Busting 10 Myths about mental health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGQwcioy2MM

Hey everybody and welcome to men talk, a series of videos about mental health and I’m so glad that you’re here as this has become a really good subject very very close to my own heart. My name is Andy I’m a veteran soldier of 25 years in the British Army and I’ve been suffering from PTSD for many many years. It was only recently that I realized that I had a mental health issue so today I’m going to be tackling a topic that’s crucial to our understanding and well-being, and that being mental health or mental illness as it can be known.

Despite the progress that’s been made in raising awareness about mental health there are still many many myths and misconceptions that linger and these myths can create barriers and perpetuate stigma and they often lead to misunderstanding about what mental health truly is. Throughout this video I’m going to be shining a light on some of the most common myths surrounding mental illness and we’ll review the facts that debunk them.

For instance, you might have heard that mental illness is a sign of weakness which is absolute rubbish. This misconception is extremely dangerous can be incredibly harmful and it also discourages individuals that need it from seeking help when they need it the most, so how many people do you think suffer from mental health issues? Well, according to the UK medical Council the figures for 2024 show that more than one in seven UK adults say their mental health is in currently either bad shape or worse than it’s ever been and there’s more women than there are men. Currently I think there’s about 18 and a half percent of women and 12 and a half percent of men and that’s a lot of people.

Another myth is that therapy is only for those with severe mental health issues but in reality therapy can be very beneficial for everybody. I mean whether you’re dealing with everybody’s everyday stress things like getting married taking a driving test even flying overseas on holiday relationship challenges or simply just looking to grow personally. So today we’re going to highlight 10 myths including the idea that mental illness is rare, or that once you’ve had me mental illness you’ll always have it. By addressing these misconceptions I hope to Foster greater understanding and compassion for ourselves and everybody around us.

Now, I want to remind you that this is a safe place for sharing if you have any personal experiences, any personal thoughts or questions about mental health please feel free to share in the comments below please subscribe as well. Your voice matters and together we can create a supportive Community where we can learn and grow.

Myth number one mental illness is a sign of weakness. False. Rubbish. Mental illness is a medical condition just like any other physical illness it can affect anybody regardless of their strength of character background, creed, color, anything. Factors like genetics, brain chemistry, trauma, even the environment they live can all contribute to mental health illnesses.

Myth number two people with mental illness are violent. False. Most individuals with mental health conditions are not violent and more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetuators, and stigmatizing language and portrayals in the media in film and TV we’ve all seen it the chain slashers. This this can distort public perception.

Myth number three you can just snap out of it. False. Mental health conditions often require treatment such as therapy or medications just like any other medical condition and Recovery takes time and it takes support and telling somebody just to snap out of it can actually be harmful and dismissive and to be honest it’s also just ignorant and rude myth number four therapy is only for people with severe mental illnesses balls therapy can be beneficial to everybody not just those with severe conditions uh many people seek therapy for everyday stress relationship issues and personal growth it’s a valuable tool for enhancing overall well-being and a lot of companies nowadays encourage mental health mental well-being within the company policy myth number five mental illness is rare false mental uh Health illnesses are quite common and according to the the World Health Organization approximately one in four people will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives uh so aware Ness and understanding and education are absolutely crucial myth number six medication is the only solution no false while medication can be effective for many those in the severe cases it’s not the only option therapy Lifestyle Changes social support and holistic approaches can also play significant roles in managing your personal mental health myth number seven mental illness is a choice false mental illness is UN not choices they are complex conditions influenced by various biological factors environmental factors and psychological factors people can’t choose to be mentally ill but they cannot recover without help and support myth number eight children adolescence don’t experience mental illness rubbish false mental health issues can affect individuals of all ages including children and teenagers and the earlier the intervention is is is the better and it’s critical for effect Ive treatment and support and recognizing symptoms in youths and adolescen is absolutely essential myth number nine once you have a mental illness you’ll always have it rubbish false many people can and do recover from mental health issues with the correct treatment with the correct support and with the correct coping strategies so individuals can then go on to lead fulfilling lives and manage their conditions quite effectively without affecting anybody around them myth number 10 talking about mental health makes it worse absolute rubbish and I know from personal experience open conversation about mental health can reduce the stigma about men talking women talking and it encourages people to seek help talking about feelings and experiences can be a healing process and it promotes understanding and and communities rely on it the open communication is essential and it’s one of those things that men particularly do not do willingly or very well or do they I’m personally very proud to be a member of Silent Storms which is an older shop base Club in South England growing by the day sponsored by one shot olders shop football club and part of the healing hubs also in older shop uh it’s the Charities that where men get to talk about men’s stuff no politics religion controversial chubs or anything like that nothing legal Wise It’s just men chatting about other stuff among other men in a non-judgmental plan face no pressure to talk but everybody listens so in conclusion please take on board what I’ve just said hit the Subscribe button um leave any comments you wish to uh below and uh you’ve got to recognize that in order for you to become healthier mentally you have to first recognize that all is possibly not all that good with yourself so uh it’s really important that you talk um so I wish you all the best and we’ll catch up in the next video.