Mark Licitra
Discussions of Mental Health and Christianity
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Archive for November, 2008
10 (unfortunate) Myths about Mental Illness
I am often befuddled by the things people say (including myself). I am talking about good people, well-intentioned people, people that just don’t realize that the words they are speaking could be hurtful. Mental illness continues to be incredibly misunderstood in our society, and unfortunately more-so within the Church. My work in mental health has led me into some very interesting conversations over the past couple of years, in which several themes have recurred. Some of these myths are things people have actually said to me, others were more implicit.
10. “I don’t know anybody with a mental illness.”
9. People with mental illness did something to deserve it.
8. Mental is the same as mental retardation.
7. People with mental illness have dysfunctional families.
6. Mental illness is caused by demon possession.
5. People with schizophrenia have “multiple personalities.”
4. People who suffer from mental illnesses are inherently violent.
3. People with mental illness can will themselves out of it.
2. The mentally ill cannot recover.
1. The mentally ill have no place in the Church.
I plan on addressing these myths one at a time over the next several weeks. Please feel free to ask questions or challenge me on things.Intro to my new blog…
My journey in mental health began in a psychiatric hospital in 2004, where I worked as a mental health tech. The seeds of discontent were sown there and I have since harvested several years of grief, and anger, and shame. My shame is for the Church, of whom I am a part, who should know better, who should do better. I am more convinced than ever that mental illness is the biblical leprosy of our time, that there is no group of people more relegated to the margins in our society (altough I think the aged among us fare only slightly better). The purpose of this blog is to start people talking about mental illness, and to re-introduce an ignored (intentionally or unintentionally) group of people to a Church who is called to care for the broken.
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