Any mental illness, no matter how severe, is a challenge for the sufferer and their loved ones to deal with.

Mental health problems and disorders affect at least one in four people and have a major impact on those affected, their family and the community. Young people have been identified as being at particular risk: indeed as a group they have one of the highest rates of mental illness in Australia. Appropriate education has proved to be an effective way of reducing the risk and promoting good mental health.

Each year, around 20,000 Australians are diagnosed with some form of mental illness. Because of the stigma still associated with mental illness, many people do not talk about their experiences and so it may seem less common

We are excited to be having our festival during Mental Health Week this year.

Mental Health Week NSW, runs from Sunday 4 October to Saturday 10 October 2009, and asks us all to sign up, link in and get involved. The campaign promotes the connection between mental wellbeing and getting involved in our local communities, clubs, organisations and services. The official launch of Mental Health Week is on October 7th in Martin Place 11am-3pm and is a free to attend event with performers, sausage sizzle, free massages and loads of information and giveaways. Visit www.mentalhealth.asn to find out more.

Breaking social misconceptions

MYTH: Mental Illness is not very common in Australia.

FACT: One in five Australians will experience a mental illness at some stage in their lives. Many live with more than one mental illness at a time. Each year, around 20,000 Australians are diagnosed with some form of mental illness. Because of the stigma still associated with mental illness, many people do not talk about their experiences and so it may seem less common.

MYTH: ‘Normal’ people don’t get mental illness... they bring it on themselves.

FACT: Mental illness occurs in people from all age groups, nationalities and ways of life. It does not represent an inherent weakness or character flaw. People from disadvantaged backgrounds or who have experienced many negative life events may be more vulnerable to mental illness, but this is not their fault. Society must challenge blame and discrimination against the mentally ill.

MYTH: Mental illness is a life sentence – you are always mentally ill once diagnosed.

FACT: Everyone’s experience is different and mental illnesses vary significantly in their symptoms and effects. Some people have a single episode of mental illness and recover fully. For others, episodes occur periodically through their lives, interspersed with periods of being well. However, some people do experience significant disability due to ongoing mental illness.

MYTH: People with mental illness are violent and unpredictable.

FACT: Most people with mental illness are not violent toward others; in fact, alcohol and drug use is more commonly associated with violence than is mental illness. There is some risk of violence under certain circumstances, such as untreated psychotic symptoms, certain mental illnesses combined with substance use, or people who had a prior history of violence.

MYTH: People with mental illness should be locked away from society.

FACT: Social isolation and institutionalisation can have a negative impact on many people with mental illness. Most people can be treated successfully in the community or may need only short stays in hospital. The majority of people with mental illness do not present any risk to others in the community and have not done anything wrong to warrant them being locked away.

MYTH: People with schizophrenia have a split personality.

FACT: People with schizophrenia do not have a 'split personality'. The condition is associated with confused thoughts, speech and behaviour, delusions or hallucinations. Onset is often in adolescence or early adulthood. Some symptoms can be treated, but many medications have side effects. Some people with schizophrenia have periods of wellness between episodes.

MYTH: People with ‘depression’ should ‘snap out of it’ – we all get depressed sometimes.

FACT: It’s true that everyone experiences feelings of sadness and depression. However depression can also be a mental illness, sometimes distinguished by terms such as clinical depression or depressive disorder. The mood changes in this illness are more severe and long-lasting and usually accompanied by other symptoms. People cannot just ‘snap out of’ a depressive illness.

MYTH: Mental illness is caused by…

FACT: There are many different types of mental illness and there is no single cause. Factors may include biology (eg brain structure and chemistry), genetics, negative life experiences, personality type and coping styles. In most cases there is probably more than one factor involved in the development of a mental illness.

If you would like to read further about mental illness here are some web sites and organisations you can contact: