A Mental Illness Does Not Make Me A Violent Person

A mental illness is not an indication of violence. Perhaps it is the lack of knowledge about mental illnesses that provokes fear and causes us to distance ourselves from people who need us. Like everyone else, they can get angry, but it is not necessarily a result of their illness, nor does it define a person as violent.

Unfortunately, it has always been believed that there is a strong link between mental illness and violence. To such an extent that there is widespread discrimination and rejection of people with mental illness. Unfortunately, this has created a great stigma around mental illness.

A wide range of mental disorders

When we think of mental illness, it is the most serious who come to mind ; psychopathy, schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder. But we do not realize that there are also many other and far more common disorders, such as anxiety and eating disorders.

So what’s really going on? Why do we assume that people with mental illness are violent? We find the answer in the episodes of violence that you hear about. Take borderline personality disorder as an example. In this case, a person can live a very normal life, but they can act on certain situations of violence. It usually happens when their symptoms are not under control.

Acting violently in a specific situation does not make them aggressive people in general. It is simply a reaction to circumstances that they do not know how to deal with because they have a problem. This does not mean that we need to be afraid of everyone who suffers from the same form of mental illness. Nor does it mean that this type of behavior is common in people with mental illness.

As we have already said, the spectrum of mental illness is quite wide and it is far from everyone who manifests himself with signs of violence. Anxiety disorders and depression are mental disorders that prevent a person from living a normal life. Should we really label these people as violent or crazy? Should we really be afraid of them? No, we should never make generalizations in the field of mental illness.

According to information published in journals such as the Journal of the Spanish Neuropsychological Association and World Psychiatry , only 10% of people with mental illness are involved in criminal activity. This is a fairly explanatory fact.

 I am not violent, it is mental disorders that are stigmatized

What is clear when it comes to mental illness is that it is very stigmatized. The big question is why. All the previously mentioned factors come from our own culture. The stigma surrounding mental illness is reinforced by books, movies and by history itself.

In addition, centers and institutions that have treated these disorders have traditionally been placed outside society because their patients were considered potentially dangerous. It was thought (thankfully less now) that psychiatric institutions housed people who could inflict other serious injuries at any time due to their lack of self-control.

The role of the media in the portrayal of mental disorders

The media portrays a less common and more negative reality, especially when it comes to mental illness. This creates an almost diabolical image of those who suffer from them, which in turn has led to an unfounded fear in society.

Let us take the example of Beth Thomas, a girl who was abused by her father from a young age. This triggered a form of psychosis in her. Beth’s case shook the world and frightened her parents and other family members. Her suffering was the result of something she had not chosen herself, but which was imposed by others. Today she is much better off and lives a normal life.

It is true that Beth has behaved violently, but only towards her own family. It is rare to find that this behavior is directed at society in general. It is the people closest to the patient who are most affected. But apart from her suffering, she is a person like you and me, and there is no reason to be afraid of her.

With this in mind, it is clear that being afraid of a person with a mental illness only means that you are looking at the disorder in the wrong way. Not all disorders involve violent behavior, and not all violence is directed at society.

Can you imagine that you have a mental illness and that everyone avoids you as if you had the plague, even if you are not a violent person? This would probably aggravate your situation. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of mental disorders is positive both for us and for those who suffer from them. We can never help them if we fail to understand them.