Misconceptions of Mental Illness
1. You're either mentally ill or mentally healthy. Similar to the way a physically healthy person may still experience minor health issues—like bad knees or high cholesterol—a mentally healthy person may experience an emotional problem or two. Mental health is a continuum and people may fall anywhere on the spectrum. Even if you are doing well, there's a good chance you aren't 100% mentally healthy. In fact, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates only about 17% of adults are in a state of "optimal" mental health. 2. Mental illness is a sign of weakness. As someone who trains people to build mental strength, I sometimes receive backlash from individuals who claim the phrase "mental strength" somehow stigmatizes mental illness. Those comments come from people who automatically assume people with depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions are mentally "weak." Mental strength is not the same as mental health. Just as...