True/ False- If you find the right words to say and spend enough time with them, you can cause your friend to get better when they are experiencing a mental health issue.
False. Temporarily you can make them feel better, but if there is an underlying cause making them feel bad, you can't fix it on your own. Sometimes helping a friend through something like this is challenging and frustrating because you cannot instantly make everything better. Being patient is key, and realizing that they need to be able to work out their own problem is needed to avoid burning yourself out. You can be a huge support for them, but ultimately you cannot fix everything.
Mental health illnesses are a consequence of bad parenting or personal weakness.
Myth. While parenting has some effect on how we develop, genetics, severe/prolonged stress (e.g. abuse), other environmental influences, and brain chemistry are some of the many causes for mental illness.
True or False: One's past dictates how they will act in all future situations, so there is no point in trying to change what cannot be changed.
False: Our past experiences shape us but do not have to define us. One can learn more adaptive ways to respond to stressors.
Name 3 reason why people hesitate to get help
They don't want to "burden anyone else with their problems", it is hard to talk about, it makes them feel vulnerable, fear of being judged, stigma, don't know who to tell, don't think the problem is "serious enough", asking for help is "giving up", no resources available
A stereotype of mental illness
(For brownie points: how are stereotypes detrimental?)
What is "crazy", "psycho", "nuts", "lazy", "violent" and various others
(Brownie points: they spur on stigma and result in overt and discrete discrimination against those with mental illnesses)
True or False. On average, those with severe mental illnesses are more violent than those without.
False. Only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness. In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of a violent crime than the general population.