Mental illness not immune to myth

The treatment of emotional disorders has been one of the fastest changing facets of health care during the past 20 years. Notable advances include:

Breakthroughs in the use of medication for emotional disorders.
New trends in psychotherapy.
Greater awareness on the part of the layman.

The dark ages of ignorance and superstition where people with emotional problems were locked up and even tortured are not found in today’s society. Modern treatment techniques have at their core the warmth, understanding and acceptance needed to help individuals who find it difficult to cope in this rapidly changing world.

Most insurance companies now recognize the need for covering the treatment of emotional disorders and many businesses are establishing employee assistance programs should emotional problems arise. Many community organizations are encouraging programs by mental health professionals. Besides increasing mental health awareness, they instruct people on maintaining a healthier set of emotional responses, thus lessening the need for future professional consultation.

Despite the rapid strides made in mental health treatment, several myths about mental and emotional illness still exist and should be dispelled.

• Myth: Emotional problems are a sign of weakness, bad parenting, lack of religious convictions, etc.

Fact: Most emotional problems are the result of a combination of causes, which are often complex. Usually they develop over a period of months, or even years.

• Myth: Once a person has developed emotional problems he will never be free from these problems.

Fact: The goals of most mental health professionals is to develop self-sufficiency and give the individual the confidence to cope with the stresses and pressures of life. This is not usually accomplished overnight, and some individuals, because of the severity of their problems, need professional help for a longer period of time.

• Myth: Professional counseling and therapy for emotional problems are far more expensive than other forms of health care, and any kind of doctor can perform this service.

Fact: Mental health professionals are trained specialists are as other health care professionals, such as dentists, specialists for eye diseases, etc. The specific therapies needed for the treatment of emotional disorders are learned in specialized training programs in psychiatry, psychology and other mental health training fields. The cost per unit of time is not more expensive than other forms of health care treatment, and in many cases less expensive.

• Myth: Psychiatric hospitals are “snake pits,” where people are locked up and are the last resort when everything else has failed.

Fact: Waco has two of the most modern mental health facilities in the United States. Each has an environment that is anything but depressing, ominous or foreboding. The programs at these hospitals, the fees charged and the physical facilities are comparable and give the citizens of Central Texas a wide choice of selecting the kind of treatment best suited for them.

Finally, remember that two of the chief ingredients needed to help an emotionally disturbed person are an understanding that answers are available for them, and removing all traces of stigma. If we can accomplish this, greater future strides can be expected and better mental health maintained for all.

Copyright c 1990 Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.