Published July 24, 2024 by Zencare Team and Lavender Psychiatry
There's a lot of great information on the internet, but separating fact from a belief or myth is no easy task. With societal stigmas adding to the confusion, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and hesitant about seeking help. That's why turning to mental health professionals like nurse practitioners (NPs) is so important. They can provide the support and clarity needed for someone to start their journey to mental wellness.
NPs are trained and compassionate professionals who play a vital role in helping individuals better their mental health. They create safe, judgment-free spaces where people feel comfortable sharing their feelings and work collaboratively with their clients to develop personalized treatment plans. Sometimes, these treatment plans may include medication if needed. In this blog post, we’ve partnered with Lavender, an online psychiatry and therapy office that connects individuals with caring NPs. Together, we’ll dispel some of the most common mental health myths to clear up any confusion and find a path forward.
Myth #1: “Mental health” and “mental condition” mean the same thing
While they may seem to be interchangeable terms, mental health and mental condition aren’t the same thing, although they are related. Think of mental health as your overall emotional, social, and psychological well-being: how you connect with others, how well you can handle stress, and how well you feel. Everyone can experience ups and downs in their mental health, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a mental condition.
A mental condition is a clinical diagnosis made by a medical professional. Some mental conditions make the regular ups and downs of life more extreme. They can also cause extended periods of feeling low and affect your mood, thoughts, and behavior. This, in turn, can strain relationships and make your daily life at home, work, or school challenging. The good news, however, is that mental conditions are treatable, and speaking with a mental health professional like a nurse practitioner is a great first step to take.
Myth #2: If you’re using medication, you don’t need therapy
Medication can sometimes be recommended by a medical professional as part of your treatment plan, but this doesn’t mean that you should skip therapy. In fact, medication and therapy work best together.
“Medication can be a vitally important tool in the overall treatment plan for the client. Sometimes clients have symptoms that are significantly disrupting their lives, and medication can help alleviate those symptoms quicker than therapy alone. For example, it can be hard for a highly anxious client to manage their anxiety. If they are too anxious to focus in the therapy session, medication can make this process much more effective. Once the symptoms have been reduced with medication, the client is then able to make the best use of therapy. Teaching clients about how to use their medication as another tool to combat their symptoms also increases their sense of control in their life,” Carol Counts Robinson, MSN, PMHNP-BC.
Therapy provides the strategies you can use to manage your symptoms, which is essential to know for the long-term. You’ll gain a better understanding of your emotions and triggers, and work on how to cope with stress, process negative experiences, build confidence, and more. Medication can help accelerate your improvement so you can reach your mental health goals faster.
Myth #3: You can learn to ignore your mental health struggles
It’s easy to think that mental health struggles can be ignored and hope that they’ll disappear, but this is often not the case. Bottling up your feelings might seem like a quick fix, but it can actually do the opposite of what you initially intended and potentially cause more problems. Ignoring any physical or psychological symptoms of distress will only leave you feeling more confused and overwhelmed if you continue to brush them off. Instead, you should address your symptoms by speaking with a mental health professional.
Remember that taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Your feelings are valid, even if other people try to invalidate them. You feel a certain way for a reason, and you should find the right support to start feeling better again soon.
Myth #4: It’s easy to tell if someone is struggling with their mental health
It’s important to remember that someone’s mental health struggles might not always be visible. While obvious signs can sometimes indicate when someone is struggling, many people battle with mental health issues in ways that aren’t clearly visible. Just because someone appears happy or successful doesn’t mean they aren’t facing an internal struggle.
Many people hide their feelings and act as if everything in their life is great to go along with societal expectations or avoid drawing attention to themselves. We can’t always see what struggles someone else is going through, and that’s okay. Especially in the day and age of social media, many people (even your favorite influencers) may be curating the perfect image for their feeds — but this is often not the reality. The important thing is to be understanding. Everyone’s mental health journey is unique, and for some, that means keeping their struggles private.
