Hope for Mental Illness: Mental Health Myths and Facts

This post is a continuation of  my experiences with mental health myths and facts. All the myths I quote in these posts are taken verbatim from Mental Health Myths and Facts on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at mentalhealth.gov.

Myth: There is no hope for people with mental health problems. Once a friend or family member develops mental health problems, he or she will never recover.

This is a myth I often succumb to, and for me this myth is somewhat true. For the foreseeable future, and likely for the rest of my life, I will have bipolar. When times are good, sometimes I think that maybe things will stay like this. Maybe I’ll stay balanced. Maybe I won’t fall into a depressive state or have another manic episode.

Unfortunately, I likely will continue to experience the symptoms of bipolar to varying degrees. I’ll likely have more manic episodes. I’ll likely have more manic episodes and mixed states. Medications I take can or have stopped working. There’s a better than average chance I’ll end up in the hospital again.

These things may all sound depressing, but despite the likelyhood of relapse, that doesn’t mean there won’t be times that are good. There will be. There will be long stretches of recovery. Even during manic and depressive episodes, good can still come.

Depressive episodes can teach me to be more empathetic. The techniques I use to help manage and recover from them often help me see the blessings in my life. The kindness shown to me, my material blessings, friends, family, and employment — all things I can use to share with others.

It’s harder to see the good in manic episodes. I often do things that are embarrassing or that make my life more difficult. I overshare about my personal life, talk too much, and often interrupt others when they are talking. I write emails and post on social media things I normally wouldn’t, and at times I engage in communication that I don’t remember later.

I wish I could say with certainty that I will fully recover from bipolar, but I know that it’s likelier I won’t. Still, sometimes there is some good that comes from manic episodes. If I can manage to stay focused on one thing at a time, I can often accomplish more than I normally would — especially cleaning and writing.

Learning strategies that have helped me to not over communicate and stay focused on one thing at a time when manic is somewhat a recovery in itself. Having strategies to mitigate and reduce the length of a bipolar episode make my ability to function “normally” in my personal and professional life have made me feel better about my bipolar.

While some mental illnesses can be chronic, many with mental health problems will recover completely or go through long stretches of functioning “normally.” Family and friends can help loved ones cope with and recover from mental illness in a wide variety of ways.

According to MentalHealth.gov, support from friends and family is paramount in helping someone struggling with mental health problems. I encourage you to read the whole article, “For Friends and Family Members,” but I’ll share some highlights below, starting with the benefits of learning about mental health and mental illness (bullet points taken from MentalHealth.gov):

• Improved recognition of early signs of mental health problems
• Earlier treatment
• Greater understanding and compassion

There are also many ways you can help support a friend or family member struggling with mental illness. Here are some ideas from MentalHealth.gov:

• Finding out if the person is getting the care that he or she needs and wants—if not, connect him or her to help
• Expressing your concern and support
• Reminding your friend or family member that help is available and that mental health problems can be treated
• Asking questions, listening to ideas, and being responsive when the topic of mental health problems come up
• Reassuring your friend or family member that you care about him or her
• Offering to help your friend or family member with everyday tasks
• Including your friend or family member in your plans—continue to invite him or her without being overbearing, even if your friend or family member resists your invitations
• Educating other people so they understand the facts about mental health problems and do not discriminate
• Treating people with mental health problems with respect, compassion, and empathy

There is all kinds of other good information on the “For Friends and Family Members" article on MentalHealth.gov, and again, I really encourage you to read the entire article. Obviously not all the advice is appropriate for everyone and your approach to supporting friends and family should be tailored to their needs.

I've been incredibly blessed with supportive friends and family during the times I've struggled with bipolar. Calls and cards from friends, visits in the hospital, and friends and family sharing their struggles with mental health have all helped me get through some tough times.

How about you? How have you or how do you want to support a friend or family member struggling with mental health issues? Or, how do you want to be supported when you're struggling with mental health problems?