Time to look at mental illness in a different light

It’s World Mental Health Day – a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.

Two of the most common mental health issues I see in my practice are depression and anxiety.

Challenge your perception about mental illness

If I could give people in wider society a message it would be that anxiety and depression are not character defects but mental illnesses. These are different to what stressed or sad people feel. Mental illness is debilitating, and professional help is required. It is not a choice the person has made, but there are then two problems at play – the symptoms, plus being blamed or judged. People suffering anxiety and/or depression want to be validated and understood, they want support and unconditional love.

People with anxiety are often seen by others to be weak. Common errors are saying things like: “It is not such a big deal. Be brave.” Or “I get stressed sometimes, too. Everyone gets stressed. Stop being so dramatic.” Or “Pull yourself together. Harden up.”

People with depression are also often seen as lazy. It’s just as unhelpful to say things like: “Stop being lazy and get to work/get moving/find a job/get out of bed.” Or “I feel miserable too sometimes. Everyone does. You can’t expect to be happy every single day.” Or “It’s all in your head. I read somewhere that if you change your thinking you will feel motivated/will reach your goals/will stop crying.”

What people with anxiety and depression want to hear is: “What you are experiencing is valid. Many people go through this. I won’t minimise it.” Or “I haven’t experienced mental illness myself, so I may get it wrong sometimes. Please educate me in what to say or do. If you like, I’ll come with you to your health care professional to learn more.” Or “Are you OK today? Is there anything I can do to help?”

If I could give people suffering anxiety and depression one message …

By getting help from experienced health care professionals, you can work through anxiety and depression. It’s also very possible to treat them without drugs. Furthermore, don’t automatically assume you can’t afford treatment. The good news is that if you live in Australia, there are various pathways which assist in making it possible to afford the fees for counselling and psychological therapy.

When we have a greater understanding about mental illness, we get closer to reducing the stigma surrounding it and allow people to seek the help and support they need and deserve.

At Anxiety Solutions we have a team of highly experienced Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Psychology Registrars who are well trained and up to date with latest treatment methods, to help you on your mental health journey. For more information, or to book, please contact us or call us now on 02 9328 5899.

By Renee Mill|2022-07-18T12:47:16+10:00October 11th, 2018|Anxiety, Depression|

About the Author: Renee Mill

Renee Mill -- Anxiety Solutions CBT Director, Principal Clinical Psychologist, Supervisor and Best Selling Author -- has counseled hundreds of individuals, couples and families for over 30 years. She cares deeply about her clients and has created a warm and safe environment for all thrive. Renee has worked intensely on creating a new technique for dealing with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, fear of public speaking, performance anxiety and panic attacks. Renee’s other key areas of interest are depression, relationships and couple therapy, self-worth, parenting, resilience and well-being. Renee has published 3 best selling books and lectured in Australia, China, Israel, the United States and South Africa. She is well known on the speaker’s circuit and is often called upon by the media for her professional opinion. To hear Renee’s interviews or read her articles have a look at our Media Section.