There are so many misconceptions about mental illness; Hollywood has made millions portraying the mentally ill as dangerous and as untreatable. According to Joan Knight, M.S., MAT Coordinator, Mental Health Education Initiative (MHEI) of Chittenden County, the media “shows (mentally ill) people as dangerous, they don’t show people in recovery.” These scary figures on the big screen have helped to stigmatize people who are living with mental illness.
Mental Illness affects 1 in 5 families in the United States. Families do not talk about living with mental illness so the stigma and the misconceptions grow. Someone with a mental illness could be depressed, anxious, be bi-polar, schizophrenic and a host of other conditions. According to Knight two-thirds never seek help. Many don’t seek help because they are embarrassed. Many people mistakenly believe that people with mental illness do not get better and are not functioning members of society but that is not the case according to Knight. According to Knight 2/3 of people diagnosed with schizophrenia lead productive lives. People with mental illness are your brothers, your parents, your neighbors and your co-workers.
Though some forms of mental illness like depression or anxiety has become more acceptable in our society there are still many people who do not understand what mental illness is. According to Knight the most common misconception is that “people with mental illness can not recover.” This belief can become self-perpetuating if people diagnosed with mental illness and their loves ones believe that recovery is not an option. According to Knight people with mental illness need to know that “recovery is possible, that it is nothing to be ashamed of and to ask for help.”
The diagnosis of mental illness can impact entire families. Often times families become overprotective. When someone is in recovery having loved ones try to make decisions for them and become overprotective is not helpful. According to Knight “not letting the person with a mental illness make choices for themselves is a problem.” Loved ones who think they know best may not according to Knight. Like everyone people diagnosed with mental illness do not benefit from people overprotecting them, “protecting someone from making choices is not helpful.”
Some loved ones are embarrassed about the mental illness. According to Knight it is not unusual for someone in the family to be “ashamed, who refuses to talk about it which make the person with the mental illness full of shame.” Sometimes this stigmatizing attitude results in abuse. Some loved ones may blame the person diagnosed with a mental illness for their condition. Sometimes the person with the mental illness is ashamed and refuses to seek treatment.
With treatment and support most people with mental illness according to Knight can be in recovery and lead a productive and fulfilling life. Knight is excited about recent research that shows people with mental illness being connected to their community, having purpose in their life and having a sense of value that they bring to the world. According to Knight a person diagnosed with a mental illness can go on to lead a happy life. Knight says that after a person is diagnosed with a mental illness “they can be better than they have been in their whole life, that the potential for someone with mental illness is the same without.” All people have potential whether they are diagnosed with a mental illness or not.
Knight’s seminar on “Loving Someone with a Mental Illness” will give some tips and resources on how families can live with mental illness. How families can support without overprotecting those diagnosed and where families can turn to learn how to cope with someone going through diagnosis, crisis and recovery. Family members can be a vital support system for the person diagnosed with mental illness and they can also provide insight for the clinician about the extent of the illness. Mental Illness like any physical illness takes a toll on the entire family but seeking treatment, providing support and setting boundaries can help someone you love begin the path to recovery and leading a functioning life. Mental Illness is not something that needs to be kept secret; there is no shame to being sick or seeking help.
The Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit’s 2008 Summer Lecture Series
- Caring for Our Loved Ones, Caring for Ourselves
Aug 4, 6:30pm-8:00pm - Loving Someone With a Mental Illness
Aug 11, 6:30pm-8:00pm - Memory Matters: Brain & Memory Fitness
Aug 18, 6:30pm-8:00pm
For information or to RSVP
802-847-9488
www.uvm.edu/~cnru
Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.
