We’ve come a long way in talking about mental health, but there’s still work to be done, according to Sanford Health psychiatrist Jonas Attilus, M.D.
Dr. Attilus provides psychiatric care at Sanford Health in Bemidji, Minnesota, for a number of mental health conditions, including:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression and anxiety disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Psychotic disorders
- Substance use disorders
- Trauma-related conditions
Sanford Health News talked with him to address some outdated, yet common, mental health myths.
Myth: Mental illness means weakness
Dr. Attilus said culture and upbringing play a big role in how people view both mental health as a whole and caring for their or a loved one’s mental health. Some are more prone to experience mental illness simply due to their biology.
“If somebody grew up in an environment where there’s a lot of war, there’s an incentive and tendency that you have to be strong,” he said. “What research shows us is that there is an impact on our mental health from our environment, and we all carry some level of vulnerability.
“What I mean by that is that you can have two people exposed to the same trauma, but one of them developed PTSD and the other did not. It’s not because one of them is weak compared to the other. It’s because the biology of that person can make them more susceptible.”
Myth: Only military personnel can experience trauma
PTSD is a mental health condition stemming from “a near-death experience or being exposed to a feeling where you’ll lose your life,” according to Dr. Attilus.
PTSD is common for soldiers, first responders and health care workers, but anyone can develop PTSD.
“Something that’s very interesting: Those experiences don’t have to have the same intensity for people. Somebody can be in a car accident and develop PTSD. Somebody can be in a bike accident and develop PTSD,” he said.
Vicarious trauma and PTSD display similar symptoms. The difference is PTSD is developed through direct exposure to a traumatic event, while vicarious trauma stems from indirect and repeated exposure.
Like PTSD, vicarious trauma is also common in military personnel, first responders and health care workers.
Myth: Mental illness is rare
Dr. Attilus said mental illness and mental health disorders are common, and no one is ever alone in their struggle – even if it feels that way. He said it’s important to embrace the loved one who is experiencing mental illness or mental health disorders and not create a stigma surrounding them.
“For me growing up, I had a cousin who had psychosis, but this is not the cousin everybody will know because the family will try to keep them apart,” said Dr. Attilus.
“Let’s say you have a family member who uses a substance like alcohol. That’s not the cousin people want to talk about. In fact, they don’t even want to invite the cousin to Thanksgiving.”
Mental Health America estimated that in 2024, nearly one in five adults in the U.S. experienced any mental illness. The World Health Organization estimates over one billion people are living with a mental health condition.
Myth: Children can’t experience mental illness
Children can also experience mental health issues.
“People often think of children as being resilient. I don’t like to say that because many of them don’t have the language to say what’s happening with them,” Dr. Attilus said. “There are things that happen to them before they were verbal. They couldn’t have the language to say it, but the body keeps the score.
“So, to say that the child is resilient and anything can happen to them and they will recover later, it’s not appropriate. We have to be advocates for children, too. Children suffer. It’s very difficult for them because as adults, we have the language and we can rationalize, but children misinterpret things.”
Myth: Therapy is for other people
Dr. Attilus said there’s a misconception that therapy is only for certain people. It’s true therapy is helpful for individuals who are currently going through difficult situations, but therapy can be helpful before facing the issue.
“It’s not uncommon for people to people to say, ‘I lost my parents’ or ‘I’m struggling with my wife or my children and I need therapy.’ In fact, we should have been in therapy even before. The reason is therapy will give you skills that you can use at any time. So, before the storm, get the skills,” explained Dr. Attilus.
He said therapy helps people expand worldview and work through feelings and emotions that might not be serving us.
“When we interact with the world, we interpret the world based on our perception. The way you perceive it will be differently than the way I perceive it, because of the social environment and psychosocial factors we grew up in.
“But what happens is someone who grew up in an unsafe environment can think the world is a dangerous place to be. That person will not change their perception of the world until they have the cognitive flexibility to rethink the world differently.”
Myth: Medication will fix all mental health problems
Simply put, medication cannot change an unhealthy environment.
“If someone is in an unsafe environment and a very tumultuous place, no amount of drug you throw at them will fix everything,” said Dr. Attilus.
“There is some medication, like antidepressants, when you take them it’s like opening a door for you. But you have to be the one to walk through the door.”
Dr. Attilus said there’s also no “snapping out” of a mental health condition. Mental health conditions are just as real as physical conditions. You can’t ask someone to snap out of arthritis; you need to treat it. Mental health should be viewed the same way.
“We have so many veterans who survived the trauma of defending our country. They have seen things the human body should not see every day. So, when they come back and they hear a firework, they have a PTSD response to that. You cannot tell this veteran to simply get over it or snap out of it,” said Dr. Attilus.
Myth: Schizophrenia means multiple personalities
“Schizo” does mean split, and “phrenia” means mind, so Dr. Attilus said it’s understandable why one would think it means split personalities.
Schizophrenia means someone has experienced psychosis for at least six months.
“Psychosis can be delusion or hallucination – you’re seeing things, you’re hearing voices. Every sense that you have can create a hallucination. You need to have those for six months before you can meet the criteria for schizophrenia.
“It’s not a split personality. It’s a disease.”
Myth: Bipolar means unpredictable and dangerous
Dr. Attilus said the myth of people with bipolar disorder being unpredictable and dangerous is exactly that: a myth.
“It’s just not the case at all. I have cared for someone with bipolar disorder who is a tremendously smart university professor,” said Dr. Attilus.
“In fact, data has shown people with mental illness have more propensity to be a victim of violence than to be a perpetrator of violence,” Dr. Attilus added, sharing a 2021 Harvard Review of Psychiatry study that claims “a mere 3 to 5% of violent acts occurring in the community are attributable to mental illness. Even if serious mental illness were to be cured altogether, more than 9 out of 10 violent acts would still occur.”
Dr. Attilus added, “The vast majority of people with mental illness, they don’t go out there and then commit a crime. In fact, they stay in bed, because they can’t even get out of bed.”
Fact: You can find counseling and other help for mental health
If you think you are experiencing symptoms of mental illness, a great place to start is by seeing your primary care provider. A primary care provider can help guide you and loved ones through the journey of mental health care and further connect you with providers to help your needs.
If you think you are in an unsafe environment or fear for your safety, call 911.
You also can talk to professionals who are mandated reporters – required by law to report abuse, neglect or other crimes – and can help you:
- Educators
- Health care workers
- Social workers
- Mental health care providers
- Law enforcement
- Child care providers
If you’re struggling with suicidal thoughts yourself, or love someone who is, get help now by contacting any of the following:
- SAMHSA National Helpline: (800) 662-HELP (4357)
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988 or (800) 273-TALK (8255)
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline: (800) 985-5990
Visit sanfordhealth.org to find resources, risk factors, warning signs and steps you can take to help a loved one.
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Posted In Behavioral Health, Bemidji, Healthy Living
