Dismissing Mental Disorders
"What do you have to be depressed about?" "You'll be fine, just take a deep breath." "You'll get over it. Things get better." "You're saying and doing that for attention." "This is a phase." "You'll grow out of it."
Do these phrases sound familiar? To someone who lives with a mental disorder, those statements are said all too often. Because it's only recently that our culture has come to accept the presence of mental illness and what that truly means for individuals, there's still so much toxic stigma, harmful stereotypes, and dismissal centered especially around youth who think they may be or truly are living with mental illness.
Teenagers already receive a lot of bad rap. They're stigmatized as moody, irresponsible, hormonal, rebellious-and in a lot of ways, they are. However, 1 in 5 teens are diagnosed a mental disorder, and many more live with the disorders unrecognized because the people closest to them carry stereotypes about disorders. What may be a symptom of Major Depressive Disorder or General Anxiety Disorder or even ADHD is put down to a person lacking motivation, being lazy, overdramatic, or simply not trying hard enough to focus. If someone's family has a religious affiliation, almost a third of those teens will hear "It's just a spiritual issue."
Sometimes mental disorders are often treated like a taboo topic. Oftentimes, both the fear of mental disorders and the dismissal of it are due to lack of understanding. Today's young people are growing up in a world where the field of psychology has greatly advanced, even though it's still a very young and underdeveloped faction of science. Their elders, however, may not necessarily be as up-to-date on the symptoms of the different possible disorders, and when their children display those symptoms or try to confide their concerns in their parents, the reaction is all too often: "My child would never have that."
Why is that? Many teenagers who's parents react in that particular way come from otherwise loving, supportive families. Disorders like depression and anxiety are often stereotyped as needing a traumatic cause, when really, mental illness doesn't care about how the person grew up-it simply is. Factors can certainly heighten symptoms and severity of the mental illness, but growing up in a really positive atmosphere does not in any way guarantee that a child doesn't have a mental disorder.
A quick google search shows hundreds of teens posting on various forums and social media that their parents don't believe they have depression, anxiety, ADHD, emotional trauma, or an eating disorder. When parents, siblings, extended family members, and close friends are dismissive of mental concerns or don't take seriously any symptoms that are displayed, they cause further harm.
With depression, teenagers are told that they are simply hormonal. In anxiety, they hear a lot about how they're being overdramatic and even worse, 'just wait till you experience real stress'. Kids with ADHD are told they need to focus more, those who are suicidal are called selfish, self-harm and eating disorders are viewed as grabs for attention. It's even more dangerous to completely dismiss concerns or symptoms as it is to look for them when they aren't there. Dismissal can lead to further guilt and insecurity.
For myself, I've struggled with depression off and on throughout the years. I don't know that I have Major Depressive Disorder, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is when otherwise almost nonexistent depressive symptoms are heightened by seasonal change. I've had some unhealthy coping mechanisms that left scars on my body and saw me several miles from my home before I turned back. And for the most part, many of my family members are mostly unaware that I ever-and still do-struggle this way, because why would their child be depressed?
When your best friend, or your sibling, or your child comes to you confessing that they think they may have a mental disorder, how you respond can make such a big difference. Validate their concerns, offer your support, try to learn more about the disorder they think they have. Educate yourself on the current research for mental disorders, and don't turn a blind eye to someone else's suffering. As I said before, it's better to assume a little too much than not at all.
Do these phrases sound familiar? To someone who lives with a mental disorder, those statements are said all too often. Because it's only recently that our culture has come to accept the presence of mental illness and what that truly means for individuals, there's still so much toxic stigma, harmful stereotypes, and dismissal centered especially around youth who think they may be or truly are living with mental illness.
Teenagers already receive a lot of bad rap. They're stigmatized as moody, irresponsible, hormonal, rebellious-and in a lot of ways, they are. However, 1 in 5 teens are diagnosed a mental disorder, and many more live with the disorders unrecognized because the people closest to them carry stereotypes about disorders. What may be a symptom of Major Depressive Disorder or General Anxiety Disorder or even ADHD is put down to a person lacking motivation, being lazy, overdramatic, or simply not trying hard enough to focus. If someone's family has a religious affiliation, almost a third of those teens will hear "It's just a spiritual issue."
Sometimes mental disorders are often treated like a taboo topic. Oftentimes, both the fear of mental disorders and the dismissal of it are due to lack of understanding. Today's young people are growing up in a world where the field of psychology has greatly advanced, even though it's still a very young and underdeveloped faction of science. Their elders, however, may not necessarily be as up-to-date on the symptoms of the different possible disorders, and when their children display those symptoms or try to confide their concerns in their parents, the reaction is all too often: "My child would never have that."
Why is that? Many teenagers who's parents react in that particular way come from otherwise loving, supportive families. Disorders like depression and anxiety are often stereotyped as needing a traumatic cause, when really, mental illness doesn't care about how the person grew up-it simply is. Factors can certainly heighten symptoms and severity of the mental illness, but growing up in a really positive atmosphere does not in any way guarantee that a child doesn't have a mental disorder.
A quick google search shows hundreds of teens posting on various forums and social media that their parents don't believe they have depression, anxiety, ADHD, emotional trauma, or an eating disorder. When parents, siblings, extended family members, and close friends are dismissive of mental concerns or don't take seriously any symptoms that are displayed, they cause further harm.
With depression, teenagers are told that they are simply hormonal. In anxiety, they hear a lot about how they're being overdramatic and even worse, 'just wait till you experience real stress'. Kids with ADHD are told they need to focus more, those who are suicidal are called selfish, self-harm and eating disorders are viewed as grabs for attention. It's even more dangerous to completely dismiss concerns or symptoms as it is to look for them when they aren't there. Dismissal can lead to further guilt and insecurity.
For myself, I've struggled with depression off and on throughout the years. I don't know that I have Major Depressive Disorder, but I wouldn't be surprised if I had Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is when otherwise almost nonexistent depressive symptoms are heightened by seasonal change. I've had some unhealthy coping mechanisms that left scars on my body and saw me several miles from my home before I turned back. And for the most part, many of my family members are mostly unaware that I ever-and still do-struggle this way, because why would their child be depressed?
When your best friend, or your sibling, or your child comes to you confessing that they think they may have a mental disorder, how you respond can make such a big difference. Validate their concerns, offer your support, try to learn more about the disorder they think they have. Educate yourself on the current research for mental disorders, and don't turn a blind eye to someone else's suffering. As I said before, it's better to assume a little too much than not at all.
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