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Common misconceptions surrounding mental illness involve beliefs of violence towards oneself or others, unintelligibility, and criminal behavior. These beliefs perpetuate stigma and further denote the mental illness for what it really is – a mental illness and not the whole person. The Psychiatric Times notes that the aggressiveness and impulsivity shown by characters with schizophrenia in movies and televisions shows increases stigmatization and poorer treatment outcomes. According to the Scientific American, approximately 60 to 80 percent of the population believes that individuals with schizophrenia are likely to commit violent acts. Psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey states that most people with schizophrenia are not violent and do not exhibit dangerous behaviors. Dr. Irene Levine, psychologist and co-author of Schizophrenia for Dummies notes that, “People with schizophrenia more often tend to be victims rather than perpetrators of violence although untreated mental illness and substance abuse often increase the risk of aggressive behavior.” Hallucinations and delusions involving suspiciousness may cause someone to become aggressive, but proper treatment and medication can prevent this. Individuals without treatment will have less knowledge on their disorder, which will cause them to have less control over their behavior. Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS) claims that there is a small link between schizophrenia and violence, and in fact there is more of a link between violence and substance abuse problems. There is much more of a risk that a person will harm you if they have a drug or alcohol addiction than if a person has schizophrenia. What’s most important for someone with schizophrenia is to be diagnosed and treated so that they can better understand their condition and how to manage their symptoms, which typically involves medication. The Scientific American claims that “, severely mentally ill people account for only 3 to 5 percent of violent crimes in the general population”. The stigma behind schizophrenia and violence needs to cease because each person is different and mental illness should not be blamed or stereotyped. Understanding the reality and facts behind mental illness can help break the stigma.

While many of us are aware of the damaging effects that stigma can have, unfortunately there are many people that do not yet understand. Common misconceptions surrounding mental illness can easily take on the perceptions of heavy television viewers and hearsay, often making it more difficult to combat. The following are several reliable ways to cope with stigmatization if you experience it:

Anxiety and depression can feel debilitating and can make it hard to complete simple tasks such as getting out of bed, going to the grocery store, and meeting up for social gatherings. Many people with anxiety and/or depression want to begin taking steps to better their mental health but don’t know how to get there. First and foremost, seeking treatment is a fantastic way to improve symptoms of mental illness because you can work with a therapist one-on-one to develop tools and learn coping mechanisms. However, there are many online resources that one can use to get immediate help.

Group therapy may seem very daunting – meeting new people, sharing personal information, and the overall new experience of group therapy may provoke anxiety. While these reasons are understandable, group therapy can provide several benefits. The most crucial step you can take before you begin group therapy is to adjust your perception, change your mindset that group therapy will be beneficial to you because this will set you up for a more positive experience. Associate Editor Margarita Tartakovsky of Psych Central has noted several ways that group therapy can uplift us in recovery:

With the holidays coming up, it can be easy to feel nervous about the urge to abuse alcohol or drugs. Whether potential usage is with family or friends, or whether we may feel lonely during the holidays, the urge is still there, and it’s real. If you’ve been in recovery for quite some time or if you’re just wanting to ensure your health and safety this holiday season, sobriety can easily be achieved by remembering and following these few simple tips:

“We do not heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by living fully in the present.” – Marianne Williamson Letting go of the past can be very hard to do. Complex situations of the past can creep into every nook and cranny of space in our minds, filling every subconscious thought or decision we make. Dr. Judith Sills states, “It is heart-stoppingly easy to get stuck in the darkness of bad memories. They are emotional quicksand and exert a strong downward pull on the psyche.” We often have an urge to go back and right the wrongs, do things differently, say something else – anything to change the outcome of a situation that hurt us badly. These memories can plague us and leave us feeling exhausted. Letting go of the chains of the past means giving freedom to ourselves both in the present and future. Dr. John Grohol, founder and CEO of Psych Central, has provided several steps for letting go of the past:

When it comes to recovery, finding healthy outlets is key. Recovery is a time for growing, learning, and bettering ourselves. A time where we can focus on how our mental illness or addiction affects us and others – and during recovery we develop tools so overcome our addiction or tools to better work with symptoms of a mental illness. These tools are incredibly important – we take them day by day, and over time we transform.

