May 12th-May 18th is National Prevention Week by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA). Each year around this observance, communities, and organizations across the country come together to raise awareness about the importance of substance use prevention and positive mental health. Raising awareness about mental health and substance abuse is strongly associated with breaking down treatment barriers and stigma surrounding these disorders. Debunking common myths about addiction and mental health is one common way to raise awareness and end the stigma. Below are common debunked myths surrounding the topics of mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders.

Myth: Individuals with mental health disorders are violent and unpredictable.

Fact: Most people with mental illnesses are not violent.

Only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a severe mental illness. People with severe mental illnesses are over ten times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population.

Myth: The majority of suicides happen suddenly without warning.

Fact: Warning signs either verbally or behaviorally precede most suicides, and therefore, it is important to learn and understand the warnings signs associated with suicide.

Many individuals who are suicidal may only show warning signs to those individuals closest to them, and these individuals could be in denial or may not recognize the warning signs.

Myth: Drug addiction is a choice.

Fact: Drug use is a choice, and prolonged use changes your body and brain chemistry.

You initially choose to partake in drug use, whether it is prescription drugs or street drugs but over time your brain becomes rewired and once brain changes occur, it no longer becomes a choice, but rather it becomes an addiction. People do not intend to become addicted; however, addiction can happen rapidly, and before you know, your life may be spiraling out of control because of one bad choice you made months or years ago. Treatment is a choice, and with the right combination of therapy and medications, addiction can be treated successfully.

Myth: Depression occurs only after a devastating event.

Fact: Depression results from many causes such as genetic factors, environmental factors, and social factors.

Genetics is one of the leading causes for depression and studies have shown that first-degree relatives (parent, sibling, and children) of individuals with depression are three times more likely to develop depression than the rest of the general population. Precipitating stressors such as the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or a chronic medical illness can increase the risk for depression; however, depression can occur without any precipitating factors.

Myth: Individuals with anxiety should avoid stressful situations

Fact: Stressful situations are often unavoidable. Hence, individuals should learn to manage their symptoms accordingly.

Avoiding stress might seem like an excellent way to reduce anxiety, but it’s not as easy as it sounds, or as effective. Life is full of stressful, unexpected situations, not all of which are necessarily going to cause anxiety for individuals with an anxiety disorder. Developing the habit of avoiding the things that you know cause anxiety-like crowds, open spaces, bridges, or spiders, reinforces the anxiety disorder.  Effective anxiety treatment usually involves gradually and safely, exposing you to the source of your anxiety so that you can learn to cope with it, not avoid it. It is important to learn healthy coping skills to overcome your anxiety instead of avoiding situations where your anxiety can occur.

Myth: Alcohol is not as harmful as other drugs.

Fact: Alcohol can be more dangerous than prescription drugs or street drugs.

The truth is that consuming alcohol increases your risk for many deadly diseases, including diseases of the heart (stroke, high blood pressure), the liver (alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis), the pancreas (pancreatitis), and more. It also increases your risk of developing certain cancers, such as cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast.

Myth: Periods of mania must alternate with periods of depression to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder

Fact: Bipolar disorder is divided into two types: Type 1 and Type 2, which are each, differentiated by the severity of the manic episodes. Bipolar disorder is a punctuated disorder rather than a cyclical disorder, and many individuals can act and feel completely normal in between their depressive and manic episodes.

Bipolar disorder type I (BPI) is characterized by alternative severe depression and mania, which leads to hospitalization or significant impairment in functioning. In comparison, bipolar disorder type II (BPII) is characterized by episodes of severe depression that are punctuated by hypomanic episodes. Hypomania is a less severe form of mania that does not result in psychosis or cause impairments in social or occupational functioning. Cyclothymic disorder is diagnosed in individuals who portray periods at least two years in duration of both hypomanic and depressive symptoms without meeting the full criteria for hypomania, mania, or major depression.