Read Myth 1: Mental Illness is due to lack of faith
Family and friends can sometimes compare their experiences to the experiences of someone facing mental health difficulties. They may feel that they have been through worse and had to cope and carry on, so there is no need for a person with ill health to get help or even be unwell in the first place.
Your child may feel like a burden, leading them to avoid family/friends, to hide how they truly feel.
Traumatic events may trigger anxiety disorders in some people however there doesn’t always have to be an obvious cause or event that someone is “stressed” or “depressed” about. For others anxiety may be linked to underlying health issues or side effects of medication.
Depression and being sad are not the same thing. Depression is a persistent sadness that can last for very long periods
Mental illness isn’t something that only happens when something obvious has happened. People react to things in different ways, knowing that others have been through worse issues and traumas in their life doesn’t make what the person is going through any less to them. Mental illness also isn’t something that only happens to those without family and friends. Having a good support network is definitely a protective factor, but talking to those around you isn’t always enough to help you get better
