Mental Health

Mental health, community and culture

“Just as a person can be diagnosed with a broken leg, receiving a diagnosis of a mental illness is simply a way to understand what has happened to them and find the best treatment to help them.”

Different cultures and religions have different views on mental health. Some cultures have certain traditions or rituals to treat mental health problems, while others see mental illness as a spiritual issue.

In Australia, mental health is referred to as the state of wellbeing and it affects the way you think and act, and how you handle work and social relationships. We all have different thoughts, ideas and feelings that are unique to us, and every person experience mental health problems or mental illness differently. For example, some people don’t demonstrate sadness even if diagnosed with depression but instead have problems with anger. Others may seem well but could also be diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Recognising that you have a mental health problem is usually the first step in management. This is called having ‘insight’. Not everyone can diagnose and treat mental health conditions. Treatment in Australia is usually performed by mental health professionals: doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors or social workers. Mental health professionals have studied how the human body and brain function for years and have learnt what approaches work best to treat a particular mental health problem or illness. We know that these treatments are successful through extensive research a people experiencing the mental health problem or illness report improved symptoms and overall wellbeing after treatment.

If someone is experiencing a mental health problem or has been diagnosed with a mental illness, the problem or illness does not define them or make them less worthy. Just as a person is diagnosed with a broken leg, receiving a diagnosis of a mental illness is simply a way to understand what has happened to them, to define which illness they are suffering from and to find the best treatment to help them.

Stigma and discrimination in mental illnesses

Stigma is when mental illnesses are misunderstood, seen in a negative way, and used to define people unfairly. Being treated differently or negatively because of your mental illness is known as discrimination. Both discrimination and stigma can make recovery more difficult for the person experiencing a mental illness.

You may experience further mental health challenges if you are an LGBTQI+ person. This is not because of your sexuality, sex, or gender identity, but because of the discrimination, prejudice and exclusion you may face. You may experience additional challenges around how you are treated or supported by your family and community.

Some effects that stigma may have on people are:

  • feeling ashamed and isolated
  • hesitance to ask for help
  • feeling that they are not understood by their family, friends, and community
  • experiencing bullying, physical violence and harassment
  • the belief that they will never get better or have the life they want.

There are some things that people experiencing mental illnesses can do to prevent and deal with stigma and its consequences. These include:

  • Ask for help and access treatment if you need it. The sooner you address the issue, the sooner things will get better. This is because mental illnesses are treatable.
  • Remember that you are not the illness you are experiencing. It does not define or reflect your true self.
  • Remember that people can be fearful and judgemental when they face something they do not understand
  • Broaden your understanding of what mental illness is and is not.
  • Educate others on your experiences or join support groups of people who have been through mental illness.
  • Call out offensive and hurtful words that refer to someone’s mental illness.
  • Use appropriate language and be respectful.