12 Common Misconceptions of Anxiety and Mental Health

1. The Fix-it talk

The hey get yourself together, grow up and stop crying and get on with it shebang. Yep you know it, seen it, been in it. Probably have the postcard. Yes the fix-it talk is the steam inducing, heart slopping conversation or rather phrase that sums up the modern view of getting on with it.

It's the whole prit stick routine. Just, sellotape that piece there and stick that back together there. As good as new... oh apart from the sellotape and the dripping glue seeping from all the cracks. Yep it just looks like one of those Harrod's things... can you hear the sarcasm? Its like Woody of Toy Story when his arm got ripped. Or a jigsaw puzzle that's had a few pieces nicked by the dog.

But, seriously people. Even piecing a jigsaw can take time - I'm talking about the ones with the 1000s of pieces here. You need to think where will things fit, where things go. It takes a while before you can really see the big picture.

In these modern fix it or get a new one times. The misconception is that you can snap out of anxiety or depression or other mental health problems, but that is not reality. In fact almost 1 in 5 people feel anxious all of the time or a lot of the time.

2. The you are just's...

You are just... [insert adjective here]shy, pessimistic, sad and the list goes on. 

For anxiety it's that your 'just' anxious or 'just' shy. This misconception I feel just dismisses mental health, because the phrase itself warrants a flippant response that includes some thrown in lazy hand gesture.

I suppose it rubs us up the wrong way, because it lacks empathy or the sympathy we want from others. It almost makes us sound as if our personality asked for a double helping of shyness.

The misconception is because, people themselves may have not felt the same way. I suppose the misconception lies between personality and mental health. If you have social anxiety, doesn't make you shy. It means that you have a fear of social situations. A shy person can be a shy person but not experience the fear and symptoms of social anxiety. They can be accepting of their shyness. If this makes any sense?

3. Mental health is a character flaw, a weakness. And like the thespians we are like to act all dramatic. Just for the sake of it!

Mental health is often depicted as the evil villain with the cape in the wind and all. And like all villains we have a big character flaw. The elephant in the room. The misconception is that mental health is a weakness. The other misconception being that we are faking it.

But neither of those things are true. Mental health is only seen as a weakness, because it is the unknown for people who haven't faced it. Sometimes there is a surrealness to mental health and I think that's what makes others find it hard to believe. Again because it is hushed like a taboo.  

Here is another fact for you: 450 million people worldwide have mental health problems. So, I think it is time we take the taboo wall down!

4. Innocent till proven guilty.

One doozy of a misconception is that people with anxiety or mental health disorders are all violent or have a flashing sign over our heads saying danger, danger.

Quite frankly this is a major over-generalization. Here is for the whhaacha moment... the majority of violent crimes and homicides are committed by people who don't have mental health issues. And sadly people with mental health are more likely to be a victim of violence and are more of a risk to themselves than other. For more stats click here .

5. Somehow that we are chained for life and no-one recovers.

With all the labels knocking about like a ball in a squash court, people presume that no one recovers and are forever chained like a prisoner in a cell to their mental illness. 

Wrong. I'm pretty sure if you Google you will find success stories everywhere. Plus the idea of chains is that you can unlock them. It is the job of finding the right key by trying different ones.

But that is a crappy assumption. I am true believer that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

6. Sudden inability to work or hold down a job.

Lucky for you, I did my homework. I can prove this wrong in a few seconds, just watch.

4 in 10 employed people experience anxiety about their work and on top of that stat is, about a quarter of the population will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year. Take that. Including that we all know it can take years for people to be diagnosed with a mental health issue. 

Plus desserts, and no I am not having a craving. Stressed backwards is desserts. Stress is related to you mental well-being and a lot of people get stressed at work. But, you wouldn't say they wouldn't be able to hold down a job, right?

Misconceptions shouldn't be prejudiced on a minority or presumptions at the end of the day many of us will work on  and not know we have a mental health issue or don't want to tell everyone about ourselves. The gossips.

7. The sticky stigma that says we ought to be ashamed.

It is said that people who experience anxiety most frequently agree that it is stigmatizing.

This sticky stigma is a web and we are the fly. Mental health is often shhhushed... you can't talk about that. Awkward. It is a taboo, when physical health isn't.

It this secretive atmosphere. Like holding a piece of paper tight to your chest so others don't see. 

We shouldn't be made to bow our heads in shame, if we are innocent. We are not guilty of anything.

There is nothing to be ashamed of. Just be yourself.

