options are:
Talk

therapy individual or group

Psychotropic medication
Combination

Treatment

levels vary depending upon the

nature of the illness:
Outpatient
Inpatient

Residential
Partial

hospitalization
Intensive outpatient

good bet is to start with CAPS!

BARRIERS TO TREATMENT
Ask participants to answer the question, What
could get in the way of treatment?
Possible answers include:

Lack

of awareness about availability

Family/culture doesnt believe in mental health
treatment
No money, no insurance
STIGMA

ACTION STEPS HELP!

Perhaps you or someone you know are struggling with

untreated mental illnessor maybe you or someone
you know are just struggling emotionally and are not
sure why...or maybe you are feeling overwhelmed and
stressedin any case, please know that help is
available right here at Rutgers CAPS (which stands for
Counseling, Alcohol & Other Drug Assistance
Program, and Psychiatric Services). Were passing out
some brochures that will help you to learn about some
of the signs and symptoms that may be of concern to
youthere are also brochures that describe CAPS
services. You can visit the CAPS website (
http://rhscaps.rutgers.edu/) for even more information,
or to complete a confidential on-line screening for
depression, bipolar, anxiety disorder, or PTSD.