Episode #56: A Conversation About: Myths and Facts About Mental Health
June 30, 2025
The X-Podcast: Real Conversations About Mental Health
A Conversation About: Myths and Facts About Mental Health
Listen to this episode at https://blubrry.com/studio_talk_mental_health/146682759/a-conversation-about-myths-and-facts-about-mental-health/
Listen to all episodes at https://blubrry.com/studio_talk_mental_health/
Episode #56: Myths and Facts About Mental Health
In this episode, the X-Podcast team discusses the myths and facts about mental health. The team asks, “Can you tell the difference between a mental health myth and a fact?” They also help define what mental health is and then provide the listeners with some key takeaways from their conversation.
Host Xiomara A. Sosa is joined by her co-host JRoc, guest Ant and Mental Health Volunteer Kiki.
Xiomara A. Sosa
Creator, Host, and Executive Producer
#TheXPodcast #MentalHealth #Counseling #Therapy #SocialChangeAdvocacy #SocialChange #Myths #Facts
Can you tell the difference between a mental health myth and a fact?
Mental health myths create misunderstandings and stigmas that hinder seeking help and support. The belief that mental health issues are a sign of weakness is inaccurate; mental health struggles can be caused by a variety of factors, like genetics, environmental stressors, and life experiences. The idea that only people with severe mental illness need counseling/therapy is false; counseling/therapy can be beneficial for anyone seeking to improve their well-being and cope with stress.
Referring to an article called Myths and Facts About Mental Health on psychiatry.org by the American Psychiatric Association, March 5, 2025.
What defines our mental health
How we navigate our emotions, especially during stressful times, defines our mental health. Emotions are normal. Whether you're feeling happy, stressed, bored, or something else, all feelings—positive or negative—are a natural part of being human. Yet people question themselves when life feels overwhelming.
There are myths around mental health that can stop people from seeking help. Let’s talk about them.
Myth: Mental health issues can't affect me.
Fact: Mental health issues can affect anyone. In 2020, about:
One in 5 American adults experienced a mental health condition in a given year
One in 6 young people has experienced a major depressive episode
One in 20 Americans has lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. It was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24. Suicide has accounted for the loss of more than 45,979 American lives in 2020, nearly double the number of lives lost to homicide.
Myth: Children don't experience mental health issues.
Fact: Even very young children may show early warning signs of mental health concerns. These mental health conditions are often clinically diagnosable and can be a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.
Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years old, and three-quarters of mental health disorders begin before age 24.
Only half of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health conditions receive the treatment they need. Early mental health support can help a child before problems interfere with other developmental needs.
Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental health conditions, cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job.
Fact: People with mental health conditions can be just as productive as other employees, especially when they can manage their mental health condition well. Employers often do not know if someone has a mental health condition, but if the condition is known to the employer, they often report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with, or greater than, other employees.
Myth: There is no hope for people with mental health issues. Once a friend or family member develops a mental health condition, they will never recover.
Fact: Studies show that people with mental health conditions get better, and many are on a path to recovery. Recovery refers to the process in which people can live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. There are more treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and they work.
Myth: Therapy and self-help are a waste of time. Why bother when you can just take a pill?
Fact: Treatment for mental health conditions varies depending on the individual and could include medication, therapy, or both. Many individuals do best when they work with a support system during the healing and recovery process.
Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health issue.
Fact: Friends and loved ones can make a big difference. In 2020, only 20% of adults received any mental health treatment in the past year, which included 10% who received counseling or therapy from a professional. Friends and family can be important influences to help someone get the treatment and services they need by:
Reaching out and letting them know you are available to help
Helping them access mental health services
Help them learn self-care and coping techniques
Learning and sharing facts about mental health, especially if you hear something that isn't true
Treating them with respect, just as you would anyone else
Refusing to define them by their diagnosis or using labels such as "crazy", instead use person-first language
Myth: It is impossible to prevent a mental health condition.
Fact: Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focuses on addressing known risk factors, such as exposure to trauma, that can affect the chances that children, youth, and young adults will develop mental health conditions. Promoting a person’s social-emotional well-being leads to:
Higher overall productivity
Better educational outcomes
Lower crime rates
Stronger economies
Improved quality of life
Increased lifespan
Improved family life
Myth: Mental health issues are rare.
Fact: Mental health problems are very common, with 1 in 4 people globally experiencing a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives.
Myth: People with mental health issues are violent.
Fact: A large majority of people with mental health issues are not violent, and are more likely to be victims of violence.
Myth: Mental health issues are contagious.
Fact: You cannot "catch" mental illness from someone else; it's not a physical illness that can be transmitted.
Myth: There's no hope for recovery from mental illness.
Fact: Many people with mental health conditions recover completely, and even those with serious mental illness can live full and productive lives with proper treatment.
Myth: Children and teens don't experience mental health problems.
Fact: Mental health issues can affect people of all ages, including children and teenagers. Early intervention and support are crucial.
Myth: You can't help someone with a mental health issue if you're not a professional.
Fact: Family and friends can be supportive by encouraging them to seek help, making them aware of resources, and offering understanding and empathy.
Myth: Asking about suicide will increase the risk.
Fact: Asking someone directly about suicidal intent can lower anxiety, open communication, and reduce the risk of an impulsive act.
Myth: Mental health issues are a sign of weakness.
Fact: Mental health struggles aren’t about weakness or character flaws. Environmental factors, genetics, and other stressors play a role. Just as we don’t see someone with the flu as weak, mental health challenges don’t define a person. Seeking help when struggling is a sign of resilience and strength.
For many, there is immense cultural pressure from loved ones and role models emphasizing hard work, even at the cost of suppressing emotional struggles. Pushing negative emotions aside only prolongs the amount of time that someone may deal with an undiagnosed mental health condition or disorder. Seeking help and resources may instead be a powerful step toward healing.
Myth: Counseling/therapy is only for people with serious mental illness.
Fact: Counseling/therapy can be beneficial for anyone, not just those with mental illness. While counseling/therapy is an essential tool for treating conditions such as clinical depression and clinical anxiety, many people find that it is also useful for navigating the daily stressors of life, including work and relationships.
Counseling/therapy can be compared in some ways to the gym – if you exercise and lift weights frequently, your muscles will strengthen. With mental health, counseling/therapy helps the brain remold and shape new pathways and ideas – a powerful phenomenon known as neuronal plasticity that explains our mind’s ability to evolve continuously and increases the brain’s capacity to adapt and grow.
Myth: If I’ve managed my emotions alone before, I don’t need help now.
Fact: Many people often point to challenging times in their childhood when they have overcome incredible adversity without needing counseling/therapy or help from a doctor. However, evidence shows that experiencing numerous stressful situations early in life increases the likelihood that someone may experience mental health challenges.
It is important to recognize that mental health, like physical health, is not static. Think of seeking mental health care in the same way that we see a doctor for a sprained ankle or painful back—the sooner we address the problem, the faster we will be able to return to action and, importantly, understand how to avoid injury in the future.
Myth: Seeking help means I’ll have to take medication.
Fact: Treatment for mental health is highly individualized. Medication can be effective for some, but it is not the only option. Even when medications are used, they are not magical in improving mental health. Most patients experience the most benefit when medication is used along with other things such as counseling/therapy, lifestyle changes, and mindfulness practices. The key to finding what works best for you is an important part of the conversation that takes place between a licensed mental health clinician and their patient.
Myth: Medications will change who I am or make me feel unlike myself.
Fact: Licensed mental health clinicians often hear from clients that they worry that medications will change who they are. Medications aim to reduce symptoms, not change who you are. Finding the right medication takes time and involves trial and error with your doctor to get the best results with minimal side effects.
Myth: Talking about mental health makes things worse.
Fact: Having an open conversation about mental health has multiple benefits – not just for the people who may struggle with mental health challenges, but also for the community. Hearing others, such as parents or mentors, talking about mental health can serve to reduce stigma. On the other hand, ignoring concerns seldom makes them disappear. Whether checking in with a friend or visiting a licensed mental health clinician, verbalizing emotions is often the first step in the journey of healing.
Key takeaways
Mental health can be difficult to define in a single word or sentence. It can be even more challenging to express one’s emotions if cultural or societal norms do not encourage open expression. For many, the myths underlying mental health and the treatment of mental illness can contribute to delays in getting treatment and building coping skills. Challenging these myths by talking about feelings, whether positive or negative, can normalize mental health as an active practice, like lifting weights to strengthen muscles.
Discovering the quality of your present mental health can be as simple as asking yourself: How are you feeling? Whatever the answer may be today, it is important to recognize the emotions as valid and that seeking help is an act that requires immense strength rather than a sign of weakness
Resources
https://www.thex-studio.org/resources
References
https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/APA-Blogs/Myths-and-Facts-About-Mental-Health
https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/what-is-mental-health/facts
