To understand mental illness we must appreciate the fact that every one of us is a conditioned individual. This is inevitable because no matter which society one grows up in one receives a powerful conditioning effect from the cultural value system, the language and traditions of that society. It means that every one of us is brainwashed by the society we live in as we grow up. It also means that every one of us will have acquired values, traditions and beliefs of that group and have some distorted perception of reality to start with. Our perceptions then change as time and experience forces us to move on. It is up to the individual to wake up and clear up those perceptions during one’s lifetime or die becoming a copy of the people around them.

Normally we all go about our daily activities despite our somewhat distorted perceptions. This is …

Mental health issues do not affect children

It is incorrect to believe that mental health issues do not affect children. Children, too, can and do, experience mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. According to the NAMI, one in five children between 13 and 18 years of age have, or will have, a mental illness. In fact, 50 percent of all lifetime cases related to mental illness begin by the age of 14.

Mental illness is a sign of weakness

An individual diagnosed with a mental health problem is often wrongly thought to be weak due to a lack of understanding. In fact, mental disorders can affect any individual from any age group, caste, creed or culture. Since the risk of developing a mental illness is dependent on various factors such as genetic, biological, social and environmental, it cannot be a sign of weakness.

Mental illness makes a person