On mental health and the media

The media has a lot of power.  They have the power to manipulate our minds so that we believe whatever it is they want us to believe. They can feed us their beliefs through a simple characterization, hashtag, or promo reel.  Our primary societal tenants and values are based on our understanding of the world around us as fed to us through the media.  For example, the commercials we see everyday are filled with women who are stick thin, airbrushed, and white in a very tan way.  We've consumed this media so much so that as a society, we now believe that this is how we should define "beautiful" (which is utter bullshit by the by).

Anyways, the media has a strong position to create our societal norms and values.  This is often an abused power, but as with all types of power, it can also be used for good.  It can be used to improve the lives of others and set healthy norms and values.  As a fledgling psychologist I am especially aware of how the media takes part in defining our values and norms related to mental health. Unfortunately, I'm generally unimpressed.

Mental health is a difficult topic because there are so many stigmas and taboos associated with it in our culture.  People are seen as weak if they ask for help with any problem they're having, and asking for help maintaining their own mental stability and happiness is perceived as one of the weakest things they can do.  The problem is that asking for help--through therapy or psycho-pharmacology--is actually an incredibly effective way of managing and coping with mental health problems.  You know, seeking professional help is usually a good thing when you don't know what you're doing.  Your sink is leaking everywhere and you have no expertise in plumbing? Yeah, you call in a plumber.  You don't just let your house flood.  Your car is totaled on the side of the road and you can drag it to a repair shop?  You call a tow truck.  With almost every other thing in our lives we're willing and able to call for help, but when it comes to our own sanity (literally) we'd rather attempt to indefinitely pull uselessly at the back bumper.  That's because of context.  The context of a person with mental health problems--their world.  Their world with stigma.

Stigma is perpetuated (and often times created) by the media.  The media portrays people with mental health problems as the victims in need of saving from by hero, or the person who's causing unnecessary harm to others. Who's a threat.  The media portrays psychologists as over-intellectualized, judgmental, and inaccessible.  Sometimes they're even depicted as sexual predators.  The media portrays psychiatric hospitals as creepy, haunted, unsafe, terrifying, controlling places.  The media constantly misrepresents and mistreats diagnoses of mental health disorders in their characters.  The media allows its characters to be defined by their mental health conditions--to be out of control.  No wonder people are afraid of seeking help.

In reality, none of this is actually the case.  People with mental health conditions are almost always safe.  People with mental health conditions do not need saving from others and are strong, independent, and motivated to change.  Psychologists, by definition, are empathic and warm.  Their job is to be welcoming, unconditionally positive in their regard for you, accessible, and most importantly safe.  Psychiatric hospitals are similarly safe and are not used as parts of evil plots to control people.  They are used with great discretion and anyone unwillingly attending is doing so because of  a very sad and disappointed mental health professional.  Mental health conditions are very clearly defined and meet strict criteria.  We take diagnosis and treatment seriously in the world of psychology.  And finally, a diagnosis cannot, and never will, define a person.  Yes, it is a small part of who they are because it is composed of the feelings, thoughts, and experiences that they have, but it cannot limit that person or become their only defining feature.

With this in mind, it is vitally important that, as consumers of media, we acknowledge the biases and misrepresentations that we are fed.  It is important that in acknowledging these problems, we also understand how these misrepresentations impact us and the people around us.  We must not allow these biases to prevent the people we love from getting the help that they need and the help that will likely improve their quality of life.

They're worth a whole lot more than a bad episode of this months trending drama and a plot twist.  They're worth a heck of a lot more than that.

Keep on thinking,
Josie