8. If I only had a brain... how we are depicted by society as the stumbling Scarecrow from Oz.

If I only had a brain... I would say how stupid this assumption is. No seriously where can I get one?

A common misconception is that people with mental health problems are dysfunctional and do not have control of themselves. Like the singing Scarecrow without a brain we are limited and unknowing of truths.

ErEr Wrong again. This is further from the truth like how far Dorthy is away from home.

9. Where is the love??

Yep I love that Black Eyed Peas song. For me it rings true.

Where is the love? These misconceptions are due to a lack of love or sympathy. No one should be deprived of love! 

After all love is often the solution.

10. You're like Casper the ghost. People see you as unfriendly and aloof.

I'm talking about the movie in the 2000s people. In a way we can all relate to Casper. Yep I know he is not real, but the context is.

People ran away from Casper because of his unfriendly ghost exterior. But, when we got to know him as a character we knew all of that wasn't true. Hence, Casper the friendly ghost.

We are generalised as unfriendly folk, but that's a myth.

11. For teens its all part of puberty.

1 in 10 young people have a mental health problem. So, we may have mood swings and a roller coaster of ups and downs. However, as this statistic demonstrates that it is not all part of puberty.

12. When you get the feeling you are being treated differently.

When I asked people the question of what the common misconceptions are, this came up. Well in more words.

We have all have had that feeling of being treated differently, because of our mental health. Sometimes in not the nicest of ways.

You will agree that everyone deserves kindness, love and empathy. So no-one should be made to feel different for the wrong reasons or in a way where you feel put down. 

Everyone is equal!

Thanks for all the people who made the comments! You helped me write this article. Thank you.

On the waiting list for the NHS

You know the feeling. It's the I have waited so long in this queue and then sent to the back feeling. The labelled feeling like the sell-by-date on food.

That's what 'it' makes us feel like. And what is this 'it' exactly? One word NHS. If you have dared to ask the NHS for help - like moi by now you should know how le crape it is. The acronym may as well stand for 'Not Happening Soon', because of the crazy amount of time it takes to be referred. Now I'm not disregarding the good work NHS people do - but seriously the waiting times *Cough government? (By the way I'm on round #2)

Calling the clinic was hard. Why? Because, I got so nervous (as per) that I had to write down what it was I needed to say. Nervous that I could feel my heart picking up and my palms begin to sweat. But, I did it. The reason. I had been screened. Unfortunately not a ticket to the cinema - but of those of you who have gone through the system before will know it is when you lardeedar about 'what's wrong' and fill in the same questionnaire, 1-10s and all that. Which is fine and well and good. But, that must have been over 3 weeks ago and I hadn't heard a peep out of them since. So what were they planning to do with me? They had left me out to dry.

So, I had to call. I want help. So, I did - to then be told to ring another number (which is the worse news for someone with social anxiety!). Eventually I made myself do it. Not only was it annoying to hear clear gossiping in the background (I could hear every word), but that I would have to wait 4 months till I can get therapy. I am on a waiting list, among other people and would have to wait until I get to the top - which let's face it could take longer. It was like I was another body slung onto the heap.

This is not good enough! Not just for me, but for everybody. People can have downward spirals in a matter of hours, days - not months. You will know this. They need help. We need help. When we decide we need help or can get help (which lets face it can be a pretty daunting set of steps) - we do it because we feel as if we need help now. For a lot of people getting help feels like the last resort.

The harsh reality is that people are not getting help quick enough. Like I said it is not necessarily a matter of months, but more hours, days, weeks. I will be able to wait that long. However, I can't say the same for others. What happens if its too long and someone commits sucide, hurts themselves badly or gets themselves in a heap of trouble? Not only does this potentially cost the NHS more? And also the legal system due to consequence - gosh even social services. It has a domino effect. Not to mention the distress of loved ones who may not have even have known someone suffered mentally.

So, even the idea of saving 'money' hasn't fazed the government - the very heart of politics. There needs to be change. Suicide, self-destruction, panic, the feeling of doom can all be prevented with help. It doesn't have to get that far. People shouldn't have to hurt themselves to get attention or to be prioritized (in some cases). You and me shouldn't have to feel insignificant by being added to a 'list' of people and made to feel as if you are competing. Everyone deserves help. You do.

The real 'trew' is that there should be nothing last minute about the mental health system. Everybody should be allowed access if needed. If people were educated about it earlier or if people were offered help earlier it could prevent a lot of occurrences (crime, injuries, loss, waste of money). People should be allowed help on the day no matter how big or small the problem feels like. We all need support at some point.

Together we must take a stand!