Here's the plain text version of a mental health mythbusting post uploaded to Downing Welfare's Instagram!

This post discusses mental health disorders, so may contain triggering content .

Myth VS Reality

Mental Health Misconceptions

Obsessive-Compulsive disorder

characterised by repeated, distressing and unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive urges to do certain behaviours (compulsions) to get rid of the thoughts

Myth: OCD is being overly clean or organised

Fact: While some people have compulsions centred around cleaning and organising, many people do not; compulsions can be part of internal monologue and completely invisible

Myth: You can be ‘a little bit OCD’

Fact: This idea belittles the suffering people with OCD experience. It is a serious mental health condition that can cause immense distress and disrupt every aspect of life, not a personality trait. You either have it or not.

Myth: OCD will go away on its own
Fact: OCD is a mental health condition that needs treatment to resolve.

Please don’t use OCD as an adjective- it belittles the condition and adds to misinformation about what OCD really is

Depression

characterised by persistent low mood, feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, low self esteem, lack of motivation and enjoyment, irritability, disturbed sllep and thoughts of self harm (and more)

Myth: There’s always a reason for depression

Fact: There isn’t usually one single trigger causing depression. Depression is typically caused by a combination of factors including stress, family history, loneliness and illness.

Myth: You can always tell when someone has depression

Fact: Some people with depression can still do many activities, smile, laugh and dress up. (and others can’t)

Myth: People with depression need to be more positive, or exercise more, or get a new relationship

Fact: Depression is a real mental illness, not just a period of feeling sad. Although some of these things help some people with depression, it needs treatment to go away.

Anxiety disorders

characterised by feElings of stress, panic, fear and worry that impact daily life phsically and psychologically, as well as feelings of restlessness, irritability, difficulty sleeping (and more)

Myth: Anxiety disorders are not real mental illness

Fact: There are a wide range of anxiety disorders that negatively impact peoples’ day to day lives.

Myth: Medication is not helpful for anxiety disorders

Fact: Medication can be useful as part of a wider treatment plan.

Myth: People with anxiety have a ‘nervy’ personality

Fact: Many different types of people with different personality traits get anxiety disorders, and they cannot ‘snap out if it’ or ‘get over it’.

Eating disorders

characterised by limiting food eaten, eating very large quantities at once, getting rid of food in an unhealthy way, worrying about weight or body shape, avoiding many foods, or a combination of these, often as a way to cope with difficult situations or feelings

Myth: Eating disorders are a choice

Fact: Eating disorders are complex illnesses with biological, psychological and sociocultural factors- never a choice.

Myth: People with eating disorders are always underweight

Fact: Being underweight is typical for anorexia nervosa, but there is a wide range of eating disorders and most people with an eating disorder are healthy weight or overweight- this does not mean they are physically or mentally healthy.

Myth: Eating disorders are diets gone wrong

Fact: Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, not diets gone wrong.

Bipolar disorder

characterised by extreme mood changes with periods of high moods (mania or hypomania) and low moods (depression) lasting several days or weeks

Myth: Bipolar disorder is just mania

Fact: Bipolar disorder causes a wide range of mood disturbances, including mania, a significant increase in mood, and depression, a persistent low mood and lack of energy and activity.

Myth: Mania is fun

Fact: Mania can be uncomfortable and unpleasant and cause irritability, restlessness and out of control feelings. It can cause psychotic symptoms and make people take big, potentially damaging, risks.

Myth: Bipolar disorder is just being moody

Fact: Bipolar disorder is different to normal everyday mood fluctuations. The highs and lows are extreme, out of context, and last several days, weeks, or months.

Schizophrenia

characterised by hallucinations, delusions, muddled thoughts, low motivation and feeling disconnected from feelings and emotions (and more)

Myth: People with schizophrenia are violent

Fact: People with schizophrenia are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators of violence.

Myth: Schizophrenia is caused by childhood abuse

Fact: While the exact causes are unknown, schizophrenia is likely due to a combination of genetic, physical, psychological and environmental factors.

Myth: Schizophrenia is just delusions and hallucinations

Fact: Schizophrenia can cause disorganised thinking, abnormal movement and negative symptoms- such as decreased motivation, facial expressions and enjoyment- as well as delusions and hallucinations.

Schizoaffective disorder is a different mental health condition characterised by a mix of schizophrenia symptoms and mood disorder symptoms