Mental Health - Facts and Myths

This condition makes it hard for people to focus and sit still. Kids who are impacted by this can learn to control their thoughts and bodies, but may also need medicine to help them.

Kids can't get depression and anxiety disorders, only adults can.

People diagnosed with this can have a hard time talking about their feelings, understanding people's actions, and being social. They can also be very sensitive to being touched. What diagnosis would this be?

Mental illness is not caused by doing something wrong. Also, you can't cause someone else to have a mental illness. Doctors think that mental illness is caused by a mix of what's going on in your body and what's happening around you.

People with this disorder can go from being very happy one moment, to being very angry, sad and tired the next moment. When people with this disorder experience intense feelings it is called mania and when they can't think clearly or sleep well and feel intense sadness, it is called depression.

Mental illness is the same as being mentally disabled (sometimes incorrectly called mental retardation).

This type of disorder occurs when someone's thoughts and behaviours are focused too much on food and body weight.

Your personality or ability to handle your feelings does not cause mental illness. Mental illness isn't just "in your head" or something that goes away if you try hard. The right combination of what helps is different for each person.

This disorder involves when someone sees or lives through something very scary, they can keep feeling afraid even after the scary part is over. Sometimes these people feel scared even if they are safe and there is nothing to be afraid of.

People with mental health challenges have to take special tests to get a job or go to college.

When people have mental illnesses, they will never get better.

This disorder makes it difficult for people to know what is real and what is not real. With this disorder, the brain thinks it sees or hears things that aren't really there. A person diagnosed with this can start to think someone is trying to control them or read their mind.

Labels and unfair treatment are results of this. This comes from negative and incorrect beliefs, or stereotypes, about groups of people. Fear of being left out or picked on because of who you are is a feeling that comes from this.

If you have a broken leg, it will not get better with just aspirin. It also takes time and exercise and hard work. In a way, having a mental illness is the same. You have to be patient, get help, and talk about it.

Exercising, eating healthy foods, and not using drugs or alcohol will have a positive impact on your mental health.