Myth: Sadness and depression mean the same thing. So do fear and anxiety. Fact: Sadness and fear are normal emotions. These pass when the source of the sadness and fear go away. On the other hand, depression and anxiety are inexplicably persistent and can potentially become excessive. These can then interfere with a person’s daily life, leaving them unable to function properly. Myth: When a person is diagnosed with a mental health disorder, that means they’re crazy and have to be admitted into a mental hospital. Fact: The diagnosis of a disorder doesn’t necessarily mean the person needs immediate treatment. If they can perform their daily tasks properly, they may not need medication for their disorder. Regular supportive treatment, though—i.e., sessions with a therapist not necessarily focused on healing the disorder—is a good idea. Quick read: • Unpleasant emotions don’t constitute a mental health disorder. Persistent and progressive conditions, such as depression and anxiety, do. • Not all disorders require immediate medical treatment. Some can be managed with just regular psychotherapy sessions. • Mental health disorders are indiscriminate. They affect anyone regardless of economic or social status. • If you need a diagnosis and prescriptions, go to a psychiatrist. If you need to just talk to someone, go to a psychologist. • Socially deviant behavior doesn’t translate to a mental health disorder unless the behavior interferes with a person’s daily functioning. Myth: Mental health disorders are only for the rich. Fact: Anyone can struggle with their mental health. Just like how cancer doesn’t choose its victims, neither do mental health disorders. Sources: Abala, A. (2021, July 15). Learning Sessions on the Right to Mental Health—CHR: Dignity of All [Webinar]. Commission on Human Rights. Myth: Psychiatrists and psychologists are the same. If one is busy, book a session with the other. Fact: Psychiatrists are medical doctors; psychologists are not. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication; psychologists can’t. Psychiatrists focus on diagnosing mental illnesses and creating a treatment plan involving a wide range of therapies. Psychologists focus on using talk therapy to treat mental illness. Myth: People living with mental health disorders are crazy and may have been possessed by some spirit. Fact: It’s terms like “crazy” that perpetuate the stigmatization of people living with mental health disorders. In fact, they are doing their best to appear normal in a society that shuns any person or concept that seems different. No spirit possessions take place. Behaviors that are socially deviant don’t necessarily mean someone has a mental health disability. A disability is diagnosed only if the deviant behavior is caused by a dysfunction in the person’s psychological, biological, or developmental processes. 55 56