Mistakes We Make Judging People With Mental Illness
Stigma and ignorance perpetuate the problem
Someone on social media called Greta Thornberg a narcissist.
Not only is she unlikely to be anywhere close to having narcissistic traits, but they made a flippant accusation. This person doesn’t know what it means.
If this powerhouse of a climate activist were narcissistic, she wouldn’t sacrifice time and energy to save the planet. Or she would do it solely for notoriety, and we would see through her motives. In layperson’s terms, a narcissist focuses on what they can get for themselves, unconcerned about others’ feelings.
Just because you don’t like or agree with their actions, doesn’t mean they have disordered thinking or behavior.
Lately, people throw these terms around like they know what they’re talking about. It’s harmful and inaccurate. Individuals and their loved ones suffer daily from the effects of mental illness.
Those who label others this way do so with malicious intent or ignorance. They don’t understand and don’t make an effort to learn.
Most of us aren’t professionally trained to detect differences in brain function. I studied psychology in college, but I’m not an expert.
How do you know for sure if someone has a mental illness unless they tell you? How would you know anything about their actions until you’re intimate with a particular person who has an immediate impact on your life?
We need to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. How would you feel if a person assumed things about your character and mental health status, based solely on observation? What if they compounded it with judgment and ridicule?
Mental disorder diagnoses don’t define people.
Humans are multifaceted individuals with a plethora of attributes and challenges. Mental illness is only a fraction of what we offer.
When people act out, others are angry and disappointed. I understand it’s uncomfortable to be around some folks with behavioral illnesses. Their actions can push you away in anger or frustration.
I have alcoholism and addiction. I have a diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — Inattentive Type. I’ve been clean and sober and non-medicated for over 16 1/2 years. Not many people know this about me because my life is manageable.
It feels like OCD and ADHD all but disappeared when I got sober. The underlying issues surfaced when my alcoholism was in full swing. It’s common for conditions to remain dormant until other disturbances arise.
These labels don’t define who I am, even if they were active. I have a collection of anxiety disorders that no longer rule my life.
I only identify with recovery from them. Since my behavior is appropriate and socially acceptable, I’m not questioned or judged for having the diagnoses.
My birth mother has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and likely has narcissism (currently undiagnosed). It’s an understatement to say she’s difficult to live with. She refuses to address the problems that push others away. I’m compelled to set and maintain boundaries and I mostly stay out of contact with her.
She’s also brilliant, clever, and creative. She’s passionate and driven. When she’s able to respect my limits, I enjoy her presence. I mention her positive qualities to illustrate the complexities of human nature. She isn’t just a narcissist. She’s not ‘schizo’, a derogatory term to describe her neurodiversity.
Mental illness can develop or worsen from traumatic experiences.
Research suggests many mental disorders stem from trauma. Brains require themselves to adapt to extreme changes in our environment.
Looking through the lens of empathy, we see others’ pain and hurt. They couldn’t endure the pain and acted out of survival. Our brains adapt to any conditions. Coping mechanisms might not serve us well, but we use whatever we can access.
When a person experiences severe trauma, their coping behavior can become maladaptive. Their thinking and actions interfere with everyday functions.
There’s a list of criteria in the Diagnostic Statistics Manual (DSM) shows when a set of behaviors are diagnosed as a mental disorder.
The DSM has a long history of misdiagnoses, homosexuality being one of them. I hold back from mentally diagnosing someone with mental illness based on their criteria. I’m also not trained to assess or make psychiatric evaluations.
However, it does show when a person will be at risk for problems in society.
That’s why we have these lists. There’s an expectation to behave in a certain way in US culture.
Each culture varies. We could have an entirely new conversation about this aspect. We have to function within the larger scope, though.
With a traumatic history, they need to find appropriate therapy to process and heal their pain. Being diagnosed helps with providing services.
Our health care and the legal system don’t provide adequate support for those who suffer.
There’s a strong correlation between untreated mental illness and semi-permanent homelessness. My mother has been arrested multiple times for trespassing. They place her in a holding cell until they can figure out what to do with her. It’s a temporary tactic used by law enforcement to get houseless people off the street.
Families endure long waiting lists for beds in facilities equipped to care for their loved ones. Other times, the facilities are inadequate or have deplorable conditions.
Those who are fortunate to stabilize their symptoms still face discrimination, stigma, and inadequate health care. Some have denied insurance coverage for medications or other necessary services.
The pervasiveness of stigma surrounding mental illness prevents people from living happy and productive lives. It’s inappropriate and shameful to place such absurdly high expectations on someone for being neurologically different.
Here are a few examples of misunderstood mental disorders.
It’s common to mislabel people with certain disorders. Our media influence misleads us to believe particular things about people. We often perpetuate the myth of mental illness as something to be feared or criticized. Our society mocks the suffering by shaming and ignorant name-calling.
It’s currently en vogue to call presumably selfish people narcissists. Narcissistic Personality Disorder has several key components that are recognized in the DSM-5.
According to information shared on the Psychology Today website, one must exhibit at least five of these behaviors to ger a diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
•A grandiose sense of self-importance
•Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
•Belief that one is special and can only be understood by or associate with special people or institutions
•A need for excessive admiration
•A sense of entitlement (to special treatment)
•Exploitation of others
•A lack of empathy
•Envy of others or the belief that one is the object of envy
•Arrogant, haughty behavior or attitudes
~Psychology Today, taken from DSM-5 criteria.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder, involves the splitting of alternate selves that occurs under stress or re-living traumatic experiences.
As sourced from Psychology Today,
Definition
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a rare condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in — and alternately take control of — an individual. Some people describe this as an experience of possession. The person also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
DID was called multiple personality disorder up until 1994, when the name was changed to reflect a better understanding of the condition — namely, that it is characterized by a fragmentation or splintering of identity, rather than by a proliferation or growth of separate personalities. The symptoms of DID cannot be explained away as the direct psychological effects of a substance or of a general medical condition.
I know people who suffer from the effects of this condition. There’s a negative impact on their relationships, health, and finances.
In conclusion
It’s challenging to tackle the complexities of people suffering from mental illness. In this article, I speak solely from a US cultural perspective. Other cultures have a different view of certain behaviors within the context of their society’s expectations.
In US culture, we tend to shame others when we don’t understand or disagree with others. Let’s refrain from ignorance, judgment, and ridicule. We need to listen and learn with an open mind. It’s only with a heart of compassion can we embrace our humanity.
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