24 Things You SHOULD Know About Mental Health

To celebrate the World first event, 24 hours talking about mental health, we've put together 24 things you should know about mental health! Thanks to Minds Like Ours, Time to Change, Mental Health Foundation and Psych Central for the facts and figures.

1. It's all just 'made up'

buzzfeed.com

Mental health disorders are complex to understand, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. A mental illness is just the same as any other illness; from heart disease to cancer.

2. Most mental health patients are NOT dangerous

One of the most common (and wrong) myths is that people with a mental health disorder can be dangerous. Actually, statistics show that they're more likely to be the victim of crime than the other way around.

3. Doctors still have so much to learn

Via mayoclinic.com

Our understanding of the mind is about the same as our understanding of the heart was 200 years ago. There's still a lot to be learnt to help us combat mental health disorders.

4. They're not 'all the same'

Not all mental health disorders are the same. They vary in symptoms and treatments; from mild depression that may be cured with counselling to more serious conditions that can take years to control.

5. 1 in 4

Via time-to-change.org.uk

Someone you know has a mental health disorder. 1 in 4 people experience some kind of mental illness in a year. That means it could be a friend, family member or work colleague.

6. Poor funding

Statistics show that there isn't enough money being put into the mental health sector. This means that patients are left without beds and the right treatment, which can cause a negative impact on their health.

7. "Lazy Scrounger!"

buzzfeed.com

Another common misconception is that people with a mental health disorder are just workshy or scrounging benefits. Many people with a disorder are either in work or trying to get back into work and many more do not claim benefits at all.

8. "You can just get over it"

Everyone handles their own mental health in their own way. Some people are lucky enough to beat something such as depression with pure determination, others are not that lucky. Many disorders are not something that can just be 'gotten over', it can take years of therapy and medication.

9. "Only weak people get mental health disorders"

Via mindslikeours.co.uk

It is nothing to do with how strong, weak, lazy or active a person may be. Mental health disorders are proven to be caused by things such as:

Biological factors, such as genes, physical illness, injury, or brain chemistry

Life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse

Family history of mental health problems

10. It's physical too

Mental health doesn't just impact your mind, it can have be detrimental to your physical health too. A symptom of some disorders are aches and pains that can make it difficult for the sufferer to function.

11. "Mental health stigma doesn't happen anymore"

Via mindslikeours.co.uk

9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination. This could be at work, at school or even by friends and family.

12. Stigma on TV

Over half of the references to mental health on UK TV last year were detrimental and unsympathetic. Some of the terms used include: "he was Looney tunes", "crackpot" and "a sad little psycho".

13. Suicide is a killer

Via mentalhealth.org.uk

Suicide remains one of the most common causes of death around the world in men and women. Around 800,000 to 1 million people die this way, each year.

14. We CAN do some incredible things

Another common myth is that people with a mental health disorder are incapable of doing the same things as everyone else. Many of us still work, can be creative, can volunteer, write stories, draw pictures and be as incredible as everyone else.

15. You'd wear a poppy, wouldn't you?

Via mentalhealth.org.uk

More British soldiers take their own lives than die in battle... Post traumatic stress disorder (shellshock) is a REAL thing. Yet it is still not talked about enough. You'd wear a poppy with pride, so support mental health with pride!

16. "Self harm is attention seeking"

People with current mental health problems are 20 times more likely than others to report having harmed themselves in the past. This is nothing to do with seeking attention, it is an illness.

17. "They don't need my help"

buzzfeed.com

Someone with a mental health disorder is much more likely to recover with the support of their friends and family. By learning and sharing the facts about mental illness, you can be there to support those who need you most.

18. "Alcoholics and drug addicts don't deserve help"

Over half of all alcoholics and drug addicts have a mental health problem. The most common are depression and anxiety disorders. Drugs and alcohol can be used as a way of dealing with emotional problems - treating the underlying problem can help with the addiction.

19. It can happen to children too

buzzfeed.com

A common misconception is that children are unable to experience mental health disorders, or that it's just part of growing up. Actually one in ten children between the ages of 1 and 15 has a mental health disorder.

20. It's not just depression

The DSM-IV, the U.S. standard reference for psychiatry, includes over 300 different manifestations of mental illness. Although not all of them are very common, they are all very real.

21. "Just pop a pill and get on with it"

Via theguardian.com

Waiting lists for therapies can stretch on for months and months, which is why many people rely on medication to help them through. Research shows that a mix of therapy and medication is the best solution for many mental health illnesses. Although, everybody is different of course.

22. "Stop overreacting about stuff"

When misconceptions travel to a wider audience (such as The Sun's 1,200 killed by mental patients headline) it can cause even more stigma and fear. Those who do not know the facts may feel threatened by those with a mental health disorder which can cause isolation, violence and much more.

23. "People with OCD wash their hands loads...People with schizophrenia are murderers...."

Via mindslikeours.co.uk

Make sure you know the facts before assuming that people with OCD wash their hands 100 times a day or that those with schizophrenia are likely to be murderers. Separate the myth from the truth and you will be doing a lot of people a huge justice.

24. Now what?!

Want to learn more facts or help raise awareness? Join Minds Like Ours and up to 10 volunteers for a World First event - 24 hours of talking about mental health. Help us bust more myths, spread the facts, break down stigma and raise awareness. Find out more here.