Although #MHYALit doesn’t officially kick off until January 2016, I recently read (and really loved) A MADNESS SO DISCREET by Mindy McGinnis which is a historical mystery/thriller that reminds us of how mental illness used to be viewed. It’s true, today there is still a lot of negative stereotypes and stigmas that are associated with mental health and mental illness. But it is also true that we have in many ways made tremendous progress in how we talk about mental health, how we treat many who struggle with mental health issues, and how much more readily those with mental health issues were abused. We still have a lot of progress to make, the stigma is real, the stereotypes are harmful, and abuse is still rampant. But one of the many things I valued in reading A MADNESS SO DISCREET was that glimpse into the history of mental health and mental health treatment. I have seen author Mindy McGinnis talk about this book, which was released recently, and know that she did some extensive research for this book. Today she is sharing a few words with us about mental health and her book, A MADNESS SO DISCREET.
Mindy’s Thoughts:
Mental illness used to be something to be spoken of in hushed tones, or not at all. While we are edging away from that, I sometimes see that movement being done in leaps and bounds, where everyone is an armchair psychiatrist who reels off a DSM diagnosis simply because they have the vocabulary.
Bi-polar and OCD are the obvious go-to’s, with people characterizing simple mood changes and a penchant for cleanliness as an opportunity to trot out their ten-cent words, not realizing the damage done by flippant assignment of truly horrifying illnesses.
Knowing the terminology does not signify knowledge any more than being able to identify an ocean on the globe makes someone a deep-sea diver. Mental illnesses are vast, varied and complicated. A supposed familiarity with such a large topic can do real harm, leading to self-diagnosis, self-medication, or just plain old bad advice.
If you suffer from a mental illness, seek help from a professional. If you know someone who suffers, encourage them to do the same. Much like the diagnosis, the treatments for mental illnesses are legion, and different approaches will work better for different people.
Let a professional decide what’s best – not your friend who watched every episode of HOUSE.