How to Handle People Who Believe Mental Illness Is Made Up
Pause and take a deep breath., Ignore the remark., Practice self-compassion., Ask them to elaborate., Be patient if the person thinks everyone is "like that."
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pause and take a deep breath.
Exercise your mental fortitude and resist immediately jumping down the person’s throat.
Briefly pause and pull yourself together so that you can decide on an appropriate course of action.Notice the sensation to become angry or react harshly.
Close your eyes and take a few deep, cleansing breaths.
Silently, count up to ten and back down again. -
Step 2: Ignore the remark.
If you don’t feel like sticking your neck out to educate someone who is misguided about mental illness, that’s totally your choice.
Never feel like you have to become the universal advocate for mental illness.
Coping with your symptoms can be challenging enough--don't feel responsible for correcting others’ ignorance.For instance, if someone makes an unintelligent remark about mental illness in a crowded place, you may not feel like it’s the appropriate context to correct them. , It can be hard to have someone say mental illness is made up, especially if you suffer from a mental health condition.
Take time to acknowledge the feelings this brings up.
Offer yourself compassion by stroking your arms or shoulders or just giving yourself a break to relax.
At the same time, it may also help to extend compassion to the other person.
Although their comments are ignorant and misleading, they were probably made out of fear.
People try to mitigate their own concerns about these frightening conditions by explaining them away as being “made up.” Instead of responding with hatred, try to send this person love and light., If you would like to dig deeper into the person’s understanding, you might ask that they explain themselves.
To prevent them getting on the offensive, do so casually.
Refrain from using the word “why,” which can get their hackles up.
For example, you might ask, “What makes you say that?” or “Where’d you hear that?” to encourage them to elaborate. , Some people don't believe in a mental illness because they read the description and realize it describes them, and they think everyone else is the same way.
Sometimes this means that the person actually has this mental illness but doesn't know it.
Avoid saying outright "you probably have anxiety too" or "you should see a doctor about whether you're bipolar." This can seem insulting, even if you mean well.
Say something like "A lot of people I know don't relate to descriptions of depression.
So even though I'm this way, most people I meet aren't." This states facts, while letting them come to their own conclusions about what this means for them. -
Step 3: Practice self-compassion.
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Step 4: Ask them to elaborate.
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Step 5: Be patient if the person thinks everyone is "like that."
Detailed Guide
Exercise your mental fortitude and resist immediately jumping down the person’s throat.
Briefly pause and pull yourself together so that you can decide on an appropriate course of action.Notice the sensation to become angry or react harshly.
Close your eyes and take a few deep, cleansing breaths.
Silently, count up to ten and back down again.
If you don’t feel like sticking your neck out to educate someone who is misguided about mental illness, that’s totally your choice.
Never feel like you have to become the universal advocate for mental illness.
Coping with your symptoms can be challenging enough--don't feel responsible for correcting others’ ignorance.For instance, if someone makes an unintelligent remark about mental illness in a crowded place, you may not feel like it’s the appropriate context to correct them. , It can be hard to have someone say mental illness is made up, especially if you suffer from a mental health condition.
Take time to acknowledge the feelings this brings up.
Offer yourself compassion by stroking your arms or shoulders or just giving yourself a break to relax.
At the same time, it may also help to extend compassion to the other person.
Although their comments are ignorant and misleading, they were probably made out of fear.
People try to mitigate their own concerns about these frightening conditions by explaining them away as being “made up.” Instead of responding with hatred, try to send this person love and light., If you would like to dig deeper into the person’s understanding, you might ask that they explain themselves.
To prevent them getting on the offensive, do so casually.
Refrain from using the word “why,” which can get their hackles up.
For example, you might ask, “What makes you say that?” or “Where’d you hear that?” to encourage them to elaborate. , Some people don't believe in a mental illness because they read the description and realize it describes them, and they think everyone else is the same way.
Sometimes this means that the person actually has this mental illness but doesn't know it.
Avoid saying outright "you probably have anxiety too" or "you should see a doctor about whether you're bipolar." This can seem insulting, even if you mean well.
Say something like "A lot of people I know don't relate to descriptions of depression.
So even though I'm this way, most people I meet aren't." This states facts, while letting them come to their own conclusions about what this means for them.
About the Author
Ann Robinson
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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