As the video “Understanding Mental Health Disorders” shares, there are many types of mental health disorders, from mania to anxiety to OCD and beyond. Some mental health disorders like psychotic disorders are commonly what comes to mind when we think about mental illness. Although psychotic disorders might be a popular way to portray mental health disorders in the media, those who have schizophrenia only make up roughly 1% of the population worldwide. These individuals experience symptoms of delusions where they may believe something that isn’t true or have hallucinations where they hear voices when no one is talking.
While mental health disorders have been misunderstood in society and labeled as “craziness,” the truth is that these disorders are real illnesses that can cause debilitating symptoms for the person experiencing them. If you have a loved one with a mental health disorder, it’s best to treat them with respect since they are a person and not an illness, like the video says. To show you care, listen to your loved one and avoid being confrontational. After all, a mental health condition may be an impactful illness, but it isn’t the whole identity of a person.
