Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
When it comes to life as a college student, mental health is often misunderstood and disregarded. This is especially the case for disorders such as borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, dissociative identity disorder and other stigmatized mental disorders that people tend to disregard or demonize.
No one wants to face stigmatization, whether it be mental health related or otherwise. This is why it’s in our best interests as students to spread and offer understanding to those who are different from us, despite negative portrayals of disorders we see around us.
Mental illness has always been a contentious topic. Unfortunately, it’s also a conversation that seems to arise in times of tragedy when blame needs to be tacked onto something. This has led to certain disorders, such as DID, schizophrenia and BPD, gaining a reputation for being “dangerous” or “scary.”
These disorders, however, are not truly understood by the general public. Thankfully, conditions like autism have seen a shift in perception in recent years. As autism has come more into the public eye, people have confronted their misconceptions, moving away from seeing it as completely debilitating or linked to aggression.
Simplifications of mental disorders are common and harmful. While certain stigmas have lessened through better education, many persist. DID is often regarded as frightening due to media depictions, such as the 2016 film “Split,” and bipolar disorder is commonly misunderstood as being synonymous with consistent anger.
Schizophrenia is often made into a joke, and many other mental illnesses that receive same treatment.
In reality, these disorders manifest very differently in each person. The simplification of very complex disorders is extremely harmful, especially in college, where students are introduced to a diverse group of people that may have mental disorders.
Simplification leads to stigmatization, and stigmatization leads to ostracization. For students, it’s isolating to learn that people around them misunderstand their disorders. This can make them hesitant to talk about it or even acknowledge it.
Disorders being cast in a negative light is a self-perpetuating cycle that only causes harm to those with mental illnesses. If everyone adopts a face-value understanding, no one is learns the truth and no one advocates for better understanding.
The last thing anyone should have to face while struggling with a mental disorder is the feeling that they have to hide it due to negative perceptions.
Fortunately, with like depression, anxiety and autism, the general public has shown that it’s possible to move past harmful depictions of mental illnesses. As these disorders have become more widely accepted, it’s easier to identify with them without feeling the need to hide.
As students, we have a unique environment that exposes us to diverse backgrounds. It’s the perfect place to start destigmatizating misunderstood mental illnesses.
This unique setting that we’re in should be utilized. We can’t feed into the idea that mental disorders are inherently frightening or deserving of being shunned. Many students face these issues, and at such a formative age, ignoring them can be disastrous.
Though examples here are few, when encountering any disorder we’re unfamiliar with, it’s important to understand them or at the very least refuse to amplify negative stereotypes and simplifications.
The only scary thing about any mental illness is the harm caused when it’s treated as villainous.
Parker Hodges-Beggs is a journalism sophomore who can be reached at [email protected]
