Mental Illness is NOT a Diagnosis

Between the recent mass shootings in America, the rapid decline in our children's mental health, and recent political chatter regarding mental health legislation- I think we all are feeling pretty overwhelmed and need to take a nice cleansing breath, and pause for a moment.

Breath in deeply for 3 - 1...2...3 Hold for 3 - 1...2...3.. and Breath out for 3- 1..2..3......

Great! Now that you're regulated, let's talk. 

"Mental illness" is the exact same as saying "medical illness" in the sense that it encompasses EVERY ailment under the sun. They are NOT diagnoses, they simply mean the person is experiencing a set of symptoms.

I created the above graphic to show in comparison that medical and mental disorders have a lot in common. Some ailments are more chronic and difficult to treat such as cancer or schizophrenia. These illnesses often require hospitalization, multiple medications and treatments, and will likely negatively impact the individual's daily functioning. Just like cancer can range from mild to severe, so can Schizophrenia. No matter which diagnosis is present, they both require as much love and respect as any other person. On the opposite end of the spectrum, most of us have experienced the common cold, just like many of us have felt the heavy weight of generalized anxiety. Just like a cold, anxious thoughts usually only stick around for a brief period and will dissipate with the appropriate measures.

The thing about mental disorders is that a large portion of America will experience one in their lifetime  (1 in 5 adults in the US currently).

So, what is the difference between "everyday people" with psychological illness and these individuals who conduct mass shootings, you may ask? Well, that's the million dollar question. A study conducted at Columbia College in 2015 compared 235 of these mass murderers. The data found that they had quite a bit in common, with many of them suffering from Antisocial Personality Disorder (aka. psychopaths and sociopaths).

There have been many other reputable organizations and universities who have studied this topic and have concluded that mental illness does not cause aggression. Which is mostly accurate... understanding that correlation does not mean causation.

But I think something should be made clear...

Mass murderers, serial killers, terrorists- all of these people are SEVERELY mentally ill. They are emotionally unstable. Their behavior is not normal. These individuals have chemical imbalances and/or parts of their brains that are not functioning properly, such as the cerebral cortex which is the area in charge of empathy. If the person had been a normal functioning, emotionally regulated person prior to the shooting (unlikely), then my guess is that they had a genetic predisposition for psychosis- and at the time of the crime experienced a psychotic break, at which point they would meet the criteria for a mental disorder.

In Summary:

Mental illness DOES NOT equal becoming a mass murderer. (I hope that is obvious, but just in case.)

It takes a VERY sick individual to take a mass number of innocent lives, period.
(Note: Humans are innately fighters/survivors and every person can be driven to their "breaking point" to protect themselves or loved ones- but that is a completely different ballgame.)

Remove the grim picture from your mind, of the mentally unstable patient wearing a straight jacket, rocking back and forth in a padded room. It's outdated and ignorant. That IS NOT the picture of mental illness.

Mental illness is NOT contagious (although there is some fascinating findings on mirror neurons).

(Again, I hope all of this is common knowledge.)

Mental illness does not discriminate.

There IS something that we can do. We can be more sensitive and in-touch with those who we know have mental health struggles. Would you call/text/message a loved one or a friend who was diagnosed with the flu? Of course you would. It's the same for mental health issues- check on your parent, friend, neighbor- whoever. Human connection will help them more than you can imagine.

I want to thank you for reading this article! It says that you are interested in such an important topic and doing your part to at least understand it better. Please continue to familiarize yourself with updated information about mental health!

If you're interested in learning ways to cope with the recent tragic events, please visit my next post.

Disclaimer: I am not, and do not claim to be, an expert in mass shootings or chronic psychological illnesses. This is for informational purposes only.