As a psychologist, I hear many misconceptions about mental health. Unfortunately, many of these myths continue to be held by mental health and medical professionals. Although I do not expect non-professionals to know many of these distinctions, let me explain why they are important to understand...
If you or your child is experiencing a mental health condition, knowledge is power. Knowledge can be the difference between suffering for years and finding relief. I hate that you have to research and advocate for yourself rather than this being done for you, but this is the sad state of mental health treatment in our current world.
I’m not calling out these mistaken beliefs to shame anyone. I’m sharing them to empower people with as much knowledge as possible to get to the right care for their concerns.
“I only have A.D.D.”
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the name of the disorder defined in the DSM-5, our manual that categorizes mental health conditions, which was published in 2013. “ADD” would be the name of the disorder pre-2013. So, there is not a separate ADHD and ADD: The name was changed to reflect the variety of presentations within ADHD. If you were diagnosed with ADD as a child, your diagnosis has not disappeared, it has just been re-named.
You Have a “Chemical Imbalance”
The chemical imbalance explanation is basically that your brain is low on X chemical (or, more correctly, neurotransmitter) and taking X pill will replenish your brain, making you feel all better. This is most often discussed surrounding antidepressant medications: that SSRIs add serotonin to the brain, boosting mood. Unfortunately, neither of these statements is true. I would love for them to be true as well. Mental health conditions are caused by complex both biological and environmental (i.e., life experiences) factors, and they can’t be boiled down to just one “chemical.” This is also why we don’t have something equivalent to a blood test to identify mental health conditions.
“I’m So OCD” (AKA organized, anal retentive)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is very misunderstood disorder. People with OCD might worry about things like whether they are going to give someone’s grandma COVID-19, whether they hit someone with their car without knowing it, or whether we’re all living in The Truman Show. Being highly organized is more associated with OCPD, although it could be a symptom of “just right” OCD. Unfortunately, because of bad representations of OCD in the movies and TV, the average person with OCD has a gap of 17 years between having symptoms and getting correct treatment.
Time-Out is Bad for Children
Thank you to social media for this one. Of course, there are correct and incorrect ways to implement a time-out. Having a child hang out in their room and use their tablet is not really a time-out. Locking a child in a room alone for hours is also not a time-out. Evidence-based behavioral therapy protocols teach an effective, specific way to do time-out that is beneficial for kids, according to research. Treatments such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) include the time-out procedure even for children who have experienced abuse. Time-out appears to have good long-term outcomes into adulthood.
What are some other misconceptions in the world of mental health? Comment below! I will add new questions to a follow-up post.
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