Myth #5: Getting mental health help is a sign of weakness
While society has made a lot of progress to dispel this myth over the past two decades, it’s still a commonly held thought that people who reach out for mental health help do so out of weakness. This might be a widespread belief in certain cultures or with specific groups of people, such as men. Many men have taken in the idea that a “strong man” means that stoicism is a sign of power, which has been a message found in the media for generations. These existing stereotypes perpetuate the idea and teachings that men should not be emotional or not openly speak about their mental health struggles. Some cultures also believe that reaching out for help breaks the confidence of a family, seeing getting mental health help as a sign of weakness and deviation from familial norms.
The reality behind this myth is that realizing that you need help and reaching out to engage with a mental health professional — or simply reading resources on the topic of mental health — is actually a sign of strength and courage. It can be incredibly intimidating or downright scary to admit to yourself that something isn’t right and that you, alone, cannot fix the issue. Getting help shows strength and resilience, not weakness.
Myth #6: Once you have a mental health issue, it’s a lifelong struggle
For some people, mental health challenges impact many years of their lives — however, recovery and success can look different for everyone. No matter when or for how long a mental health issue arises, it doesn’t change a person’s ability to live a full, happy life.
The mental health journey depends on the mental health challenge, the support received, and how that individual defines “recovery.” While mental health symptoms might occur throughout a person’s life, that person might develop coping strategies or techniques to reduce the impact of those symptoms so they can live comfortably and connected to others without barriers. Some individuals turn to medication, which can reduce the impact of mental health symptoms, whether taken for a short period or for the long term.
Myth #7: Having a support system means you don’t need therapy
Some people think that if they have a strong support system, they won’t need a relationship with a mental health professional. While having a strong support system is great, it usually can’t provide the specialized level of guidance, care, and coping strategies that a mental health professional can. Many people consider mental health professionals to be outside their support network, even though they’re an essential part of it.
Mental health professionals, like nurse practitioners, play a different role than friends or family members, often serving as guides to help you navigate your mental health. They take an objective and informed approach, often with years of experience and in-depth training. A mental health professional can teach you coping strategies, give you new perspectives about your situation, and expert guidance on what resources are available to you. Mental health professionals are also confidential resources bound by professional ethics, whereas friends or family members are not.
“Whenever I begin working with a client, I want them to feel right from the start that our sessions are a safe space created just for them. They are welcomed, accepted, valued, and cared for. I work to establish an environment of trust where clients can feel comfortable bringing their difficult pasts, current struggles and future goals knowing they won't be judged but rather supported and listened to. My job as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and therapist is to walk alongside my clients in their struggles and challenges while supporting and celebrating their victories. Therapy and treatment is about creating a relationship of trust,” explains Courtney Paton, MSN, PMHNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner at Lavender.
Myth #8: You are to blame for your own mental health issues
This myth has detrimental consequences, making it an important myth to dispel for the larger population. One of the key features of mental health challenges is the propensity towards negative self-talk. One of the most harmful thoughts when it comes to negative self-talk is blaming yourself for any mental health issues, and these thoughts can lead to intense feelings of worthlessness, shame, or hopelessness.
Mental health challenges come from a wide range of sources, which can include inherited genetic predispositions, chemical imbalances in the body, the environment in which they grew up or continue to live, their relationships, traumatic experiences, and more. Lifestyle choices, which includes a person’s physical health, can also have an influence on mental health. For example, maintaining a healthy work-life balance can help reduce stress and provide time to nurture personal relationships, which can ultimately improve a person’s overall mental well-being.
The truth is that most people will never be able to point directly to the cause of their mental health challenges, and it’s not the person’s fault if they are struggling. The important thing is to reach out and get help so they can focus on healing and feeling like their true self again.
Conclusion
Mental health is a complex topic that’s often brought up in discussion. While there are a lot of experienced mental health professionals out there, there are also many people without a clinical education who are sharing their thoughts, opinions, tips, and ideas on mental health — so it’s hard for someone to know what’s factual information. Cultural and societal misconceptions about mental health can also prevent individuals from seeking mental health help or working with a mental health professional.
If you have questions about mental health, it’s important to connect with a licensed mental health professional that you trust. Through the Zencare therapist directory, you can find a Lavender nurse practitioner that makes you feel comfortable, heard, and empowered. On the Zencare directory, search for “Lavender” in the search bar, and select the provider called Lavender. This will take you to Lavender’s group practice page where you can learn more about the practice and find the profiles of their nurse practitioners.