When we only see our friends on the weekends, or a few times a month, it can be hard to tell what they are going through. Sometimes people don’t always tell us their struggles and if something upsetting has recently occurred in their life and we aren’t made aware, our friend may be in more danger of developing an addiction, especially if they feel they do not have an outlet. According to MentalHelp.net, the following are signs to tell if your friend has an addiction problem: Behavioral signs:

An excerpt from Tom Shachtman’s book titled, To Be or Not To Be Amish: Once the young ladies hit the cars, and the cars have pulled away from the homestead, appearances and behaviors begin to change. While riding along, each Amish girl performs at least one of many actions that have been forbidden to her throughout her childhood: lights up a cigarette, grabs a beer, switches on the rock and rap music on the car radio or CD player, converses loudly and in a flirtatious manner with members of the opposite sex. Leanne, a character from “Orange is the New Black”, grew up in an Amish community and started using meth during her Rumspringa. Outside of her character, this issue is a major concern in the United States today. According to Amish America, Rumspringa or “running around” is “a term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around age 16. Rumspringa seems to have caused an epidemic of addiction among the Amish community; last year, approximately 70 people – many of them youth – were arrested at an Amish party. Fox 59 reported more than 1000 people were expected to attend from Ohio and the Interstate before the party was shut down. Addiction does not discriminate. Individuals of the Amish community face the same demons the rest of us face, including addiction. According to NPR.org, Rumspringa is a time where adolescents of the Amish community can “test” out the modern world to determine if they would like to continue their path within the community. At age 16, the adolescents have not yet been baptized, so they are not officially considered members of the church yet. Many youths are encouraged to explore movie theatres, driving, malls and more – but some, with this feeling of freedom, take part in unhealthy behaviors that lead to addiction. Alcoholism, meth, heroin, and opioid addiction all impact the Amish community, just like any other community. The dangers are ever more real to Amish youth because, with this form of freedom, they are likely to take drastic action in a similar fashion people first entering college might take. At any age and in any community, addiction can occur.

Whether you’re hosting, attending, or neither, the holidays can bring about stress. Pressures of cooking the best meal, putting your “best foot forward” when talking to friends or family you haven’t seen in a long time, and managing the holidays alone can all be stressful and anxiety- inducing. With the right mindset however, anxiety and stress does not have to be a part of your holiday. Here are several wonderful tips for handling anxiety during the holidays:

Many famous people have been known to have mental illnesses ranging from anxiety and depression to bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. According to Odyssey Online, several key historical figures have been known to have a mental illness:

Suspended receiver Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns has struggled with addiction for several years, missing many games and nearly all a season in 2015 due to substance abuse. On a video released, Gordon stated, “I’ve used alcohol on many, many occasions. Xanax on many occasions, cocaine several occasions, marijuana most of my life, codeine, cough syrup. Methazine is very prevalent where I'm from. It's what I grew up using." When Gordon left in mid to late October of 2016, he moved to Gainesville, Florida and got into “probably the best shape of my life.” A candid interview with GQ showed Gordon’s true thoughts about himself, addiction, and his recovery. When asked how he felt about recovery now compared to previous attempts, Gordon stated that before, he was thinking to himself, “If I plan on having any type of career, I’ll stop”, but now he is thinking to himself, “If I want any type of a life, if I wanted to live, I’ll stop.” Gordon exclaimed that his perspective changed when he started realizing the reality: that his addiction was leading him to his death and that if he truly wanted to life, he needed to do something about it. Dr. Stephen Diamond, licensed clinical and forensic psychologist, told Psychology Today, “in some ways, addiction is an extreme example of an existential challenge we all wrestle with every day: accepting reality as it is.” Josh Gordon’s previous beliefs of himself and his addiction may have held him back from truly changing his life; it wasn’t until he faced his reality that he had a clearer view of what he needed to do next. ESPN noted that Gordon had been given a year-long suspension for the 2015 season because he had four drinks on a plane. Gordon stated in a video, “I’ve been enabled most of my life, honestly. I’ve been enabled by coaches, teachers, professors, everybody pretty much gave me a second chance because of my ability.” Psych Central defines enabling as “removing the natural consequences to the addict of his or her behavior.” Enabling perpetuates addiction and shows the person there is nothing wrong or their behavior is “okay”. Many people, especially athletes and other highly-recognized individuals, may become enabled because their friends, family, and authority figures do not feel comfortable “standing up to” or “confronting” the person, although this is what they really need.